When an incident or accident occurs at a hospital, they may carry out their own internal investigation which could result in an Incident Investigation Report or Root Cause Analysis Report being produced. These reports can be produced by the hospital as a result of a complaint being made by a patient but sometimes they can be produced by the hospital of their own accord and often patients do not even know that an investigation has been done until they receive a copy of the report.
It is in this latter situation that a patient can be very overwhelmed when they receive these types of reports as they may not have been expecting it and if the report identifies failings or shortcomings in the care and treatment provided, it can come as a significant shock.
Incident Investigation/Root Cause Analysis reports are often drafted for the hospital’s own benefit and for their learning/development but they can be very useful to a patient who intends to pursue a claim for clinical negligence.
It is important that if you receive an Incident Investigation Report/Root Cause Analysis Report (whether expected or not) you seek legal advice as soon as possible. Whilst it is not always the case that an Incident Investigation means that the treatment provided was negligent, it can be an indication of the same and at the very least, it is likely that there will be further questions to be asked.
Our specialist team can help you review the report that you have received and advise you whether you may have grounds for taking further action in relation to clinical negligence. If you have received a report of this nature or indeed if you believe that you have a claim for medical negligence, call us today on 0161 665 3502 or email [email protected].
