The Medical Negligence Blog
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The Medical Negligence Lawyers call for increased funding for cancer care and treatment
Amidst the need for victims of medical negligence to claim for cancer misdiagnosis, or a lack of diagnosis, the Medical Negligence Lawyers call for increased funding for cancer care and treatment.
The preventative approach must always prevail, and the more that can be done to save lives and spot cancer early, and avoid any incidents of a misdiagnosis or cancer being diagnosed too late, must be at the forefront of the NHS’s mind.
Once cancer is missed and is later diagnosed, for many, the damage is done, and it’s too late to do anything about it. It’s important that more is done to safeguard and secure better funding in an age where funding issues are resulting in a lack of specialised staff available to care for cancer patients.
Routine surgery cancellations and delays
Routine surgery cancellations and delays can be a real headache for the patients involved. The NHS must, of course, prioritise the emergency cases, but when routine surgeries are cancelled and delayed as a result of avoidable problems, we’re looking at a very different issue indeed.
Shortages of staff and cyber-security incidents have been two recent reasons for spates of routine surgery delays and cancellations. These are the kinds of scenarios that we should not be facing, and for the patients who may have to wait and suffer longer, can anything be done?
Patients are entitled to seek legal advice for routine surgery cancellations and delays, and there are scenarios were a case can be made.
Cancer care cuts over lack of staff an “open door to negligence”
Cancer care cuts over a lack of staff are an “open door to negligence”, Our Medical Negligence Lawyers warn.
Earlier this year, we saw the story of a leading NHS hospital reportedly delaying chemotherapy services for cancer patients, and cutting treatment for terminally-ill patients, as a result of chronic staff shortages.
Whilst we can all appreciate the funding struggles of the NHS right now, we cannot have cases of delayed or reduced treatment that stem from a lack of resources, and something must be done.
NHS accused of breast cancer scandal “cover up”
The NHS has been accused of a breast cancer scandal “cover up” following revelations that almost half a million women aged between 68 and 71 in the UK did not receive their invitation for breast cancer screening as a result of a computer glitch.
75-year-old old Patricia Minchin did not receive her invitation for breast cancer screening, reportedly because of the error, and the cancer has since spread.
Ms Minchin has accused the NHS of a “cover up” in a scandal that has reportedly seen as many as 270 women die, possibly as a direct result of not receiving their invitations because of the glitch.
The line between due diligence and medical negligence is thin
It’s fair to say that the line between due diligence and potential medical negligence is thin. We all know that the NHS is stretched, and services like GPs and A&E Departments must remain efficient and well-funded.
It’s therefore understandable that NHS campaigns nowadays sometimes try and persuade people to only use NHS services where it’s absolutely necessary. In days gone by, doctors may have frowned upon patients Googling their symptoms and jumping to irrational conclusions, but in today’s increasingly digital age, patients are actually encouraged to look online before they use NHS time.
But, the line between this is worryingly thin.
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Advice on No Win, No Fee claims for NHS drug errors
NHS drug errors can leave patients suffering serious harm, and they can also cause fatalities. Even the smallest error with a dosage or a prescription could be the difference between life and death for some, which is why the government are aiming to drastically reduce what they have labelled as “appalling levels of harm and death” related to drug errors.
We advise and represent patients who have suffered harm because of NHS drug errors. From incorrect prescription dosage claims to clients being prescribed the wrong course of treatment… If you’ve suffered harm due to an NHS drug error, you may have a claim for medical negligence.
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Scientists say anti-depressants work, and more people should be offered them
A recent study published by Lancet says that anti-depressants work, and its believed more than a million extra people should be offered them.
Results from the studies found that all common anti-depressants were more effective than the placebos offered.
There is, however, a reported reluctance to prescribe them, and many people feel that taking pills for low mood problems are a last resort. Will the new studies serve to allay doctors’ concerns about over-prescribing medication?
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Patients put at risk due to ambulance delays because their stuck in overcrowded A&E departments
The delay for ambulance crews being able to hand patients over to hospitals in overcrowded A&E departments is said to be putting lives at risk.
With NHS figures indicating that almost 150,000 patients were cared for by ambulance crews for over half an hour over winter, from either being stuck in the back of an ambulance or in hospital corridors, crews are caught at hospital when they could be out on the road and ready to help people.
For every ambulance crew stuck at hospital looking after a patient because the A&E department is unable to take them as a result of overcrowding, there is a patient at home waiting for an ambulance that may not arrive in time.
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UK Cancer care criticised as survival rates fall short
The UK has reportedly failed to adequately improve on cancer survival rates, according to a global study. Potentially thousands of people are dying as a result of inadequate care when compared to other wealthy countries who are said to be improving at a better rate, leaving Britain behind.
Although survival rates have improved, the UK is falling behind when compared to similar nations.
With patients in Britain said to still be dying earlier when compared with other countries, it seems like we have cause for concern.
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Doctors concerned people addicted to prescription drugs may not be receiving enough help
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.
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Should good standards of cancer care be made law?
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?
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NHS pushing patient waiting times to three months may see rise in incidents, lawyers warn
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.
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