Someone in the UK experiences a stroke every five minutes. Getting stroke treatment quickly can be the difference between a full recovery and living with permanent disability or worse.
If your doctors didn’t spot the signs soon, you might wonder whether the care you received was below what is expected.
The following questions can help you understand what happened and whether you have the basis for a medical negligence claim:
- Why were my stroke symptoms not recognised straight away?
- Are certain people more likely to experience a delayed stroke diagnosis?
- Was my stroke misdiagnosed or diagnosed too late?
- Did the delay make my stroke worse?
- What are the long-term side effects of a delayed stroke diagnosis?
- When does a stroke misdiagnosis become a legal issue?
Why were my stroke symptoms not recognised straight away?
Stroke symptoms vary from person to person, which can make them difficult to spot. While the FAST test recognises common stroke signs — like facial drooping and speech problems — not everyone experiences these specific symptoms.
Some people may show up at the hospital with less common stroke symptoms like:
- Pins and needles
- Memory problems
- Vision changes in one or both eyes
- Severe headache with no known cause
- Loss of balance
Others might experience a mini-stroke or ‘TIA’ (transient ischaemic attack), where stroke symptoms disappear within a day. That can make you think it’s nothing serious, so you don’t seek help right away.
Are certain people more likely to experience a delayed stroke diagnosis?
Stroke can affect anyone; however, some patients are more likely to experience a delayed diagnosis because their symptoms don’t fit the typical pattern doctors expect to see. This can include:
Younger patients
Strokes naturally feel associated with older adults, and yet 10% of all strokes are now said to happen to individuals under the age of 50.
Your age and general health may affect whether medical professionals consider stroke as a possibility, with a quarter of stroke survivors aged 60 and under saying they had initially been diagnosed with another illness or condition.
Women
A 2023 study found that women account for more than half of strokes. Despite this, it’s been reported that women are 10% more likely to be given a non-stroke diagnosis, with three common stroke mimic diagnoses received by women being:
- Migraine
- Peripheral vestibulopathy (an inner ear condition that causes vertigo)
- Anxiety or other psychiatric condition
Recognising a stroke can be more challenging in certain situations; however, this doesn’t negate the need for a thorough assessment and, where appropriate, consideration of serious conditions.
Was my stroke misdiagnosed or diagnosed too late?
It’s not uncommon for a delayed stroke diagnosis to begin with a misdiagnosis. In fact, about one in 10 strokes are misdiagnosed or diagnosed late.
A stroke misdiagnosis means that your symptoms may have been attributed to something less serious when you first went to A&E. Because stroke symptoms can vary, especially in the early stages, it’s not always immediately obvious what’s happening.
For some patients, this leads to a sequence of events:
- Symptoms are initially misdiagnosed
- No urgent scans or specialist input are arranged
- Symptoms worsen over time
- The correct diagnosis is only made later
By the time the stroke is identified, the window for certain treatments may have passed.
Did the delay make my stroke worse?
Delays in stroke treatment can significantly worsen your outcome. This is because brain cells begin to die within minutes of a stroke, and the longer blood flow is disrupted, the greater the damage.
Research shows that for every 10-minute delay in starting treatment, patients with severe strokes can lose eight weeks of healthy life.
What are the long-term side effects of a delayed stroke diagnosis?
The long-term effects of a stroke can vary depending on which part of the brain is affected and how quickly treatment is given.
For many patients, this can lead to lasting and sometimes life-changing effects, such as:
- Physical disability
- Speech difficulties
- Cognitive changes
- Emotional and psychological impact
- Loss of independence
- Fatigue and reduced stamina
When does a delay in diagnosing a stroke become a legal issue?
A late stroke diagnosis counts as medical negligence if two things happen:
- A medical professional fails to provide a reasonable standard of care
- That failure directly causes or worsens your injury
Doctors are human and honest mistakes happen, which means not every diagnostic error is negligence. The real question is, did your medical team act reasonably?
If they missed obvious signs or didn’t order the right tests, you may have a claim. This might be:
- Not recognising classic symptoms like facial drooping or arm weakness
- Misreading CT or MRI scans
- Not referring you to a stroke specialist
- Mistaking stroke for migraine, seizure, or intoxication
- Sending you home from A&E without a proper assessment
Contact our Delayed Stroke Diagnosis Lawyers
If your stroke wasn’t diagnosed fast enough, you may be entitled to compensation. At Friends Legal, our clinical negligence lawyers understand the life-altering implications of a delayed stroke diagnosis. Contact us today to find out how we can help you.
