Hospital malnutrition
compensation claims

If a hospital negligence injury has set you back, we'll help you move forward

Malnutrition in hospital settings can reflect substandard care, leading to compensation claims for the exacerbation of health issues and recovery delays caused by inadequate nutritional support.

If your life, or the life of a loved one, has been affected by hospital malnutrition, we can help. If your injuries were caused by the negligence of a doctor, nurse, midwife or other medical professional, you may be entitled to claim compensation.

You can make a compensation claim with the help and support of a specialist clinical negligence solicitor.

You are not alone

There are approximately 3 million people in the UK who are malnourished or at risk of malnutrition. According to figures published by the British Medical Journal, malnutrition is on the increase.

Every year, thousands of patients are admitted to and discharged from hospital without their malnutrition being diagnosed or treated. Hospitals have a duty of care to their patients and must ensure that patients get enough to eat and drink. This duty is not always fulfilled. In many cases it is the most vulnerable who are being failed by healthcare professionals, including children and the elderly.

If you decide to make a hospital malnutrition claim, your medical negligence solicitor will take you through every step of the claims process. Your solicitor will be with you until you win your claim and get the compensation you deserve.

What is malnutrition?

The NHS defines malnutrition as ‘poor nutrition'. The NHS also refers to ‘under nutrition' - when a person does not get enough nutrients, and ‘over nutrition' - when a person gets more nutrients than they need.

What are the consequences of malnutrition in hospitals?

Patients who are already suffering from poor health become even more vulnerable when they suffer from malnutrition while at hospital.

Solicitors have assisted with clinical negligence claims for the effects of malnutrition, including:

• Significant weight loss, which can impede recovery from illness, and result in the patient acquiring other conditions or infections
• Fatigue and general lack of energy, which can prevent the patient from engaging with treatment for the original condition
• Weak muscles, which can restrict a patient's mobility
• Poor or low mood, which can have many mental and physical implications, and can generally impede recovery

Why does malnutrition in hospitals occur?

Research suggests that hospital staff are often overworked and there are sometimes not enough nurses and auxiliaries to care for all patients. In addition, nurses are often burdened with administrative tasks and are not able to ensure that everyone in their care has enough to eat and drink.

Older people are sometimes provided with meals that they cannot physically reach, and the food is taken away uneaten. Others do not get enough time to finish their meals before they are removed.

Do I have a hospital malnutrition claim?

You can claim medical negligence compensation if a medical professional's substandard treatment caused you harm.

Use our injury claim calculator to find out if you can claim. Alternatively, you can speak to a claims advisor on 0800 376 1001 and find out if you have a claim in minutes.

How long do I have to start a hospital malnutrition claim?

For a hospital malnutrition claim, you usually have 3 years to make a claim from the date you became aware of the negligent treatment (date of knowledge).

If you are under 18, a parent, guardian or adult 'litigation friend' can make a claim on your behalf. Once you turn 18, you have until your 21st birthday to start a clinical negligence claim.

Get an impartial opinion

To get impartial advice on whether you have a claim, speak to an injury claim expert on 0800 376 1001.

A brief phone consultation will tell you exactly where you stand. There is no obligation to start a claim.

How long do I have to start a claim?

If your injury is apparent immediately after medical treatment, you will have 3 years to start a claim.

It may be that the negligent procedure happened more than 3 years ago, but your injury was only diagnosed recently, within the last 3 years. If so, you may still be able to make a claim.

What if your injury was diagnosed months or years after treatment?

You may not be immediately aware of your injury. In some cases, months and even years can pass before symptoms appear.

The law allows you to make a medical negligence claim up to three years after the 'date of knowledge' (when you first learned of the injury).

It is recommended that you start a claim as soon as possible, as medical negligence cases can be complex. Starting your claim sooner will give your solicitor more time to gather medical evidence, assess the extent of your injury and to negotiate interim payments and your final compensation amount.

How much compensation can I claim for a hospital malnutrition?

The amount of money you could claim for your injury will depend on:

• the seriousness of your injury, and
• any financial losses or costs you have incurred.

At the start of your claim, your solicitor will consider the many ways your injuries have affected your life. Your solicitor will take these considerations into account to calculate the correct compensation award.

General damages

General damages are awarded for pain, suffering and loss of amenity (PSLA).

Awards for general damages are set by the Judicial College and published in their guidelines for personal injury awards.

How is compensation calculated if I have multiple injuries?

Special damages

Special damages are for financial losses and expenses you have incurred because of your accident. In addition to paying compensation for lost earnings, special damages can cover any care costs and medical procedures you need, such as nutritional support, intravenous treatments and psychological support.

Read more:

A complete list of recoverable losses in a personal injury claim

Hospital malnutrition compensation claims advice

The panel of solicitors provide a no-obligation consultation to explore your options. Call us on 0800 376 1001 for more information.

Clinical negligence claims

Hospital malnutrition-related injuries are usually categorised as clinical negligence. Click on the icon below for more information.

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How we can help you with your medical negligence claim

Your solicitor will fight for the best possible compensation settlement for you, and the highly-experienced panel of solicitors have an excellent track record of winning medical negligence claims.

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Author:
Gaynor Haliday, Legal researcher

About the author

Gaynor Haliday is an experienced legal researcher and published author. She has had numerous articles published in the press and is a legal industry commentator.