Filing a notice of injury
How is compensation for a patient injury sought for?
Discuss the matter with your attending physician or someone else from the health professionals before filing a notice of injury. Additionally, it is advisable to take the online test to see whether it is worth your while to consider filing a notice of injury.
The claims handling process begins by filing a written notice of patient injury with the Patient Insurance Centre. The notice of injury form and instructions for completing and sending it are available here.
If the injury is deemed compensable, a compensation claim form will be sent with the favourable claims decision to the person who filed the notice of injury. Read more about the claims handling process here.
How quickly do I have to file the notice of injury?
The notice of injury must be filed within three years of the date when the party entitled to compensation became aware of the injury. This may only be derogated from for a very special reason. Read more.
It is not necessary to file a notice of injury immediately on the appearance of the symptoms, since information on the further development of your condition may be relevant for the handling of the claim.
I sustained a patient injury several years ago. What should I do?
The notice of injury must be filed with the Patient Insurance Centre within three years of the date when the injured party first knew, or should have known, of the injury. Therefore, the limitation period does not start at the point of treatment, but at the point when the injured party understood or should have understood that the injury resulted from the health care and medical treatment received. The notice of injury may only be filed later under special circumstances. Read more.
Can I file a notice of injury by the phone?
No. A notice of injury may only be filed in writing by sending a notice of injury to the Patient Insurance Centre. Neither will any position be taken on the phone as to the potential eligibility for compensation of the case concerned.
Can I file a notice of injury electronically?
You can file a notice of a patient injury electronically if you have online banking credentials available. You can fill out and submit an electronic notice of injury when you have logged in to the system with your online banking credentials. Further information about filing a notice of a patient injury electronically is available on our website under Notice of patient injury.
Contacting the Patient Insurance Centre’s claims handling electronically (opens in a new tab)
I would like to supplement my previous notice of injury, what should I do?
If you receive more information concerning your injury as a result of new examinations, notify the Patient Insurance Centre of the treatment facility where you were examined. The Patient Insurance Centre will order your medical records from the treatment facility on your behalf. Alternatively, you may send the written clarifications to the Patient Insurance Centre.
May I submit additional information and clarifications to the Patient Insurance Centre electronically?
You may submit clarifications to the Patient Insurance Centre electronically. In order to contact the Centre electronically, you will need your online banking credentials and the claim reference number of your case. The claim reference number can be found from the confirmation letter or decision sent to you by the Patient Insurance Centre or by calling the Patient Insurance Centre’s customer service. The format of the claim reference number is PO-yyyy-nnnn-nnn, for example PO-2012-1234-123. When you contact the Centre electronically, it is important that you enter it correctly and do not write anything else in the space reserved for the claim reference number, such as your name or personal identity code. More detailed instructions concerning electronic services are available on our website under Claims handling process.
Who can I turn to for help in filing a notice of patient injury?
You can ask for help from the Patient Ombudsman in the healthcare facility where you were treated when the injury occurred. Customer service in the Patient Insurance Centre can also help you.
Can another person file the notice of injury on my behalf?
The notice of injury form must be signed in person, but you may authorise another person to attend to the case on your behalf by filling out and signing the authorisation section of the form.
Power of attorney for handling patient injury cases
When the patient is a minor or otherwise legally incompetent, the notice of injury form must be signed by a trustee. If the patient is deceased, the notice of injury can be filed by a party to the estate of the deceased.