Hospital-acquired infection claims are in the news these days with the rise of superbugs and the drop in hygiene standards in medical care settings. You may have a medical negligence compensation claim* for the impact of a hospital acquired infection.

You can get a hospital-acquired infection such as MRSA, pneumonia or a UTI during a stay in hospital, and you could be very ill for a time afterwards. Blood infections and wound infections post-surgery can be very serious and can lead to sepsis.

O’Reilly Doherty & Company, medical negligence solicitors in Dublin, can make a medical negligence compensation claim* for hospital-acquired infections.

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What is a hospital acquired infection claim?

A hospital acquired infection claim is the legal process you follow to get compensation for the effects of the medical negligence on your life. If you suffer injury due to medical negligence, you may have a compensation claim.

A recent survey of Irish hospitals found a hospital acquired infection rate of 7.4% among patients. 65 Irish hospitals were surveyed, 50 HSE hospitals and 15 private ones. A previous survey had returned a rate of 6.1%, so the rate is on the increase. Pneumonia was the highest recorded infection at 27%, with UTIs at 15% and surgery-related infections at 14%. 

Hospital-acquired infections, also known as HAIs, are very prevalent in Irish hospitals, and many patients become very ill while in hospital due to an infection they get while in hospital for another reason.

O’Reilly Doherty & Company, solicitors in Dublin, will make the HAI compensation claim for the medical negligence in your hospital care.

Common hospital acquired infection claims

Common hospital-acquired infection claims range from infections acquired post-surgery to those acquired while on the wards.

You make the medical negligence claim* for the effects of the hospital-acquired infection on your life today and in the future.

Types of hospital-acquired infections medical negligence claim*s:

A hospital acquired infection due to poor hygiene standards can see patients becoming very ill and, in many cases, needing to spend further time in hospital.

Types of HAIs due to poor hospital hygiene standards claims:

  • Infection due to a failure to clean the bathrooms on the wards
  • Infection due to medical staff not washing their hands
  • Infection due to medical areas not being sterilised 

O’Reilly Doherty & Company, medical negligence solicitors in Dublin, can make a claim for your losses due to a hospital acquired infection.

The hospital acquired infection due to the poor sterilisation of surgical instruments can lead to sepsis, internal organ failure and septicaemia in patients post-surgery. Surgery is invasive, and patients are prone to infection.

Types of HAIs due to the poor sterilisation of surgical instruments claims:

  • Bowel infection due to an infected scalpel
  • Wound infection due to an infected needle used in surgery
  • Severe eye infection due to non-sterilisation of surgical equipment

You can make a medical negligence claim* for the effects of the hospital acquired infection on your life.

An infection can spread quickly among ill people whose immune systems are already weakened and who may already be fighting another infection.

A failure to implement infection control measures, such as mask and glove wearing between visiting patients by medical staff, could be medical negligence when infection is spread.

Lack of infection control measures, such as failing to deep-clean bed linen and bed curtains, can lead to a serious infection, such as norovirus, spreading quickly in the hospital.

The hospital acquired infection due to infected hospital equipment and the failure to clean common areas can make many patients ill. You may be an outpatient or a hospital visitor and get an infection due to low hygiene standards in the hospital.

Types of claims for a HAI due to infected hospital equipment:

  • Infection due to a failure to clean the examination room in the A&E
  • UTI infection acquired due to a non-sterilised catheter 
  • Infection due to staff using non-sterilised oncology equipment

A cancer patient or other patient with a weakened immune system can acquire an infection while in hospital, and their life could be put in danger.

Not isolating infected patients with contagious conditions can result in other patients acquiring the infection and spreading it further.

Patients with an infectious condition, such as COVID-19 or a vomiting bug, must be isolated and kept on a ward where they can be treated separately from other patients.

While patients are infectious, they must be kept separate from other vulnerable patients to limit the spread of an infection.

O’Reilly Doherty & Company in Dublin has an experienced team in place to start a medical negligence claim* and get you the compensation you deserve for the suffering caused.

What counts as medical negligence in Ireland?

Medical negligence in Ireland is when a medical professional treats you at a standard below which any other medical professional would provide treatment.

Medical professionals owe patients a duty of care. If they breach that duty of care, causing unnecessary suffering, it can be medical negligence, and you may have a compensation claim.

Over a six-year period from 2018 to the end of 2024, HSE medical negligence payments rose from €2.8 billion to €4.6 billion. By the end of 2024, the State Claims Agency had received 705 new claims, representing nearly two claims for medical negligence in Ireland per day. 

With O’Reilly Doherty & Co personal injury solicitors, medical negligence is a speciality, and we work with unnecessary suffering claims all the time.

Compensation for hospital acquired infection claims

Compensation for hospital acquired infection claims in Ireland is for the impact of the medical negligence on your life. You claim compensation for the doctor’s breach of duty of care when they spread an infection from another patient to you, or when the hospital spreads an infection due to poor hygiene standards.

In every compensation claim, the injured party claims damages for the effects of clinical negligence on their life today and in the future.

Damages in a hospital acquired infection compensation claim are a combination of:

General Damages are compensation for what is known as the Loss of Amenity in your life.

After medical negligence has led to you acquiring an infection while in hospital, you may have issues with personal care, in exercising, and in doing the everyday jobs you could do before the personal injury. 

You claim compensation for this Loss of Amenity due to the clinical negligence.

Special Damages in a medical negligence claim* are for the financial costs to you when you acquire an infection in a HSE hospital or a private medical care facility.

You have been injured, and you should not be out of pocket or face substantial medical bills due to negligence by a medical professional.

You claim Special Damages for costs and financial losses, such as Medical Bills, Loss of Income, out-of-pocket expenses, and the cost of home and car adaptations.

O’Reilly Doherty & Co. Solicitors have the experience to be with you at every step of the medical negligence claim*.

Is a hospital acquired infection medical negligence?

Yes, a hospital acquired infection is considered to be medical negligence in Ireland. Any time you suffer an injury due to negligence by a medical professional, the HSE or a private healthcare provider, it could be medical negligence.

To show medical negligence for a compensation claim:

  • A medical professional owed you a duty of care, i.e. the hospital doctor
  • A medical professional breached their duty of care, i.e. spread an infection
  • The breach of duty of care led to your injury, i.e. developed sepsis
  • You had financial costs and losses due to the breach of duty of care. i.e. loss of income or the need to pay for full-time care

When you contract a hospital acquired infection, the effects can be terrible, such as sepsis, and you may be able to make a medical negligence compensation claim*.

O’Reilly Doherty & Co Solicitors can make your medical negligence claim* against those liable for the hospital acquired infection.

Who is liable for hospital acquired infection negligence?

Anyone involved in the care of a patient while in hospital can be liable for negligence arising from an acquired infection.

An acquired infection while in hospital should not happen, but if it does, those responsible can be:

  • The oncology staff who failed to change the equipment
  • The surgical staff who failed to sterilise the surgical equipment
  • The contract cleaners in the hospital
  • Medical professionals who do not follow hygiene guidelines
  • The HSE hospital
  • Private hospitals and healthcare providers

You make a compensation claim against the HSE or private healthcare provider responsible for the medical negligence when you have a hospital acquired infection.

The effects of a hospital acquired infection

The effects on you or a loved one of a hospital acquired infection can be long-term and have a huge impact on your life.

Other impacts on your life of a hospital-acquired infection may not be as long-term, but could still have an effect on your life.

Potential effects of a hospital acquired infection:

  • Physical complications, such as nerve and muscle damage
  • Psychological trauma of what happened
  • Having to undergo invasive surgery
  • Living with the effects of sepsis
  • Living with long Covid
  • Living with damage to internal organs
  • The need to spend more time in hospital
  • The need for full-time care
  • The need to change employment
  • Being unable to drive or play sports
  • The death of a patient

O’Reilly Doherty & Co Solicitors can work with you to make a medical negligence claim*.

Make a medical negligence claim* for compensation today

Make a medical negligence claim* for compensation today by contacting O’Reilly Doherty & Co Solicitors in Dublin.

We have the team in place to handle your claim and secure compensation for your injuries.

Medical negligence can be a complicated process, but with the right solicitor on your side, you can get the compensation you deserve.

O’Reilly Doherty & Co. Solicitors in Dublin will help make your hospital acquired infection claim for compensation.

Hospital acquired infections negligence FAQS

Yes, you can make a medical negligence claim* against the HSE. The HSE is a big organisation, but we know exactly who to contact for a medical negligence claim* and how to contact them.

The HSE may well deny your claim for medical negligence when you make it. Your solicitor will expect the HSE to react and will know how to take the next step in making a claim.

A patient who has suffered damages due to a hospital acquired infection can make a compensation claim in Ireland. 

They can claim for the impact of an infection acquired during their treatment in A&E, on the wards, as an outpatient, or in a nursing home.

Yes, you can make a medical negligence claim* on behalf of someone who is too ill to make a medical negligence claim* or someone who died due to medical negligence. 

Dependents in medical negligence claim*s in Ireland can be:

  • The spouse of the victim of medical negligence
  • A parent 
  • A step-parent 
  • A grandparent 
  • A child 
  • A step-child 
  • An adult-dependent 
  • Family members who relied on the patient for care and financial support
  • A sister or brother 
  • A half-brother or sister 

You prove medical negligence in Ireland by gathering all the evidence before you make the case against the doctor, nurse, or hospital responsible.

Evidence can be:

  • Medical records
  • Hospital incident report on the medical negligence
  • Medical report from an expert medical witness
  • Personal account of what happened to you

O’Reilly Doherty & Co. Solicitors in Dublin can tell you exactly what is needed and arrange for you to see the necessary experts when making a medical negligence compensation claim*.

Medical negligence claim*s in Ireland can take more than 18 months—some cases last for years until the patient wins compensation.

If you have the evidence in place and the right solicitor by your side, you can help the medical negligence claim* progress quickly through the system.

No, you do not have to go to court with a medical negligence claim*. Many negligence claims are clear; the evidence is on record, and those responsible, i.e., the HSE, are obvious.

Some medical negligence claim*s, though, can be difficult, and the other side will fight you all the way. 

Medical negligence claim*s can go to court when this happens, but O’Reilly Doherty & Co Solicitors will be with you from day one.

Medical Negligence Claim Types