A cervical smear screener could be liable in negligence if he failed to spot obvious abnormalities in a test result which indicated that further investigation was required. To say this is not to say that such screening tests were expected to achieve full reliability. The court should ask what was on the slide to be seen, what would be seen by someone taking reasonable care, and whether what was so seen by a competent screener be passed.
Citations:
Times 25-Nov-1999, Gazette 08-Dec-1999, [2000] PNLR 323, [1999] EWCA Civ 3005
Links:
Jurisdiction:
England and Wales
Citing:
Applied – Bolam v Friern Hospital Management Committee QBD 1957
Professional to use Skilled Persons Ordinary Care
Negligence was alleged against a doctor.
Held: McNair J directed the jury: ‘Where some special skill is exercised, the test for negligence is not the test of the man on the Clapham omnibus, because he has not got this special skill. The test . .
Cited – Hunter v Hanley 4-Feb-1955
The pursuer had been injured when the hypodermic needle being used by the defender doctor broke in use. The pursuer said that the direction by the judge as to accepted practice for the use of such needles.
Held: The court considered the . .
Cited – Maynard v West Midlands Regional Health Authority HL 1985
The test of professional negligence is the standard of the ordinary skilled man exercising and professing to have that special skill. Lord Scarman said: ‘a doctor who professes to exercise a special skill must exercise the ordinary skill must . .
Cited – Bolitho v City and Hackney Health Authority HL 24-Jul-1997
The plaintiff suffered catastrophic brain damage as a result of cardiac arrest induced by respiratory failure as a child whilst at the defendant hospital. A doctor was summoned but failed to attend, and the child suffered cardiac arrest and brain . .
Cited by:
Cited – Pepin v Taylor CA 10-Oct-2002
The claimant and defendant claimed defamation of each other in cross claims as to postings made on internet newsgroups messages. Mr P said that the defendant had not been identified in the defamation alleged against Mr P. The defendant had been . .
Cited – Lillywhite and Another v University College London Hospitals NHS Trust QBD 3-Nov-2004
The clamant’s daughter had been born with serious brain defects. The defendant’s doctor had failed to spot the defect in an ultra scan before her birth. There had been discussions about the scan, and the claimant had considered having an abortion, . .
Cited – Lillywhite and Another v University College London Hospitals’ NHS Trust CA 7-Dec-2005
The claimant sought damages for severe injuries suffered by their child at birth, and now appealed finding that the doctor had not been negligent. The allegation was simply that the injury could not have occurred but for negligence in the defendant. . .
Cited – Lillywhite and Another v University College London Hospitals’ NHS Trust CA 7-Dec-2005
The claimant sought damages for severe injuries suffered by their child at birth, and now appealed finding that the doctor had not been negligent. The allegation was simply that the injury could not have occurred but for negligence in the defendant. . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.
Professional Negligence, Health Professions
Updated: 23 May 2022; Ref: scu.135811
