Inadequate Patient Risk Assessment Can Lead to a Pressure Sores Personal Injury Claim

It may surprise you that in this era of medical advances and accountability that up to 500,000 people every year will be inflicted with a pressure sore, also called a bedsore, in the UK alone.

This is totally unacceptable as with proper risk assessment and care the occurrence of pressure sores is in most instances avoidable.

Pressure sores are most likely to develop whenever someone is suffering with restricted mobility which can be during treatment or whilst being looked after in a care environment.

Pressure sores are preventable

When someone takes responsibility for your care, they owe you a ‘duty of care’ so that pressure sores should not occur.

Normally, the person who is responsible for your care should carry out a risk assessment so that they can identify your individual risk of developing a pressure sore. They then need to put in place a suitable care plan /package to mitigate the risk and they will need to ensure that this is adhered to. The risk assessment should be reviewed regularly and the care plan adapted accordingly.

The risk assessment covers particular aspects which include:

• Age and sex
• Weight and build
• Skin type
• Whether you are continent or incontinent
• Mobility status
• Underlying health conditions etc

Each feature needs to be considered and if your risk of developing pressure sores is high further assessment needs to take place. So often though, risk assessments are inadequate and care plans are not followed and when this is the case you are left having to bear the pain and suffering of pressure sores which could have easily been prevented.

Claiming compensation for pressure sores

The failure of care staff to follow set professional protocols can be used as evidence in a personal injury claim to show a failure in the duty of care owed to you.

The first step is to review the medical records to establish what went on and what went wrong. In most cases pressure sores occur due to inadequate risk assessments and/or failure to adhere to a care plan.

This includes failing to provide specialist equipment such as a suitable bed, assisting you to move into a different position while incapacitated and in the event of the occurrence of a pressure sore, poor or inadequate diagnosis and treatment.

If you believe you or one of the members of your family has suffered with pressure sores as a result of poor care, you should speak with a specialist Solicitor who can advise if you are entitled to compensation for the pain and suffering you have needlessly endured.

Start your claim today

If you or a loved one have suffered from pressure sores in the last 30 months, Curtis Legal Solicitors urge you to seek legal advice as soon as possible.

The team are specialists in this field, and are happy to chat through your experience and your concerns. There is no obligation, and your discussion will be absolutely free.