What are the common allegations made against doctors and medical establishments?
Professional Indemnity Insurance claims against doctors and medical establishments are generally arising out of allegations of improper diagnosis, improper tests, lack of informed consent, improper administration of anesthetics and drugs and surgical errors. Improper diagnosis arises if a physician fails to bring to a diagnosis the proper degree of skill or care. However, a mistake in diagnosis caused by an error in judgement is not actionable if the physician has used the proper degree of skill and care. In other words, liability is not imposed on a physician for making an error in judgement, except when the error results form a failure to comply with a recognised standard of medical care that is exercised by prudent physicians in the same specialty under similar circumstances. Physicians have a duty to employ the proper tests and evaluation to determine the condition of a patient about to undergo a proposed treatment or operation. Whether the failure to make such tests or examination
