Category: Latest

Breast cancer patients reportedly not being sufficiently warned about permanent side effects of Taxotere

Docetaxel, or more commonly known by its brand name Taxotere, is a medical drug used to treat cancer. The chemotherapy drug can be used to treat breast, head and neck, stomach, prostate and non small-cell cancerous cells.

For breast cancer patients it’s the most popular choice of treatment with 75% opting for Taxotere. However, it has since been revealed that manufacturers have not been quite so explicit with the effects the life-saving drug can have, and patients and physicians have reportedly been kept in the dark that Taxotere can cause permanent hair loss.
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The rising epidemic in opioid painkiller dependency

pharmacy

There is reportedly a rising epidemic in opioid painkiller dependency for women who need C–sections for giving birth.

Though caesarean sections are only carried out when it’s considered to be the safest option for both mother and baby, around one in every four/five women in the U.K. have a caesarean. Recovering from a caesarean usually takes longer than a vaginal birth which is why painkillers are frequently prescribed; but according to Health Day, opioid painkillers are being over-prescribed.
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MRI scans and the rare risks involved…

scan

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machines are essentially very large medical devices that can take detailed scans of the inside of the body. It uses strong magnetic fields and radio waves to pick up images inside the body.

If you need to look at tissue inside the body, an MRI scan is usually what you need. Often used to look inside the brain and other vital organs, MRI’s can show us a much clearer picture of what’s going on inside our bodies.

However, there are some risks with their use…
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Worldwide ransomware attack brings NHS services to a standstill

nhs ransomware attack

The NHS has suffered as a result of a “large-scale hack” across the globe that hit some 99 countries in total.

The malware message is demanding ransoms from hospitals! A message appearing on hospital screens says that doctors will need to cough up if they want to save their files. The big issue here is that this causes a wider problem for patients across the country as hospitals are forced to use their ‘back-up’ plans, and services are being seriously reduced.

Real people’s lives are in danger here.
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Open heart surgery linked to deadly infection

surgery negligence

Open heart surgery has always been an operation with many implications and risks.

However, patients who have undergone open heart surgery in the UK are being told that they may be at risk of a deadly infection linked to medical equipment that was used during the operation.
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Nurse malpractice has led to a life ban on Nursing Register

nurse malpractice

When you seek medical treatment, many people fall into the sometimes false sense of security that they’re in ‘safe hands’. This is especially the case for one nurse, who has been banned from practising following multiple blunders.

A former nurse, Jonathan Thompson, has been told that he will never practise again after he mixed up patients and failed to adhere to NHS policies, resulting in serious complications and problems for the victims of this medical negligence.
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NHS’ New Year’s glitch that may have caused patient’s death

NHS due dilligence

The NHS and London Ambulance Service suffered technical problems that caused delays which may have caused a patient’s death over the New Year period.

A separate inquiry was launched into whether the technical problems was a contributory factor to a patient’s death. The crashing of a computer meant that control centre employees had to use the old-fashioned method of pen and paper to take down emergency 999 calls for approximately 5 hours, which has been linked to the death.
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Multiple medical errors at the Calderdale and Huddersfield Foundation Trust

nhs trusts medical errors report

Both Calderdale Royal Hospital and Huddersfield Royal Infirmary have come under fire recently due to multiple failings found within the Trusts.

One such incident was a clear and serious error when staff at Calderdale Hospital undertook an intimate examination of the wrong patient between July and September 2016.

We all know the NHS has a tough job in tough conditions, but there are some things that are clearly preventable.
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GPs and hospitals are unnecessarily prescribing antibiotics

pharmacy

A recent survey shows that antibiotics and narcotics are often over-prescribed, with some experts worldwide suggesting that they’re frequently prescribed when they’re not necessary, and may actually do more harm than good.

The survey revealed that patients use antibiotics or narcotics despite guidelines showing little effectiveness of taking them. There is rising concern in the U.K. that the NHS are providing patients with services and products that aren’t needed, which is concerning from both a health and a cost perspective.
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“NHS failings caused avoidable deaths” – An internal report showed many mothers and babies tragically died due to ‘clinical errors, poor staff attitudes and chronic shortages’

According to a recent NHS report, numerous mothers and babies tragically died at NHS hospitals in Manchester and Oldham.

The medical review was carried out in June by the maternity director, Deborah Carter, at the Pennine Acute Hospital Trusts, which operates North Manchester General and Royal Oldham hospitals. The report highlighted that mothers and babies were dying due to ‘clinical errors, poor staff attitudes and chronic shortages’. Ms Carter highlighted that negligence caused a ‘string of avoidable deaths and long-term injuries caused by failures over many years’.
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Surgical error claims for compensation

surgery negligence

Many operations performed are successful and go without any complications. However, in some cases, mistakes are made, and a patient may have to deal with the adverse consequences.

Having surgery can already be very stressful, so to discover afterwards that something went wrong can be even more distressing; especially if this is going to affect the person’s life.

Surgical errors can happen for a number of reasons, and where they have taken place due to negligence, you may be able to claim for compensation.
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Inadequate safety at Hull mental health services

diagnosis cancer screening claims

Mental health services in Hull and East Riding have been deemed as inadequate, investigations have revealed.

England’s health regulator has disclosed that patients have been waiting too long for help; senior managers are chaotic and nurses are pushed to the limit because of severe staff shortages.

The Care Quality Commission rated the Trust as inadequate at providing safe services.
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