Doctor Didn’t Refer Me For A Mammogram Assessment – How Do I Claim?

Are you looking to make a medical negligence claim because your doctor didn’t refer you for a mammogram assessment? To make a successful claim, you must have suffered avoidable harm to have an eligible claim. We will look at a doctor’s duty of care later on in this guide.

Doctor didn't refer me for a mammogram assessment

“My doctor didn’t refer me for a mammogram assessment, can I claim?”

You could be wondering: 

  • What is a mammogram assessment?
  • When could I make a medical negligence claim? 
  • Can I claim with a No Win No Fee agreement in place? 

We will look to answer all of those questions throughout this guide. We will also look at some of the steps you can take to strengthen your case’s chance of success. 

If you would like to speak to an advisor from our team about medical negligence claims, you can do so. They are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to offer free legal advice. To get in touch: 

Select A Section

  1. An Overview Of Claiming If Your Doctor Didn’t Refer You For A Mammogram Assessment
  2. Breast Cancer Screening
  3. What Is The Impact Of Delays To Cancer Screening?
  4. How To Claim If A Doctor Didn’t Refer You For A Mammogram Assessment
  5. Examples Of Payouts If A Doctor Didn’t Refer You For A Mammogram Assessment
  6. Get Help With Your Claim From Medical Negligence Assist

An Overview Of Claiming If Your Doctor Didn’t Refer You For A Mammogram Assessment

A mammogram is an X-ray picture of the breast. Doctors use a mammogram to look for early signs of breast cancer. According to the NHS, regular mammogram scans are one of the best ways of identifying cancer that is too small to feel or see.

All medical professionals have a duty to their patients to provide care of the correct level. If they fail to do this, and you experience avoidable harm as a result of this, then you could be entitled to compensation.

You can only claim compensation for avoidable harm caused by medical negligence; sometimes, harm is necessary in the course of treating a condition to the correct standard. For example, if you are diagnosed with cancer you may need to undergo chemotherapy, which is a treatment that can make you ill and have an impact on your quality of life.

If you would like more information on the medical negligence claims process, please speak with an advisor from our team. If they feel your case is valid, they could connect you with a lawyer from our panel. 

Breast Cancer Screening

According to the NHS, one of the first symptoms you might notice if you have breast cancer is a lump or an area of thickened tissue in the breast. 

Other symptoms may include: 

  • The change in the size or shape of one or both breasts
  • Fluid discharged from your nipples 
  • A lump or swelling in one or both armpits
  • Puckering or dimpling, a rash or redness on the skin
  • Redness on or around your nipple
  • A rash or itchy skin
  • Your nipple becoming sunken or other changes in appearance 

According to the NHS, if you have any of the symptoms outlined above, you should see a GP as soon as possible. This is the case even if you have recently had a breast cancer screening that came back clear; you should not wait for your next routine appointment. 

If you are wondering “my doctor didn’t refer me for a mammogram assessment, can I claim?”, then get in touch with a member of our team today. They could connect you with a No Win No Fee solicitor from our panel if your case is valid.

What Is The Impact Of Delays To Cancer Screening?

Cancer is a time-sensitive disease, meaning that catching it in its early stages can be lifesaving. Identifying the disease before it spreads could mean that you need less intensive treatment than you would have required if it had been allowed to spread to areas like the lungs and brain. If a delayed treatment or delayed diagnosis of breast cancer occurred, some cases of cancer could progress to a point where it can no longer be treated, resulting in wrongful death. 

Below, we have included examples of why a doctor might fail to refer you for a mammogram assessment:

  • They fail to connect the symptoms that you are experiencing with breast cancer, despite them being clearly associated with this disease.
  • They recognise that your symptoms indicate that you could have breast cancer but forget to actually make the referral for you. This means that you are waiting to be informed about an appointment that has not been made, and your condition worsens because of this delayed treatment.

Our advisors can provide you with legal advice free of charge if you get in contact today. Provided that you have a valid claim, you could be connected with a No Win No Fee solicitor from our panel. 

How To Claim If A Doctor Didn’t Refer You For A Mammogram Assessment

Acquiring evidence to support your claim for medical negligence compensation can be very useful. You can use this to both show that medical negligence has occurred, and proof of how medical negligence impacted your quality of life. 

If your doctor didn’t refer you for a mammogram assessment as a result of negligence, and you were harmed unnecessarily by this, you may wish to do the following: 

  • Keep a record of your symptoms, including the treatment you need and how your condition has progressed, as well as any financial impact this has had. 
  • Make a complaint to the relevant healthcare provider. If they respond to your complaint, then this response could be used to support your case. 
  • Request a copy of your medical records

You may also wish to seek legal advice. As previously stated, our advisors are here to help you if you would like to see if you have a claim. If they feel your claim is valid, they could connect you with a lawyer from our panel. 

Examples Of Payouts If A Doctor Didn’t Refer You For A Mammogram Assessment

A successful claim could be made up of two heads of claim. Firstly, you could receive general damages for the unnecessary pain and suffering caused by medical negligence. This accounts for both physical and mental harm. For example, you could be compensated for the impact that cancer has had on you physically. If you also suffered from mental injuries such as depression and anxiety because of the impact this had on your quality of life, this could also be taken into account. 

We have put together a table using brackets from the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG), instead of including a compensation calculator. The JCG is a document that legal professionals use to aid them when valuing claims. 

However, these figures should only be used as a rough guide. This is because each medical negligence claim is unique, and the payout you may receive will differ. 

InjuryCompensation BracketDetails
Brain Damage £282,010 to £403,990(A) Very severe: The affected person would require full time care and have little or no meaningful communication with environement.
Brain Damage£219,070 to £282,010(B) Moderately severe: The affected party will have a very serious disability which could be physical or cognitive in nature. They will require full-time care.
Lung disease £100,670 to £135,920(A) Where the affected party is young and suffers a serious disability. There is also the chance of the condition worsening leading to an early death.
Lung disease £70,030 to £97,330The cancer will result in severe pain as well as impairment of function and quality of life.
Scarring £7,830 to £22,730Several noticeable scars or a single disfiguring scar.
Scarring In the region of £8,640Where an exploratory laparotomy has been performed but with nothing found.
Scarring £2,370 to £7,830A singular noticeable scar or several superficial scars causing minor cosmetic impact.
Mental anguish£4,670Fear of impending death or the reduction of expectation of life.

Moreover, you could receive special damages for any financial losses that you experience because of medical negligence. For example, you may have to pay care costs while you undergo treatment because you’re physically weakened by intense chemotherapy; special damages could cover this. 

This head of claim could also reimburse you for: 

  • Loss of earnings 
  • Travel costs 
  • Medical expenses

You could keep a record of all losses via receipts, invoices or bank statements. 

Our advisors can help provide more information on the compensation you could be owed if your doctor didn’t refer you for a mammogram assessment as a result of a breach of duty of care and you were unnecessarily harmed by this. 

Get Help With Your Claim From Medical Negligence Assist

Our advisors can offer you a no-obligation consultation completely free of charge to assess whether your case is valid. If you’re eligible to claim, they could connect you with a medical negligence solicitor from our panel. 

One of the medical negligence solicitors from our panel may offer you a No Win No Fee agreement. More specifically, they might offer you a form of No Win No Fee called a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) which means there are generally no legal fees to be paid upfront or while your claim is ongoing.

Furthermore, if your claim is unsuccessful, you usually won’t be expected to pay legal fees. If you’re awarded compensation, a legally capped success fee will be deducted from the compensation you are awarded by your No Win No Fee solicitor.

If you would like to find out whether you are eligible to claim if your doctor didn’t refer me for a mammogram assessment, causing you avoidable harm, please contact an advisor from our team.

To get in touch: 

Related Cancer Negligence Claims

Here are some of our guides that may be helpful if you’re looking for more information on medical negligence claims: 

We have also included some more reading that could be of use to you: 

Thank you for reading our guide on the steps you can take if your doctor didn’t refer you for a mammogram assessment.

Guide by Beck

Published by Fern