In the latter practice, he saw clients mainly at the Ulster Independent Clinic. Concerns were raised about the standard of care being provided by Dr Watt and this has led to a number of investigations. He is under investigation by the GMC. There has been an internal investigation by Belfast Trust.
Many of his patients’ case histories have been reviewed by the Royal College of Surgeons. There has been an internal investigation by the Department of Health and there is now an ongoing public inquiry under the chairmanship of Brett Lockhart QC.
A wide range of different diseases have been identified as neurological disorders. In relation to the cases referred to, we have identified the most common areas where Dr Watt’s diagnosis has been flawed. These include;
Many of the patients who have gone through the recall process (and indeed many who have not) will want to consider whether or not they are entitled to make a claim for compensation for medical negligence. It is important to remember that the success or otherwise of a medical negligence claim will not hinge upon, or indeed in many cases be influenced by, the outcome of the various investigations being carried out (listed above).
It is very likely that those investigations will reveal a flawed process, particularly of accountability within the Trust, but in cases of medical negligence, each case will be looked at on its individual merits. To be successful a patient will have to establish firstly that the medical care he / she has received from Dr Watt (either as a private patient or as an NHS patient) has fallen below an acceptable standard of care. Secondly, that patient will then also have to show that as a result of this substandard care, the patient has suffered in some way.
At O’Hare Solicitors, we have identified a number of experts who have already reported positively and many of our cases are well advanced at this stage. We are well placed to advise any patients who have not yet sought legal advice or those patients who will be contacted when the next recall process commences.
Proceedings have to be commenced within three years so anyone involved in the April 2018 Recall Process needs to be taking action now to avoid his/her case becoming statute barred. Anyone who has been treated by Dr Watt privately or who has not been involved in the 2018 Recall process and who has concerns about their treatment should also be seeking immediate legal advice.
O’Hare Solicitors have a strong record in the promotion of medical negligence cases generally, having handled, over the years, many cases involving negligence in many different medical fields including the neurological field. To date we have advised / are advising in excess of 75 patients who have sought advice in relation to their care under Dr Watt, either in a private capacity or in his capacity as an employee of Belfast Trust.
Read about Dr Watt recall patient horrified as medic reviewing scandal faces probe in the irishnews.com where Niall O’Hare, said that while the outcome of the GMC probe must be awaited, he was concerned that allegations made against Dr El-Naggar are “strikingly similar to those levied against Dr Michael Watt”.
A diagnosis of cancer can be an extremely frightening and distressing time. However, this is particularly true where this diagnosis comes late or where you have experienced an incorrect diagnosis in the first place. Everyone knows someone who has suffered from cancer and we all know several people who are living with terminal cancer or who have died as a result of it. This knowledge and prevalence of cancer makes it all the more frightening when we are diagnosed with it ourselves.
There are many ways in which cancer is spotted, whether through actively self-checking our bodies, or as a result of different medical interventions. However, regardless of the way in which cancer is diagnosed, the subsequent way in which it is managed can have a massive impact on our long-term health.
If you have actively discovered a lump and visit your GP, it is highly likely that you will be referred to a specialist for further tests.
However, on occasion, this does not happen and it may take you to relay your concerns for a second opinion in order for further tests to be carried out. If it is subsequently discovered that you do have cancer, it may also be the case that you are the victim of a missed diagnosis or an incorrect diagnosis if the medical practitioner has advised that your symptoms are caused by something else.
O’Hare Solicitors has a team with many years of experience in providing legal advice in relation to cancer diagnoses.
Our team has varied and vast experience in handling cases of negligence in cancer diagnosis and treatment. This means that we are in a position to provide clear advice about whether or not you may have a case for medical negligence in relation to your cancer diagnosis and care.
If you or a family member have been diagnosed with cancer and are suffering long-term health problems as a result, O’Hare Solicitors can help you to investigate whether your cancer diagnosis could have been picked up earlier or if it was could have been avoided altogether.
When you are diagnosed with cancer, you want peace of mind that it has been picked up at the earliest point so that you have the best chance of recovery. Where your cancer diagnosis is late and affects your prognosis, O’Hare Solicitors can, with the help of their team of medical experts, investigate whether this diagnosis could have occurred earlier and if so, who was at fault in failing to diagnose it.
If your cancer has been found to be related to your job or chemicals that you have had to use, or a process which you have been subjected to, O’Hare Solicitors may be able to help establish a link between your cancer and certain work practices. Thus, if there was a failure in your employer’s duty of care to protect you adequately from the risk of cancer, then we may be able to prove workplace negligence.
Our team can help you get the compensation you rightly deserve.
Cancer by its very nature is sometimes difficult to detect and diagnose. However, its symptoms can be present for some time. If you visit your GP and they fail to detect or investigate such symptoms which later are shown to result in cancer, you may be the victim of medical negligence.
Furthermore if you have been exposed to chemicalmicro-particulates such as asbestos, silicon, clay dust or other chemicals suchas weed-killer which cause you in later years to develop cancer, you maybe thevictim of workplace negligence.
To understand if there is a case for medical or workplace negligence in relation to cancer, it is useful to know what negligence looks like.
Medical negligence can be when you are given care which falls short of clear standards. Such care may exacerbate your condition or cause a further spread of cancer causing a negative impact on your health or prognosis.
Workplace negligence knowingly places you at undue risk and may have long-term negative effects on your health for which you may be entitled to compensation.
If your cancer has spread due to misdiagnosis orlate diagnosis, you may be the victim of negligence or medical malpractice. Assuch you may be entitled to compensation.
Talk to our team of legal medical experts and we will assess if you have a case for compensation.
We all need to visit a General Practitioner for a variety of reasons throughout our lives, whether minor or major. These medical professionals are trusted implicitly with all our health queries and problems. We visit our GP for advice and peace of mind and for referral for other medical procedures when necessary. Above all, we expect procedures to be followed and to be given the care and medical attention we both need and deserve.
When such care falls short of standards or is categorised as negligent, you are also entitled to seek appropriate redress via the judicial system. This may result in a claim for compensation for medical negligence. The team at O’Hare Solicitors is experienced in dealing with medical negligence in General Practitioner care. We have dealt with many medical cases which have resulted in successful claims for compensation. If you feel that you have been the victim of negligent general practitioner care, then read how you may be able to take action.
If you or a family member have experienced care which has fallen short of the standards expected of a GP, which has caused injury to your health, or long-term medical issues, then you may be entitled to compensation.
At O’Hare Solicitors, we want to ensure that you get the compensation you deserve for the trauma and medical negligence you have experienced. So, whether you have experienced short term or long-term health issues as a result of sub-standard GP care, we can help.
At O’Hare Solicitors, our medical legal advisers can assess whether or not you have a case and are entitled to compensation. We can help you to formulate your case and timelines for the treatment you have received or failed to receive.
General Practice is often our first port of callwhether we have minor or major medical symptoms.GP practice is a respected medical sector and provides millions ofpatients with sterling medical care. However, when human error occurs, andsub-standard care or advice is given, you may be the victim of medical GPnegligence.
This medical negligence can take many forms including:
Accident and Emergency can be a frightening and confusing experience for many of us. However, sometimes we have no choice but to visit the local hospital’s accident and emergency when we or our loved ones require immediate medical treatment. At a time of extreme need when we are most vulnerable, we put our trust in medical professionals to diagnose and treat our medical issues and don’t imagine that something may go wrong. However, accident and emergency medicine or trauma care is risky because it is unplanned and those who treat us are not familiar with our medical history. Moreover, medical personnel are making decisions under extreme pressure sometimes in life or death situations. Those decisions can turn out to be the wrong ones.
Our team’s experience in medical negligence spans decades and our solicitors can draw on this vast experience to help you get the necessary assistance required to make a strong case when you need it most.
If you or a loved one has experienced Accident and Emergency care and have suffered long-term medical issues as a result, O’Hare Solicitors can help.
We will work with you to establish a timeline of your treatment and identify where errors may have occurred. We use medical experts to determine whether there has been a case of medical negligence.
Our medical assessors will walk you through your experiences at Accident and Emergency.
We what to closely follow how you were treated and if your treatment deviated from the way you should have been treated. We will work with you to ensure that you get the compensation you require to rectify your resultant injury and provide redress. Our aim is to ensure that you get the longterm care and support you require to move on with your life.
When we attend accident and emergency, we may arrive there by ourselves, or be brought in by ambulance.
From the moment we are in the care of emergency medical personnel, we expect that we receive care of the highest standard. Sometimes this medical treatment may fall short of our expectations and we come to suffer negative effects as a result.
Accident and Emergency medicine is an extremely fast paced and near-chaotic environment and as such medical personnel are under extreme pressure.
Patients can find it difficult to recognise malpractice because they may not always be fully conscious or conscious at all. It may only be once you are in recovery, that you may discover mistakes in your medical care. The consequences of such errors may only arise in the days following your experiences at Accident and Emergency, leading to complications further down the line.
This can result in:
To recognise if you have a case for medical negligence as a result of Accident and Emergency medicine, you need to understand what negligence looks like.
Medical negligence results when you receive sub-standardcare which exacerbates your condition or causes further illness or injury whichhas a further negative health impact.
If you have suffered complications because of treatment you have received in Accident and Emergency which has had a negative impact on your health, you may be entitled to compensation. Regardless of whether the complications have occurred immediately or have manifested themselves weeks or months after your treatment, we can help to investigate if you are a victim of medical malpractice.
Talk to us and we will assess whether you have a case for compensation.
Taking a decision to have surgery of any kind, whether elective or emergency is a serious one and should never be made lightly. There are varying degrees and levels of risk associated with every surgery depending on the procedure you undergo. Such risks must be fully explained to enable the patient to weigh the risks against the potential benefits for their individual case.
There is undoubtedly a rise in surgeries carried out in the UK and with that an increase in surgical incidents. In 2013/14 there were 83 cases of wrong site surgery, this rose just one year later to 114. [i] While the figures may not be very recent, the reality is that surgical errors can be lifechanging on many levels whether physically or psychologically. As a patient, you have the right to due recourse. O’Hare Solicitors is a law firm with years of experience in helping clients claim compensation for surgical malpractice.
Our team’s experience in medical negligence cases spans decades. You can trust that our solicitors will draw on this vast experience to help you or your loved one get the necessary assistance required to make a strong case for you when you need it most.
If you have suffered long term issues as a result of surgery, O’Hare Solicitors can help.
Our expert medical assessors can analyse how severe your injuries are and what medical intervention would be required to provide redress. If you were left with a permanent injury due to surgery, we will assess the level of compensation you may be entitled to. Working with medical experts, we build a watertight case to ensure that you are awarded the compensation you deserve.
Even minor surgery can pose unexpected complications and risks. However, we all expect that every care is taken to ensure that these risks are reduced to a minimum. Where medical negligence is evident, our experienced healthcare lawyers have unparalleled experience in representing your rights and in case preparation. We work with you to investigate your case and the conduct of your medical team to assess if there was a deviation from the expected medical protocols and procedures.
Establishing medical negligence can be a delicate process and requires the forensic attention to detail which our customer-focused lawyers can provide.
If you or a member of your family are suffering as a result of medical negligence, we have a proven track record in securing compensation to assist you with long term care and support.
You can access highly skilled representation without any financial risk to you. We will walk you through the process of your claim confidently and professionally, putting you and your needs front and centre.
It is important to understand and recognise incidences of medical negligence. Often, patients place so much trust in the medical profession that they fail to recognise when they are victims of medical malpractice.
When such patients meet others who have had similar experiences, they can identify that they too have been needlessly harmed by their medical procedure.
Even minor surgery can result in serious and life changing complications.
Below is a list of some of the issues that may apply to your experience.
Whilst many medical errors can occur during surgery, further problems can also manifest post-surgery. It is during post-operative recovery that you may be more susceptible to infection. This can create even greater complications when post-operative care is inadequate. In such circumstances, you are extremely vulnerable and are sometimes unable to give voice to your suspicion of negligence or neglect until much later in your recovery.
Below are some examples of post-operative medical problems which can occur. If you recognise that these apply to you, get in touch with us and we’ll assess your case.
Medical issues which can occur post-surgery
If you are planning on making a claim for medical negligence which occurred either during surgery or post-operative, this can be a difficult and worrying time for you and your family. At O’Hare Solicitors, we understand. Our sensitive and caring staff will guide you through the process of claiming compensation.
Our law firm is acknowledged to be one of NorthernIreland’s leading team of solicitors. We have over a century ofcollective experience in medical litigation. Our specialist team of solicitorsand support staff will help guide you through the litigation process at everystage, enabling you to get on with your life. You will have peace of mind in theknowledge that we are building a strong case to win you the compensation andredressal you deserve.
We put tremendous trust in the medical profession and their professionalism and expertise. So, when things go wrong and we discover that we are the victims of a misdiagnosis, not only do we have to deal with the misdiagnosis, but also the breakdown of trust in your medical team.
Medical misdiagnosis can have lasting consequences for your health, and you may be able to claim compensation.
If you have discovered that you have been the victim of a misdiagnosis, you need to first establish what type of misdiagnosis you have experienced.
There are basically two types of misdiagnosis:
The first is an incorrect diagnosis, or a misseddiagnosis. This occurs when a medical practitioner makes a wrong condition, or,fails to spot there is anything wrong with you at all.
The second is where a late diagnosis occurs whichdelays your treatment and causes unnecessary suffering or health problems as aresult.
Medical misdiagnosis can be made by a medicalprofessional in the private health sector or the NHS.
An inaccurate assessment of a medical condition can occur because some symptoms are difficult to spot and hence the underlying condition is difficult to diagnose. Misdiagnosis can cause considerable complications and suffering for patients in the longterm. If you feel that you have suffered a misdiagnosis, O’Hare Solicitors can help document your case and check if you are entitled to compensation.
There are several serious medical complications which can result due to misdiagnosis. These can have lasting and even fatal consequences for patients and may include:
We have wide experience in dealing with medical misdiagnosis and will assist you to build your case for compensation.
Our team is experienced and skilled in representing your interest in medical malpractice and ensuring that your interests are looked after in the best way. We work to ensure that you get the best representation to take your case forward, gain the appropriate levels of compensation which will enable you to move forward with your life following misdiagnosis.
If you are planning to claim for misdiagnosis whether incorrector missed diagnosis, it’s important to document carefully the times and datesof any appointments and symptoms. O’Hare Solicitors can help you to documentthe medical issues you have suffered as a result of your misdiagnosis or thatof your loved one.
Dental surgery is a necessary service which we all have to use on a regular basis whether for check-ups or emergency dental surgery. Choosing a dentist who we can trust and feel comfortable with is very important. If we feel uncomfortable with our dentist, we are less likely to visit them on a regular basis leading to long-term health issues.
Dental surgery can be a painful and traumatic experience and even more so when there is dental negligence.
Medical negligence is defined by law as the failure of a medical professional to act in a professional way or acting in a way which deviates from the accepted standard of medical care.
This may mean a failure to take appropriate action when periodontal disease is evident, leading to teeth becoming loose or falling out. It could also mean failing to spot a cavity which subsequently leads to the tooth having to be removed due to irreparable decay. Dental negligence could also mean providing unnecessary treatment which causes damage to other teeth, for example bridge work which causes damage to other teeth.
O’Hare Solicitors has a team with decades of experience in dealing with medical dental negligence claims and will help you prepare a strong case.
We will help ensure that you can access the very best chance to get appropriate compensation.
If you or a loved one has experienced inadequate dental surgery care, and as a result have suffered unnecessary pain or trauma, O’Hare Solicitors can advise you on whether you may be entitled to compensation. We can help to identify if errors in your treatment have occurred and are negligent. We use independent experts to assess the treatment you have received and to ascertain if this treatment falls below the necessary dental standards which are required by law.
Our legal medical experts will help to document yourexperiences to establish the facts. We will help you to discover whether youare entitled to compensation for the pain and trauma you have suffered.
When you visit the dentist, you expect to be given the best advice and the highest standard of dental surgical treatment. You trust your dentist with their training and experience. You want to feel comfortable that your oral health is in the best hands and any health issues are picked up in a timely fashion and the appropriate treatment provided. In the event where this does not happen and treatment falls short of expected standards, you may be the victim of medical dental negligence.
You may then be entitled to claim compensation to rectify any problems which have occurred whether these have long or short-term consequences. When treatment falls below standard it is important to recognise the issues that can occur.
These can include:
Dental surgery negligence may not be immediately obvious straight after treatment. It may take some time for dental negligence to be detected. Following surgery, complications may arise, which cause you long-term health issues or require further treatment.
To check if you have a case for dental medical negligence, it’s important to fully understand what dental negligence is. Medical negligence can exacerbate your existing condition or cause further illness or injury and have a long-term negative impact on your oral health. Why not talk to our legal team and let us assess if you are entitled to compensation?
Cosmetic surgery whilst usually always planned, is not always a choice motivated by vanity. Sometimes cosmetic surgery can be offered on the NHS as a result of burns or as a result of an accident. Quite often though, patients do opt to have cosmetic surgery for purely cosmetic reasons. Regardless of the reasons for undergoing cosmetic surgery, it is your right to expect the highest standards of care and improvements as a result of cosmetic surgery.
Our team has a great deal of experience in dealing with negligence in cosmetic surgery. As such, they are able to use their experience to assist you in your claim for medical negligence. It is our aim to investigate claims of cosmetic surgical negligence to prevent further avoidable errors during this type of surgery.
If you or a family member have undergone cosmetic surgery which has caused you unnecessary long-term health problems or trauma, then O’Hare Solicitors can help.
You expect when you have elective cosmetic surgery that such intervention will improve or restore your body. You do not expect to have further injury or trauma caused, or for that surgery to result in further scarring or degradation of your physical appearance.
If you or a family member have undergone cosmetic surgery which has left you with a permanent health issue or injury, O’Hare Solicitors can advise you about your next steps.
We use independent medical experts to review your case and determine whether or not you may have a case and if you are entitled to compensation.
Cosmetic surgery by its very nature offers the possibility of hope and improvement. However, like any surgery, it carries risks and problems. Whilst this is the case, these risks are sometimes avoidable if correct procedures are followed. In the event where negligence occurs and medical staff act inappropriately.
Some of the following longterm problems can arise:
To recognise if you have a case for medical negligence as a result of cosmetic surgery, it is useful to know what negligence looks like.
Cosmetic surgery negligence can result where you receive care which is below the standard which is expected by the medical profession which is caring for you. If such medical treatment worsens your medical condition causing injury or deterioration in your health, you may be entitled to compensation.
Complications which you suffer as a result of cosmetic surgery can cause longterm health problems and may result in the need for further corrective surgery which can cause you unnecessary physical and mental suffering. At O’Hare Solicitors we are here to help you not only receive compensation for your injury, but also that you get the opportunity to rectify the problems caused.
Our medical experts can investigate yourcircumstances and assist with putting together a strong case for cosmeticsurgery malpractice. Speak to our experienced lawyers today for advice onwhether you are entitled to compensation.
Here at O’Hare Solicitors, we have many years of experience in dealing with the complexity of these investigations and injury claims. So, if you or your child has been impacted by the result of a birth defect, it could be that you are entitled to compensation for your injury.
Our team’s experience in medical negligence inrelation to birth defects and brain injury as a result of birth crosses many decades.Our team of legal experts can draw on this pool of experience to investigate,build, fight and win your case for birth negligence. We can help you win thecompensation you deserve and need.
If you or a loved one are living with cerebral palsy, a birth defect or brain injury as a result of childbirth, you may be entitled to compensation.
O’Hare Solicitors can use their expertise to investigate your case and help to determine if you are entitled to compensation and if so, the level you may be able to claim.
We will work alongside you to determine what happened during the birth process which may have caused your loved one’s birth defect.
Our medical legal experts will use their expertise to establish where there may be a case for medical negligence.
We aim to ensure that problems and errors which occurred during birth are highlighted and prevented in the future. We understand how difficult it can be for victims to come forward and the length of time it takes for victims to recognise that their physical problems are caused as a result of their birth.
We want to ensure that you get the long-term care, support and compensation you require to make sure that you can improve your life and are adequately compensated.
Pregnancy and the subsequent birth process is a sensitive and important time for the health of the baby and mother. There are many opportunities to ensure the health of both the mother and baby. Sometimes, however, things go wrong.
For example:
Birth defects may only become apparent months or years following birth. The birth process is often traumatic, and injuries caused are not always obvious.
Birth defects can result in:
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