preview

The Pros And Cons Of Bolam Test

Decent Essays

Typically, a defendant cannot escape liability in negligence simply by arguing that they followed common practice: Neglect of duty does not cease by repetition to be neglect of duty. However, there is one important exception to this rule. The court faces wide latitude to professionals, acting in their professional capacity, to determine the standards by which they are to be judge. In cases where the defendant has a special skill or competence, (that is, a skill that the reasonable man ordinarily does not have) and the circumstances are such that they are required to exercise that skills or competence, the courts have developed a different approach. In such cases, the actions of the defendant are judged against those of the ordinarily skilled man professing to exercise that skill, the so called -Bolam test.
Bolam test has been adopted for decades in various cases. One of the recent cases includes the case of Middleton (by his Father and Litigation Friend, Gavin Middleton) v Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust, the claimant brought a claim for damages for clinical negligence from the defendant NHS Trust. The claimant suffered damage to the nerves due to shoulder dystocia. He has faced significant difficulties in daily life. The claimant is keen in sports however, it was the specialist view that the claimant was at the risk of developing an adjustment …show more content…

He contended that the surgeon was negligent in the technique he had used and the defendant was negligent in its post-operative care. The court held that the use of the technique, supported by expert evidence and standard textbooks, was reasonable and that the claimant's operation had not fallen outside the NHS's standard follow-up arrangements. Hence, the claim is

Get Access