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<\/p>\nMORE than 5,000 Brits were misdiagnosed in NHS hospitals last year, new data reveals. <\/p>\n
Diagnostic errors are a known occurrence in healthcare and can sometimes have very tragic effects.<\/p>\n
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Some of the most commonly misdiagnosed conditions are heart attacks, Parkinson\u2019s\u00a0and strokes. <\/p>\n
Yet so far, there is little data available which quantifies misdiagnoses in UK in terms of deaths and permanent disability. <\/p>\n
This means the full scale of medical mistakes is hugely underestimated,according to a 2015 report by the\u00a0National Academy of Medicine.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The latest data, retrieved from\u00a0freedom of information (FOI) requests, published by the NHS suggests 5,430 patients applied for compensation claims\u00a0between 2019 and 2021, after being misdiagnosed in hospital. <\/p>\n
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However, this number is unlikely to reflect the true extent of misdiagnosis. <\/p>\n
This is because not every patient will claim and this number only accounts for cases within the NHS – misdiagnosis is no less likely to occur in private hospitals. <\/p>\n
Parkinson\u2019s disease is the fastest growing\u00a0neurodegenerative condition\u00a0in the world with 145,000 Brits are currently living with it.<\/p>\n
It's among one of the conditions which is most commonly misdiagnosed, despite being so prevalent, according to Parkinson\u2019s UK,<\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n A study carried out by the charity found that\u00a026 per cent patients\u00a0are misdiagnosed with a different condition before receiving the correct Parkinson\u2019s diagnosis. <\/p>\n Almost half of these patients\u00a0(48 per cent)\u00a0were given the wrong treatment,\u00a0while 36 per cent received medication that was not needed and 6 per cent underwent unnecessary operations or procedures.\u00a0<\/p>\n Out of the patients that received unnecessary treatment,\u00a0over a third (34 per cent) reported that as a result of the unnecessary treatment, their health got worse.\u00a0<\/p>\n It is important that Parkinson\u2019s is diagnosed quickly and correctly so that patients can receive treatments to help reduce their symptoms, the charity says on its website. <\/p>\n Early diagnosis\u00a0boosts their chances of effective treatment and a greater quality of life, it added.<\/p>\n How to spot it <\/strong><\/p>\n Parkinson\u2019s is typically associated with tremors, stiffness and slow movement, sleep\u00a0problems, losing your sense of smell, and feeling\u00a0depressed\u00a0or\u00a0anxious.<\/p>\n You may also notice your handwriting is smaller – something you might spot while making notes. <\/p>\n There are more than 80,000 people going to hospital for\u00a0heart attacks\u00a0in England every year.<\/p>\n Catching the condition quickly is essential to making sure you can recover better.<\/p>\n The overall survival rate for people experiencing a\u00a0heart attack\u00a0is seven in 10, increasing to nine in 10 for those who get treated quickly. <\/p>\n However, the symptoms can be vague and can often be explained away as heartburn or indigestion.<\/p>\n Research suggests almost a third of people in England and Wales are being given the wrong initial diagnoses after having a heart attack. <\/p>\n Using the UK national heart attack register, the Leeds University study found that\u00a029.9 per cent of patients had an initial diagnosis that was different from their final diagnosis.\u00a0<\/p>\n How to spot it <\/strong><\/p>\n Heart attack symptoms can vary, but according to the British Heart Foundation the most common sign of a heart attack is chest pain or discomfort that suddenly occurs and doesn\u2019t go away. <\/p>\n It may feel like pressure, of a squeezing\u00a0sensation which doesn't disappear, it explained<\/p>\n The pain may spread to your left or right arm or may spread to your neck, jaw, back or stomach. <\/p>\n You might also get sweaty, light headed and be short of breath. <\/p>\n A stroke is a life-threatening brain attack that can leave sufferers with long-term health complications.<\/p>\n Research from the British Medical Journal found strokes are missed in up to 14 per cent\u00a0of patients who are admitted to hospital. <\/p>\n This is more common for patients who are suffering from nonspecific symptoms such as dizziness and nausea.\u00a0<\/p>\n A stroke occurs hen the blood supply to part of your brain is cut off \u2013 without blood, the cells in your brain can be killed or suffer damage.<\/p>\n According to the Stroke Association, over 100,000 people suffer a stroke every year in the UK and they're responsible for over 38,000 deaths.<\/p>\n And of the 1.3 million people living in the UK who have survived a stroke – many living with disabilities.<\/p>\n Around one in eight people who suffer a stroke die within 30 days, so it is vital to get medical assistance as soon as possible \u2013 the sooner somebody is treated, the more likely they are to survive.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/crop-24013529.jpg\")
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Heart attack misdiagnosis<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Stroke misdiagnosis<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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