Breach of duty owed directly to a patient by a hospital is known as what type of negligence?

The term that best describes a breach of duty owed directly to a patient by a hospital is corporate negligence. This type of negligence occurs when the hospital itself, as an organization, fails to uphold the standards of care that it owes to its patients.

Corporate negligence can manifest in various ways, such as inadequate staff training, poor maintenance of facilities, or failure to implement and enforce safety protocols. The key aspect that defines corporate negligence is that the hospital, as a corporate entity, has a responsibility to ensure a safe environment for patients and when it fails to do so, it can be held liable.

In contrast, individual negligence refers to the actions or inactions of individual healthcare providers, such as doctors or nurses, rather than the organization. Civil negligence is a broader term that encompasses various forms of negligence that may lead to civil liability, but it does not specifically highlight the relationship between the hospital and the patient. Professional negligence typically pertains to the conduct of professionals, such as healthcare providers, and relates to the failure to adhere to the standards of practice within their profession. Therefore, when discussing breaches of duty by hospitals as an institution, corporate negligence is the most accurate terminology.