The conversation around mental health is slowly getting the coverage it so rightly deserves. Talking about mental health can be difficult, which is why we’re getting behind Time to Talk Day (2 February 2023) – a nationwide initiative run by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness – to highlight the importance of taking time to talk and listen to your friends, family, colleagues and communities.
Mental health impacts millions of people across all of society; it does not discriminate against age, race or gender. Frequent conversation surrounding this should always and continually be encouraged.
Our clients
Working in medical negligence naturally exposes solicitors to the trauma that the claimant has endured. Often, we support those who experience not only the anguish of losing a loved one but also the anger that their death could have been avoided due to the acts or omissions of another. We also act on behalf of many clients whose lives have been turned upside down due to medical negligence which, in turn, has severely impacted their mental health. We have even supported those who have suffered an exacerbation of previous poor mental health or where the negligence has triggered the onset of a deterioration of their condition. There are a myriad of different circumstances that can be presented and mental health must always be given the same degree of care as a physical injury.
It takes a lot of courage to decide to investigate a claim, but often individuals feel there is no other choice. It should never be downplayed the extent that harm to one’s mental health can have, as it affects all areas of a person’s life to varying degrees. Often, when a person is dealing with mental health issues, they will have loved ones in the background trying their best to help support them, often not knowing the right way to go about it. That is why we must embrace conversations such as Time to Talk Day.
As medical negligence solicitors, we journey with the claimant through our investigations in establishing legal grounds for a claim. We leave no stone unturned and must be alive to the impact harm has caused, even though some people may appear to be coping.
How we help
At Medical Accident Group we aim to secure compensation for our clients, and this can sometimes encompass treatment for improving their mental health. By deciding to pursue a claim the person is able, with their compensation, to fund access to the best healthcare provision on a private basis, tailored to the individual. These provisions will be driven to what the persons needs are and how to achieve the best outcome for them.
Aside from the above, very practically this will also mean no long waiting times for assessments; quicker assessments will lead to quicker and more efficient treatment which we hope will lead to a better outcome for the claimant. It is a well-known fact that mental health further deteriorates the longer it is left untreated, therefore prompt and suitable treatment is essential.
We welcome Time to Talk Day and admire all the work that charities such as Mind and Rethink Mental Illness do to support their communities, because the more mental health is normalised, the more open and productive discussions can be which in turn will lead to an increase in funding which is so needed.
