Pressure Sore Claims

With an ageing population and delays in the NHS, patients with mobility problems spend a lot of time sitting or lying down and are often discharged to care homes.

Care staff are responsible for delivering basic care that any family member would provide in their own home, which would include feeding, toileting, personal hygiene, and mobility. A patient or resident who is bed or chair bound, will require regular repositioning to mitigate the risk of pressure damage. The patient's skin needs to be monitored on a daily basis with skin inspections to identify any skin changes, for example, discoloration, blistering or grazing of the skin. These can be early signs of pressure damage and "pressure sores".

Care staff are responsible for regular repositioning of a resident if they are not able to do this for themselves. They should prepare a pressure ulcer risk assessment as soon as possible after admission and advise staff on the care required to mitigate the risk of pressure damage and to promote wound healing - for example, an increased repositioning regime, continence and skin care, and nutrition. The provision of cushions and air mattresses may be required as necessary.

Failure to provide these checks and support can quickly lead to the development of a pressure/bed sore. If left untreated, large painful wounds can develop which take many months to heal. These are often graded from 1 to 4 depending on their severity. They can leave the patient vulnerable to further problems and a risk of developing further sores.

With appropriate care, pressure sores should not develop and they should rarely go onto a level where they are graded.

If you, a loved one, or a friend have suffered a pressure sore and would like some advice on whether there might be a case to make a pressure sore claim, please contact one of the team for some no win, no fee, no obligation advice.

We accept cases on a no win no fee basis, backed by an After the Event Insurance policy, when required.

Forbes Solicitors have an experienced Clinical Negligence Team dealing with all aspects of Clinical Negligence claims. For further information relating to any of the issues raised in this article, please contact one of the team on 01254 872 111 or start your claim here.