Making a diabetic foot claim
We take a look at the legal issues arise when making a diabetic foot claim.
Diabetes is a medical condition which occurs when glucose cannot get into the body’s cells properly, causing it to build up in the blood instead.
Diabetes can affect circulation to the body’s extremities. One feature of this is inadequate blood supply to the feet. Poor blood supply can prevent the proper healing of cuts and sores. If left untreated, a cut or sore to the foot of someone suffering from diabetes is vulnerable to infection and ulceration, which can then be slow to heal. In severe cases the infection can spread and in extreme cases the only option is to amputate part or all of the foot to halt the spread.
High blood glucose can also damage the small blood vessels which supply the nerves to the foot, making it difficult for the patient to sense the pain or soreness that would normally indicate that there is a problem requiring urgent medical attention.
Cuts and sores affecting the feet of a person with diabetes are therefore serious matters requiring prompt medical input. It is recommended that a diabetes sufferer should see his or her GP right away if they start to experience any such problems. It is generally imperative that the sufferer is then referred urgently on to the local multi-disciplinary foot clinic for wound and blood supply assessment and treatment.
Diabetic foot claims can arise when the correct medical treatment is not provided promptly. A patient will be entitled to bring a diabetic foot claim for compensation if a referral is unreasonably delayed, or where the treatment provided is inadequate, leading to more extensive and sometimes drastic treatment that could have been avoided. We have dealt successfully with a number of diabetic foot claims and are able to work on a No Win, No Fee basis.