LEGAL EAGLE: When negligent treatment is involved it is important to act quickly if pursuing a complaint

Your father may also be able to make a claim for compensation if he can establish that the surgery fell below an acceptable standard.

My father had a hip replacement recently. After the surgery we noticed that it looks like he has been burnt by something. He now has nasty wounds on his thigh which I think will scar. Is there anything we can do about this? I feel like we have lost faith in the doctors for what was supposed to be a straightforward procedure.

I am sorry to hear about your father’s experience.

Unfortunately without more information it is difficult to say whether the burns were due to negligent treatment.

It may be that the tools or solutions being used by the surgeon have come into contact with your father’s thigh during the surgery and caused burns.

This could be due to poor surgical technique as there are procedures in place to stop things like this from happening, for example using pads and covers.

Surgical burns can be very nasty and as you have pointed out your father may be left with some scarring.

If you are concerned about what has happened your father could consider making a formal complaint to the hospital trust under the NHS complaints procedure.

This should provide a detailed explanation as to how the burns happened.

Complaints should be made as soon as possible but can be made up to 12 months from the date of treatment.

You can get some assistance with the complaint from the Independent Complaints Advocacy (ICA) service.

Your father may also be able to make a claim for compensation if he can establish that the surgery fell below an acceptable standard and that the burns were caused by the substandard treatment.

If your father wishes to pursue a compensation claim court proceedings must be brought within three years of the alleged negligent treatment.

Therefore it is important to act quickly, even if he is also pursuing a complaint at the same time.

We have a team of very experienced solicitors at Ben Hoare Bell LLP who would be happy to help. For further advice please call 0191 565 3112 or email [email protected].

Visit www.benhoarebell.co.uk for further information.