Our client suffered from psoriasis, a skin
condition. He went to his GP who prescribed steroid creams. However
the GP failed to monitor the treatment and, over several years,
continued to prescribe large amounts of steroid cream medication
without examining our client.
As a result, our client developed thin skin,
scarring and his adrenal glands stopped working for a time.
We considered this a clear cut case as far as
negligence was concerned and we therefore decided we only needed to
obtain a report on our client's injuries. A Letter of Claim, in
accordance with the Clinical Negligence Protocol, was then sent to
the GP and an offer of settlement was made.
The case settled for £17,000 damages.
We did not have to issue proceedings as
liability was admitted and the offer accepted.
Points of interest
This
case illustrates that it is not always necessary to obtain a
liability report in such situations in order to achieve a good
result. An experienced legal team will be able to decide on whether
a liability report is needed.
We were working within a budget for the client
and we kept to this.
Jacqui Hayat
Hodge Jones & Allen