Does acquiring hospital infections count as medical negligence?

Typical infections are easy to treat with a course of antibiotics but there are certain hospital infections that have evolved to be particularly resistant, which makes them significantly harder to treat. These hard to treat infection, which are most commonly found in hospitals are known as super bugs and include MRSA and C Difficile amongst various others. There are certain patients that are more susceptible to contracting such infections such as the elderly, those with weakened immune systems, those using a drip and those with an open wound. 

When proper measures are taken to maintain an acceptable level of cleanliness then the risk of the infection being spread is dramatically decreased. Those who do contract a hospital infection during their stay may be eligible to claim for compensation on the grounds of medical negligence.

Causes of hospital infections

MRSA has had a lot of media exposure in the last few years and it’s now fairly common knowledge that by following proper hygiene protocols, the spread of common infections can be avoided. However, there are times when the system has failed and outbreaks have occurred and this could have been due to a number of reasons. 

Cleaning regimes, hand washing and sterilization of equipment should all take place regularly in order to avoid an outbreak. It’s also important to diagnose infections fast and treat them properly when someone does become infected. The longer a patient has an infection that is not known about, the longer they have to spread it to other people and, being in a hospital surrounded by the most vulnerable and high risk patients, makes it a very dangerous environment and hard to control. 

Nevertheless, if you can be sure that you or any of your loved ones became infected in a hospital or clinic, then it could be worth discussing your options with a personal injury solicitor.