Month: March 2018
America is currently suffering with what is widely reported as an “opioid crisis” off the back of what some have alleged is a simple case of over-prescribing medications to patients for an array of ailments that can be treatable by other means. In the UK, there are concerns that doctors are relying on prescription drugs too much to treat people with ailments or issues they could use alternative help for, and the upshot is patients getting addicted to such medication.
Whether it’s a case that the dangers of such medications need to be better explained or better controlled, or where it’s down to the need to prescribe less medication – or both – doctors are worried that the lack of help for patients hooked on drugs is putting lives at risk.
Read More “Doctors concerned people addicted to prescription drugs may not be receiving enough help”
Missed diagnosis claims, and claims where patients are misdiagnosed, are unfortunately common. One of the biggest problems with such incidents is where the misdiagnosis or missed diagnosis is for something as serious as cancer, where the window of opportunity for cancer care or treatment to start can be very slim.
Unfortunately, in many cancer misdiagnosis or missed cancer diagnosis cases, it’s too late for the victim by the time the error is recognised.
Because of this, some say that good quality cancer care should be introduced as law in the UK. But, will it help?
Read More “Should good standards of cancer care be made law?”
New waiting times for routine operations in some parts of the country could see patients having to wait up to a minimum of three months before their procedure takes place.
Hip operations and cardiac procedures are among those that fall within the new lengthier patient waiting times, which could lead to complications arising as patients have to wait longer for treatment.
Patient waiting times average is around seven and a half weeks, but new measures introduced in Lincolnshire mean patients may be waiting almost twice as long in efforts to cut costs as lawyers warn that the new measures may see incidents increase.
Read More “NHS pushing patient waiting times to three months may see rise in incidents, lawyers warn”
The principle of only seeing your doctor if you need to, and only going to hospital or dialling 999 in an emergency, is sensible.
As many ambulances often advertise: you wouldn’t call the fire department to blow out a candle, would you?
The idea is that you should try and help yourself before using the NHS; but what about the dangers of diverting patients for self-care or private care? What are we risking here?
Read More “The dangers of the NHS diverting people away to private services”