December 1st to the 7th, 2024, is Crohn’s and Colitis Awareness Week in the UK. Many people suffer from Crohn’s Disease and Colitis, and raising awareness always helps with diagnosis and treatment.

Living with Crohn’s Disease and Colitis can be very difficult. Sufferers can experience embarrassment in public, and often, people with Crohn’s and Colitis have problems finding employment or following the employment path of their choice.

Raising awareness of Crohn’s and Colitis can help patients come to terms with living with their condition and make others aware of having an Inflammatory Bowel Disease when they might not be. You could be suffering from Crohn’s and Colitis for life, but a misdiagnosis or missed diagnosis could stop you getting treatment.

Knowing the symptoms of Crohn’s and Colitis is the first step to getting an accurate diagnosis and being put on a treatment path.

Crohn’s and Colitis Awareness Week aims to put patients and their families on the path to diagnosis and treatment.

What is Crohn’s Disease?

Crohn’s disease is when parts of the digestive system get inflamed, causing a range of health issues for the sufferer. You have Crohn’s disease for life, and for many people, the symptoms start in childhood or when entering young adulthood.

The incidence of Crohn’s in the UK population is about 1 in every 650 people. The majority of people in the UK diagnosed annually with Crohn’s disease are under 30 years old. 

There is not one known cause of Crohn’s disease. For some people, it may be a genetic issue, while for others, it could be a result of smoking or an imbalance of bacteria in the gut. 

Crohn’s is linked to an immune system issue where it attacks the digestive tract, and the disease begins in some people after difficulty clearing a stomach bug.

There is no known cure for Crohn’s Disease, and most sufferers learn to live with the condition by adapting their diet and making changes to their lifestyle.

Prompt diagnosis and beginning the correct treatment are vital to help people with Crohn’s Disease.

What is Colitis?

Colitis is another form of Inflammatory Bowel Disease and is similar to Crohn’s in the symptoms and treatment of the condition. 

There are two types of Colitis:

  • Ulcerative Colitis
  • Microscopic Colitis

Ulcerative Colitis affects the large bowel, also known as the colon and symptoms can be difficult to live with and can restrict your life in many ways. In the UK, around 1 in 420 people are affected by Ulcerative Colitis and the majority of people are diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 25. 

Microscopic Colitis affects the bowels and has many severe symptoms, which can be life-limiting. Patients find it nearly impossible to be far away from a toilet, and many people become housebound when they contract Microscopic Colitis. 

There are more than 17,000 new diagnoses of Microscopic Colitis annually in the UK, though it is believed that there may be many more undiagnosed cases. 

Crohn’s Disease, Ulcerative Colitis and Microscopic Colitis are three forms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease and they affect many people in the UK.

The correct and prompt diagnosis is essential to receiving the proper treatment and learning to live with an inflammatory bowel disorder such as Crohn’s or Colitis.

How do I know if I have an Inflammatory Bowel Disorder?

To know if you have an inflammatory bowel disorder, you need to know the symptoms and take notice of any changes in your health. You could be living with Crohn’s and Colitis and not be aware or may be too embarrassed to ask for help from your GP.

Knowing the symptoms of Crohn’s Disease and Colitis can be part of your awareness and may help you get an early diagnosis and start the correct treatment.

Symptoms of Crohn’s and Colitis can be:

  • Diarrhoea, which does not clear
  • Severe, constant abdominal pain
  • Constant tiredness
  • Inflammation of the abdomen
  • Bleeding from the back passage
  • Passing mucus from the back passage
  • Mild to severe problems with bowel control
  • Watery diarrhoea

If you have one or more of these symptoms, you may need to see your GP. The GP should be able to make a diagnosis of a possible case of Crohn’s and Colitis based on your symptoms and refer you for further tests to confirm the diagnosis.

You should report symptoms to a GP as soon as you notice them so you can be tested and start a course of treatment. If your GP does not act on your symptoms or follow up on test results, it could be medical negligence if you discover later you have an Inflammatory Bowel Disorder.

Prompt diagnosis and treatment are part of living with Crohn’s and Colitis, and any medical negligence by a medical professional can slow the diagnosis and delay treatment of your condition.

If you experience medical negligence in your Inflammatory Bowel Disorder, it could have a devastating effect on your life.

What is inflammatory bowel disorder negligence?

Inflammatory Bowel Disorder negligence is when you experience medical negligence in the diagnosis and the treatment of your Crohn’s and Colitis condition.

Every medical professional owes you a duty of care when you are a patient. If they breach that duty of care, causing you an injury, you may have a case of IBD medical negligence.

IBD medical negligence can be:

  • Diagnosis errors by the GP, hospital doctor or Gastroenterologist
  • Failing to act on the symptoms of Crohn’s and Colitis by a GP
  • Failing to take a complete medical history when you have IBD symptoms
  • Errors when reading the test results for your IBD
  • Failing to prescribe a course of treatment for Crohn’s and Colitis

If you experience gastroenterologist negligence at any stage of your diagnosis or treatment, it could affect you today and for the rest of your life when struggling with Crohn’s and Colitis.

An IBD medical negligence claim can help you get the compensation you deserve for the medical negligence.

Common claims for IBD medical negligence

Common claims for IBD medical negligence range from the GP failing to recognise the symptoms of Crohn’s Disease to the Gastroenterologist not testing you when under their care for a possible IBD.

Any form of IBD can be challenging to live with, and any form of medical negligence will only make the journey more difficult from day one.

Types of IBD medical negligence claims:

A misdiagnosis of an IBD by the GP will delay the correct diagnosis of Crohn’s and Colitis and could delay the beginning of a proper course of treatment. 

When you have an IBD, any delays in treatment can be devastating and could continue the unnecessary suffering for months and even years.

A misdiagnosis of an IBD by the GP can be:

  • The doctor makes a diagnosis of minor digestion issues
  • The GP diagnoses issues with your diet instead of sending you for tests
  • The GP diagnoses a possible cancer instead of testing for IBD

You may have a claim for medical negligence for the effects of the misdiagnosis by the GP.

A missed diagnosis of an IBD by the Gastroenterologist could put you on the wrong treatment path and could even make your symptoms worse over time. 

You may suffer a missed diagnosis of an IBD when the Gastroenterologist fails to follow up on any tests and prescribes a change of diet or medication to tackle the symptoms.

The Gastroenterologist could misread your IBD test results and give you a healthy diagnosis in a clear case of missed IBD medical negligence.

A failure to act on the symptoms of Crohn’s and Colitis can be medical negligence that will not only delay a diagnosis but could also affect the treatment you may need for your type of IBD.

A failure to act on the symptoms of the Crohn’s and Colitis can be:

  • Not sending the patient for further testing for an IBD
  • Taking a family history but not comparing it with the symptoms
  • Prescribing medication instead of exploring the need for surgery

You may have a claim for gastroenterology negligence compensation if the doctor fails to act on your symptoms.

Crohn’s and Colitis surgery negligence can only add to the suffering a patient goes through when living with any type of IBD.

Surgery may be the only solution to relieve the symptoms of Crohn’s and Colitis and could help the patient get back to a normal life.

Crohn’s and Colitis surgery negligence can be:

  • Failing to operate on the correct part of the bowels due to wrong site surgery
  • Delays in scheduling the surgery leaving the symptoms to worsen
  • Damage to surrounding organs during the bowel surgery

If you suffer due to surgical negligence with your case of an IBD, you may have a compensation claim.

Experiencing medical negligence during your treatment for Crohn’s and Colitis can have a lasting effect on your life, exacerbate the symptoms and put you through unnecessary pain.

Types of medical negligence during treatment for Crohn’s and Colitis may be:

  • Prescribing the wrong medication or an incorrect dose of medication
  • Failing to schedule surgery at the early stage of diagnosis
  • Delays in beginning treatment due to administration errors

Treatment is vital for living with an IBD, and medical negligence can have a devastating effect on your life.

If you or a loved one experienced medical negligence with your IBD, you may have a claim for compensation.

A No Win No Fee medical negligence solicitor can handle your IBD medical negligence compensation claim.

Compensation claims for IBD medical negligence

Compensation claims for IBD medical negligence can range from £30,000 to £250,000 and up to awards of over £ 1 million, depending on the circumstances.  

In a medical negligence compensation claim, you can claim for the effects of the medical negligence on your life today and in the future, such as a loss of income, your time in recovering from the errors or delays in treatment and any delays in a diagnosis of Crohn’s and Colitis.

Compensation awards vary depending on your age, income, the disruption you experience, and the future effects on your family. Delays in the diagnosis of Crohn’s and Colitis can affect everything from the chances of successful and less-invasive surgery to the quality of life you may have in the future.

Very high awards in Inflammatory Bowel Disorder, medical negligence claims, are for when a patient suffers the worst effects of their disease, which could have been avoidable if the medical professional did not breach their duty of care.

Patients may not be able to return to work, or they may need full-time care and make adaptions to their car and home.

Compensation for Crohn’s and Colitis medical negligence can see claims of:

  • Misdiagnosis of the symptoms of Crohn’s and Colitis – £23,200
  • Errors during the testing for an IBD at the hospital – £45,800
  • Delayed diagnosis of Inflammatory Bowel Disorder – £62,300
  • Delays in beginning treatment for Crohn’s and Colitis – £84,700
  • Surgical negligence during corrective surgery for IBD – £126,800

(All amounts are approximate and are only a guide to what is possible in any medical negligence claim. Figures can be high in some claims as you or a loved one could need long-term care and may face medical bills for life. You may be able to claim for these care expenses and the medical costs in the future.) 

As in all medical negligence claims, each case is dealt with on merit and how much the patient suffers due to the medical negligence in their bowel disorder treatment.

A No Win No Fee medical negligence solicitor will advise you on an Inflammatory Bowel Disorder medical negligence claim.

Our team will know from experience what your case may be worth and how to make a successful compensation claim for medical negligence.

Contact the Medical Negligence Team

Contact the Medical Negligence Team today for expert advice and guidance with your claim for Inflammatory Bowel Disorder negligence.

You could experience medical negligence in a NHS Hospital when undergoing treatment or if your doctor fails to make a prompt diagnosis of Crohn’s and Colitis.

The Medical Negligence Team operates on a no win no fee basis. You will not have to pay any fees if you do not win a compensation claim for medical negligence.

We have a very high success rate and a reputation for a speedy and successful resolution to any medical negligence claims.

Our 100% Compensation Guarantee puts all the money you win into your pocket. 

Contact the Medical Negligence Team today, and let us help make the compensation claim for Inflammatory Bowel Disorder medical negligence.