The Medical Negligence Blog
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A&E negligence solicitors’ advice
If you need our specialist advice as expert medical negligence solicitors when it comes to matters of A&E negligence, we can help you.
Winter is here, and we are potentially facing a rather cold one. The extra strain that the NHS will face is likely on its way if it’s not already here, and we may see bed shortages and longer waits in A&E. Whilst we know that it’s for the government to ensure that we have a fully functioning and properly funded healthcare service, patients cannot be allowed to suffer in silence.
When patients do suffer, lives can be turned upside down. And that’s where we come in.
Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust scandal advice
What is being called the “largest maternity scandal in NHS history” involving the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SATH) has hit the headlines this week.
We’re shocked and appalled by what we have seen, which appears to be a period of 40 years of negligent care and treatment that may involve as many as 600 cases of medical negligence. Leaked reports appear to have singled out at least 42 infant deaths and the deaths of three mothers, as well as outlining more than 50 cases of children being left with brain damage.
It appears that there has been substandard care across the board which may have resulted in dozens of deaths and cases of children being left with permanent and catastrophic injuries.
Cancelled NHS appointments and medical negligence compensation
In some circumstances, cancelled NHS appointments can be unavoidable. But with reports of increasing numbers of delays and problems, we need to look at patient safety.
And we also need to look at when cancellations lead to patient suffering, and whether a victim can be entitled to make a claim for medical negligence compensation.
It’s understood that there are increasing numbers of appointments being cancelled, and some are being cancelled more than once. There have been reports of some patients facing 10 cancellations in a row, which is staggering. With this problem seemingly on the rise, what can patients do?
When breast cancer is not diagnosed in time
It can be truly devastating when breast cancer is not diagnosed quickly enough, whether it’s due to an initial misdiagnosis, or problems getting scans, referrals and results.
Like with other cancers, it can spread into other areas of the body. If left untreated for too long, the cancer can spread to the point where there’s simply nothing more that can be done.
For those patients who are fortunate enough to be able to make a recovery, a late diagnosis can still leave you with long-term health problems and a great deal of suffering. That’s why it’s important to know your rights when it comes to medical negligence personal injury compensation claims.
Mental health negligence claims
As well as needing to talk about our mental health, we also need to make sure that we talk about, and address, mental health negligence claims.
Mental health has never been more prevalent than it this day and age. It’s not the misunderstood and sometimes even taboo topic that it used to be. With World Mental Health Day passing last week, we wanted to briefly talk about the issues surrounding diagnosis and treatment, and how they tie in with claims for compensation.
In the same way that a lack of treatment or a lack of a diagnosis for a physical ailment can leave patients suffering more, and suffering worse, the same can be said about our mental health as well.
NHS screening problems: advice for patients
When it comes to NHS screening problems for things like cancer, it’s important that patients get the right help when it’s needed.
But when things go wrong, patients can suffer. When problems are avoidable, that’s where we can help people.
Delayed diagnosis or delayed treatment that stems from problems with screening can allow a patient to make a medical negligence claim for compensation. Depending on what has happened, we may be able to offer No Win, No Fee representation.
Worrying numbers of NHS ‘never events’
There have been some worrying numbers surrounding the volumes of so-called NHS ‘never events’ in recent times, and some of the instances are shocking.
NHS ‘never events’ are essentially serious errors and mistakes that should never happen because they should be completely preventable. They include things like the wrong body parts being operated on or removed, or the wrong areas inside the body being operated on. They also include incorrect surgeries and tools being left inside patients after procedures.
Recent data has suggested that there has been a worrying number of the so-called ‘never events’, which is a cause for concern.
Private ambulances putting patients at risk?
There has been a reported rise in the number of private ambulances in use, which is feared to be leaving patients at a greater risk of medical negligence.
It’s understood that chronic shortages are leading to many Trusts using private ambulances for 999 calls more and more. The spend on private vehicles is said to be increasing, with millions being spent in order to cover gaps in the service.
The worry is whether these private ambulances are up to the job, especially since recent studies suggests that they may not be.
Short appointment times a cause for concern
The limits that mean most patients must undergo short appointment times of less than 10 minutes are understood to be putting patients at risk and worrying doctors.
As lawyers who specialise in medical negligence, the risks are obvious to us, and they’re obvious to doctors as well. It can be easy for things to be missed when GPs are under pressure to wrap up their time with patients too early, meaning they don’t have the proper chance to ensure for a correct diagnosis and course of treatment.
If you, as a patient, end up suffering as a result of short appointment times, what can you do about it?
NHS cancer scans delayed over pensions problems
It’s reported that there are delays with NHS cancer scans being read that has stemmed from an ongoing pensions tax row that has led to some NHS staff limiting the amount of overtime they do.
In some cases, cancer scans are being left for weeks before being dealt with, which can leave patients vulnerable to cancer spreading and the development of compilations. One example reportedly saw turnaround times jump from one week to one month, and some patients have turned up to appointments for readings to be given when scans haven’t been dealt with at all, leading to wasted appointments.
At the centre of this ongoing dispute is the patients who are vulnerable to suffering more when turnaround times are impacted. For a matter as serious and as left threatening as cancer, something needs to be done.
Hernia mesh dangers: what can you do?
When it comes to hernia mesh dangers, we know the problems all too well as a firm of lawyers who are representing people claiming for compensation.
With the risk of patients suffering complications being as high as 30% in some instances, and when some of the problems that people can be left with can be hard to treat, there’s a cause for concern.
Hernia mesh devices continue to be used, although there’s growing scrutiny over their use as a result of rising number of problems and complications. If you have suffered as a result of being fitted with hernia mesh, what can you do?
Rising NHS delay compensation claims
We may see rising numbers of NHS delay compensation claims. Delayed treatment and delayed diagnosis are two of the most common types of medical negligence claims we represent people for, and a surge in these types of cases is a worry for all.
The fears of rising cases stems from recent findings published by the National Audit Office. They cited the issue that around 40% of medical negligence claims are for delayed diagnosis or treatment. Worryingly, they have also suggested that waiting time targets are still getting missed, and the problem is getting worse.
They said that the waiting list grew from 2.7 million to 4.2 million between 2013 and 2018 which shows the extent of the problem. This isn’t sustainable, and patient safety can be compromised when action isn’t taken quickly enough.