Medical negligence or malpractice refers to a situation in which a healthcare professional or healthcare institution fails to provide the standard of care that is expected in their field, leading to harm or injury to a patient. It involves a breach of the duty of care owed to a patient and can result from errors in diagnosis, treatment, surgery, medication, or other aspects of medical care.
Medical negligence can encompass a wide range of actions or failures to act, including misdiagnosis, surgical mistakes, medication errors, failure to obtain informed consent, and other acts of negligence that result in harm to the patient.