What are the Most Misdiagnosed Conditions in the UK?

The NHS is one of the greatest parts of living in the UK, but even the NHS can make mistakes. When mistakes are made in healthcare, the repercussions can be very serious and even fatal. While most times people will get the right diagnosis and treatment, you will find that there are a few mistakes that are more common than others. This article will look at the most misdiagnosed conditions in the UK.

What to do

First, it is important to look at what steps you should take if you believe that you have been misdiagnosed. If you are misdiagnosed or a healthcare professional has failed to detect a problem when they should have done then this could be grounds for medical negligence. This is why you should contact a specialist medical negligence solicitor that can guide you through the process and work on your behalf to seek the maximum amount.

Cancer

Cancer is the diagnosis that everyone fears and some cancers can be easy to detect with screening processes. When these cancers are detected in the early stages, the prognosis can be a lot better. Unfortunately, there are some cancers that are not quite as easy to detect and these can sometimes not be picked up until the cancer has spread. Kidney cancer and pancreatic cancer are two types that are sometimes hard to detect.

Heart Attack

Research shows that almost a third of people in England and Wales are given the wrong initial diagnosis after a heart attack. The correct diagnosis is important after a heart attack so that the right treatment can begin as soon as possible, which will greatly improve patient outcomes.

Psoriatic Arthritis

Joint pain, stiffness and swelling are issues that many people suffer from as they get older. Psoriatic arthritis is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease that can be easily missed because it can have many different symptoms and often mimics other health issues, including osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid arthritis, gout and plantar fasciitis. Misdiagnosis can lead to irreversible joint damage, which is why it is important to get this condition diagnosed early.

Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is another condition that has symptoms that can often be confused for other health complaints. Fibromyalgia causes widespread pain and chronic fatigue, but there are many other reasons why someone could have these complaints. These symptoms could also suggest hypothyroidism, sleep apnea, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus as a few examples.

These are a few health issues that are sometimes misdiagnosed and the consequences of this can be serious. Most people receive a high level of care and get the right diagnosis and treatment when they use the NHS, but if you are ever misdiagnosed then this could have life-changing consequences and it is important to take action.