It isn’t easy to get into the medical profession. Doctors and other medical staff must undergo many years of training before being permitted to treat vulnerable patients.

As a patient, you are entitled to the highest standards of care. After all, if you’re gravely ill then your life might be at stake. Unfortunately, in a minority of cases, your treatment may not be up to the required standards.

Doctors tend to have a busy caseload. They work long hours and the hours are not always sociable. This creates a risk of fatigue that can impact the quality of treatment you receive. Why is it so dangerous to be treated by a fatigued physician?

Coming Up With The Wrong Diagnosis

The first step of your treatment is being diagnosed accurately and in a timely manner. For this, doctors need to pay special attention to what you are telling them. Based on this, they can run the appropriate tests and find out what’s going on.

A tired doctor may not be able to focus on important aspects, meaning that they make an error with your diagnosis. Not only can they diagnose you with the wrong condition, which in turn means you receive the wrong treatment, but even a slight delay in your diagnosis can make all the difference.

Mistakes With Treatment

Medication may not be enough to treat your condition. You may require surgery to set things right. Surgery is a highly-skilled occupation, and it requires an intense level of concentration.

In some procedures, especially emergency surgery, the most minor mistake can cause severe injuries and even fatalities. Research indicates that fatigue limits a person’s ability to focus. This is something that you simply cannot afford when going through a surgical procedure.

If your condition has worsened or you have suffered separate harms because of negligent treatment, then you may be entitled to compensation. Seeking some legal guidance on the matter will let you know where you stand.