Clinical Negligence Made Clear: A Guide for Patients and Professionals

For those whose lives have been changed dramatically as a result of negligent medical treatment, bringing a claim may be the only means of obtaining redress for the harm done to them. But process of litigation can be a bewildering and sometimes hostile experience.

Clinical Negligence Made Clear is an attempt by one of the country’s leading clinical negligence practitioners to help all those who might be affected by such cases to understand what is involved and thereby to reduce the cost and emotional impact of clinical negligence litigation.

In concise, accessible language Nigel Poole QC

• charts how clinical negligence has evolved, its place within the justice system and how compensation is assessed
• explains ten core legal principles of clinical negligence such as the doctor’s duty of care and the standards expected of healthcare professionals
• sets out how a claim proceeds and what happens before and during a trial
• focuses on specific common areas of clinical negligence claims such as wrongful birth, delays in cancer treatment and cosmetic surgery
• looks to the future and asks whether the current system is sustainable

The aim is to provide an intelligent but accessible guide for patients, doctors, nurses, therapists, expert witnesses, and healthcare managers so that those caught up in legal proceedings have a realistic view of the impact they will have and a clearer understanding of when a dispute might be best resolved early. No doubt it will also provide a lively introduction to the subject for students, trainees and lawyers looking to move into clinical negligence work.

PUBLISHED: October 2019

ISBN: 978-1-9164315-6-0