What Is a Bowel Cancer Claim?
Bowel cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in the UK, occurring in the large bowel, including the colon and rectum. It typically presents with the following symptoms:
- A change in your usual bowel habits, with or without bleeding
- A feeling of needing to strain to open your bowels, even after having done so
Weight loss, pain, tiredness and sometimes breathlessness
If your bowel becomes blocked, you may suffer bloating, vomiting, abdominal pain, constipation and an inability to pass wind
A bowel cancer claim is a legal action against a healthcare provider, either public or private, for injuries or damage caused by substandard medical care. For example, as early diagnosis is very important for a chance of full recovery from bowel cancer, a delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis through poor medical care can be devastating. In these cases, a patient or their family may be entitled to bowel cancer misdiagnosis compensation.
How Healthcare Providers Should Manage Bowel Cancer Symptoms
There are set processes that healthcare providers, including GPs and specialists, should follow when dealing with cases of suspected bowel cancer. Any deviation from the usual processes is cause for concern and may constitute medical negligence in bowel cancer.
Seeing a GP
Your GP may not want to refer you to a specialist immediately, as some of the above symptoms can be caused by a simple case of piles or an infection that may clear up with a course of antibiotics. Your symptoms could also be due to dietary factors, such as gluten sensitivity and may clear up with a change in diet.
However, your GP should consider the possibility of bowel cancer and carefully review your medical history. If they do not refer you, your GP should schedule a follow-up appointment. If you are suffering from tiredness and breathlessness, it would be reasonable to request a blood test; a low red blood cell count can sometimes indicate the presence of cancer.
Even if you are not bleeding from your rectum, your GP should offer you a test to check for hidden blood in your poo if you are:
- Aged 50 or over with pain or weight loss
- Aged 60 or under with a change in bowel habit and anaemia
- Aged 60 or over with anaemia
If your symptoms persist after a few weeks of initial treatment, your GP should reconsider whether you need referral and, if not, continue to monitor your progress and consider referral at a later date. Do not let your GP overlook reviewing you and fail to follow up. Be proactive in ensuring you are seen at reasonably regular intervals.
Co-operate with your GP and accept the tests offered, as early diagnosis is crucial for improving cure rates. Test results can also provide reassurance if you do not have cancer.
Seeing a Specialist
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has produced cancer patient referral guidelines. An urgent two-week referral must be made for patients:
- Aged 40 or over with unexplained weight loss and abdominal pain
- Aged 50 or over with unexplained bleeding from the rectum
- Aged 60 or over with low blood iron levels (iron deficiency anaemia) or changes in bowel habit
- If test results show hidden blood in their poo
GPs should refer patients urgently if they have swelling or a lump in their abdomen or rectum or are under 50 years old with rectal bleeding and any of the following: abdominal pain, a change in bowel habit, weight loss or iron deficiency anaemia. If GPs fail to refer such patients urgently, there may be a claim for bowel cancer negligence.
When Can You Make a Bowel Cancer Negligence Claim?
Several actions constitute medical negligence in diagnosing and treating bowel cancer. You may be eligible to bring a bowel cancer claim if healthcare professionals:
- Failed to consider your symptoms or risk factors
- Failed to refer you for tests
- Failed to arrange surgery
- Failed to arrange post-surgical treatment
- Misinterpreted or overlooked your test results
- Misdiagnosing or delayed diagnosing your bowel cancer
Late diagnosis makes bowel cancer harder to treat and can mean:
- More invasive, open surgery involving making a much larger cut in the abdomen and putting the patient at risk of complications, scarring and a longer recovery time
- Treatment is required that could have been avoided, such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy
- Chances of a full recovery are lower or non-existent, necessitating care to merely improve the quality of the remainder of the patient’s shortened life (palliative care)
You may have waited to see your GP if you ignored your symptoms or felt embarrassed to seek medical help. However, once you have consulted your GP, you should not have to wait long to be referred, diagnosed and treated if you do have bowel cancer.
What Happens When You Make a Bowel Cancer Misdiagnosis Claim?
If you have suffered negligent treatment for bowel cancer, Medical Solicitors will gladly lend our expertise to your claim. We will discuss:
- Whether you have a valid bowel cancer claim
- How we will handle your bowel cancer claim
- Information we need
- The amount of bowel cancer misdiagnosis compensation you may win
- How our ‘No Win, No Fee’ agreements work
Our specialist bowel cancer misdiagnosis solicitors will then collect evidence to support your claim, including medical records, third-party expert medico-legal opinions and details of any financial losses you have incurred as a result of medical negligence.
What Can Bowel Cancer Misdiagnosis Compensation Cover?
Compensation is intended to help you adjust your lifestyle and recover various losses. These may include:
- Physical and emotional damage, such as pain, stress and loss of quality of life
- Financial implications, such as job loss and past and potential future lost wages
- Past and future medical, travel and accommodation fees
Bowel Cancer Misdiagnosis and Compensation Claims Case Studies
Medical Solicitors has extensive experience in winning compensation for bowel cancer negligence. Our past successes include:
- £850,000 compensation for delayed cancer diagnosis
- Misadvised bowel cancer surgery ends in £446,000 claim
Contact Our Bowel Cancer Misdiagnosis Solicitors
If you believe you have a bowel cancer claim, please contact our friendly team of specialist lawyers at Medical Solicitors. We conduct most of our clinical and medical negligence claims under ‘No Win, No Fee’ agreements, also known as Conditional Fee Agreements. So, you do not have to worry about paying for bowel cancer claims.
Even if we cannot assist with actual compensation claims for bowel cancer, we always do our best to think ‘outside of the box’ and signpost our clients to help and advice that might benefit them. If you think you have a bowel cancer misdiagnosis claim, please talk to our specialist bowel cancer misdiagnosis solicitors to find out how we can help.
Experiencing bowel cancer can be incredibly difficult, but remember that you’re never alone. If you need practical, emotional or financial advice, check out our bowel cancer support page or contact a dedicated charity, such as Bowel Cancer UK, for more resources.
