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The strain on the NHS, which has only worsened since the outbreak of Covid-19, is often responsible for the cancellation of appointments and surgical procedures. In fact, hospitals have reportedly been forced to admit far fewer patients for non-coronavirus conditions in the past year. Some figures suggest that the volume of people admitted for routine treatment in hospitals was reportedly down by almost half in February 2021 when compared with the same month in 2020. If you have been adversely affected by an incident of negligence, that is when you may be able to make a claim for a cancelled operation.
In our experience, many patients are unsure of their rights when it comes to cancelled operations, which is why it is important that those affected seek legal advice to establish what their next steps can be. This is particularly vital in cases where the cancellation has had an irreversible impact on your health.
As specialists in medical negligence, we are here to support you through the uncertainties of cancelled treatment; standing up for your rights to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve. Anyone who needs to discuss the impact of a cancelled appointment and what their legal rights are can contact us for free, no-obligation advice.
With the completion of false self-assessments affecting some maternity units, a number of hospitals are now having to pay back millions of pounds to regulators. Some of the hospitals in question were already facing suspicion amid medical negligence claims and allegations of avoidable baby deaths, but it has since been confirmed that some 14 NHS trusts reportedly failed regarding at least one of the safety actions recommended. Of the 7 required to pay fines, each trust reportedly falsely claimed it had a safe maternity unit.
While the news may come as a shock to some, for those affected by poor maternity care, this development may be unsurprising. Indeed, figures have already shown just how much harm has been suffered by families due to negligent maternity services. In 2018-19, for medical negligence claims brought against the NHS, 60% of claims reportedly involved maternity care.
If you have been adversely affected by poor maternity care, you may be able to make a medical negligence claim. To discuss your case and find out more about how we could help you, do not hesitate to contact us for free, no-obligation advice.
Read More “Safe maternity unit claims disproven in maternity care scandal”
The MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) has recently been forced to respond to reportedly fraudulent activity at Steril Milano, a medical company that provides sterilisation services to many medical device manufacturers. Although it is an Italian-based company, it serves manufacturers who provide products in the UK, which is why the UK regulator saw fit to take action.
In 2021, Steril Milano was acquired by Ionisos and it then became the subject of suspicion over alleged fraudulent activity. When this was identified, the company’s certification was withdrawn, which means that products which were already sterilised by this point could, potentially, not have been processed correctly.
According to the MHRA, the safety risks are believed to be low, but the regulator is nevertheless obliged to review the issue and mitigate any potential problems as much as possible.
Read More “MHRA takes action over Steril Milano sterilisation problem”
Since Ian Paterson was first in the media over reports of mistreatment of patients, many have been contacted by the hospitals who employed him. Now, as part of an expanded patient recall by Spire Healthcare, as many as 5,500 patients have been told they may have been affected by potentially harmful practices. If they have, they could be eligible to engage in the latest Ian Paterson compensation claims process.
In 2017, it was reported that former breast surgeon Ian Paterson received a 20-year sentence following convictions that included 17 counts of wounding with intent, and three counts of unlawful wounding. In this criminal case, only some of the victims were accounted for, but it has since emerged that many more may have been affected by potential malpractice. Over the course of his practice, Paterson reportedly misdiagnosed breast cancer, performed breast surgery on patients who didn’t need it, and performed dangerous ‘cleavage-sparing’ mastectomies on breast cancer patients.
The new expansion of compensation claims is a vital step in allowing as many victims as possible to access the justice they deserve. As specialists in medical negligence, we offered our advice to victims of Ian Paterson when his mistreatment was first exposed. If you were affected, we may now be able to help you to ensure that any suffering is compensated for.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC), the health and social care regulator in the UK, has recently taken Spire Healthcare to court over the provider’s reported failure to be transparent with patients about failures in the surgical procedures they received. The Spire Healthcare court case is understood to have found that the independent health firm delayed notification letters to patients affected by the allegations of negligent treatment by Michael Walsh, a surgeon who formerly worked at Spire Hospital Leeds.
The hearing at Leeds Magistrate Court in April led to Spire Healthcare being fined £5,000, as well as being instructed to pay almost £15,000 in court costs. The firm admitted to failing to contact patients in an appropriate timeframe.
Where potential medical negligence is concerned, it is important that patients are informed from the beginning. By neglecting to inform patients at an early stage, healthcare providers could contribute to a further decline in their health or subject them to more prolonged pain.
Sepsis, also described as septicaemia, is one the most dangerous and fast-acting conditions for which we can represent people to pursue compensation claims for. Many patients may not be fully aware of its risks, so it is the duty of doctors to recognise the symptoms soon after they present themselves and to treat them immediately. If not, the patient may be left with significant organ failure, or the condition can even be fatal. Sepsis compensation claims can help to achieve justice for the consequences of this life-threatening condition, especially when people are left permanently disabled.
We believe that is vital to hold medical practitioners to account for the mistakes they have made, which is why we support victims of sepsis or their loved ones to seek compensation for the damage caused. There is no room for error when lives are at stake, and medical practitioners have a duty to be sensitive to all the possible risks of a patient’s condition.
If you think you have been the victim of medical negligence, do not hesitate to contact us for advice regarding your potential compensation claim.
We are concerned to note that an inquiry has recently opened up to investigate NHS maternity racism allegations, after data published in January raised concerns about the racial disparity of medical outcomes for pregnant women.
The study by MBRRACE-UK reportedly found that black women can be “four-times more likely” to die in childbirth or pregnancy than white women. Reports also indicated that women from Asian backgrounds could be twice as likely to be involved in a fatal outcome.
There are also broader concerns about the poorer medical treatment that pregnant women from ethnic minorities may be receiving from NHS professionals. The inquiry is set to look at how systemic racism manifests itself in maternity care.
A guilty verdict and an independent review have not been enough to bring about justice for the patients of breast surgeon Ian Paterson. A recent report has revealed that hundreds of patients who came into contact with Paterson have yet to be contacted with regard to their potential mistreatment, which is a matter that must be quickly addressed.
With so many patients potentially still in limbo, it is unclear just how many victims may have fallen prey to Paterson’s malpractice. His behaviour involved harmful and often unnecessary procedures, leaving patients wounded and distressed in the aftermath.
Having worked as a breast surgeon for 14 years, there could (in theory) be many, many more patients who may be able to make a compensation claim. Where medical negligence can be proven, victims could be entitled to thousands of pounds in compensation. We always encourage anyone who believes that they may have been affected by negligence to come forward for free, no-obligation advice.
Read More “Patients of breast surgeon Ian Paterson yet to be alerted to potential mistreatment”
Basildon University Hospital maternity ward has been investigated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) after an anonymous whistleblower raised concerns over patient safety.
The maternity unit, once rated as ‘outstanding’, was rated ‘inadequate’, and urgent measures have been required to get their standard of care back to a safe level.
The number of staff has been deemed unsafe and a deadline was issued by the CQC for Basildon University Hospital maternity unit to rectify and improve the levels of care patients have been receiving.
Read More “Urgent measures required at Basildon University Hospital maternity unit”
Following the outbreak of coronavirus in March, Cancer Research UK has revealed that lung cancer referrals have dropped by an astonishing 50% during the pandemic.
This statistic is a huge cause for concern given that lung cancer remains one of the deadliest forms of cancer, and early diagnosis is absolutely critical when it comes to the best chances of survival.
There are a number of different factors contributing to this shocking statistic, and one of the main ones is understood to be similarities between lung cancer and coronavirus symptoms. Both illnesses can cause a persistent cough, a lack of energy, and breathlessness. Patients with these symptoms could be assuming that it is simply a case of coronavirus and they may not visit their GP to check if it could be lung cancer.
Read More “Outbreak of coronavirus causes 50% drop in lung cancer referrals”
It has recently been revealed that the NHS has issued 1,572 anti-depressants prescriptions for children under the age of 5.
This statistic seems concerningly high for children of such a young age, and further research into the effects of anti-depressants on children has shown there could be little benefit, if any, of using the drugs.
The rising number of anti-depressants prescriptions for children could be a cause for concern, as they are usually only be prescribed under close supervision. It could mean there are less children who have access to specialist mental health services. The increased number of anti-depressant prescriptions for children could be a direct result of longer waiting times for these services.
Read More “Concerns over anti-depressants prescriptions for children”
A Royal Derby Hospital Gynaecologist has recently been under investigation over potential, alleged cases of medical negligence up to June 2018.
The investigation has reportedly been looking into 272 former patients so far, with several potential cases of patients being ‘unnecessarily harmed’ during major surgery being put under further review. The surgeries being looked into are for serious matters including hysterectomies, prolapse repairs and ovary removals.
NHS England, which oversees care across the country, is conducting an external review of the consultant’s surgeries to establish the total number of patients who may require further investigation. The investigation looks to have been slightly delayed due to COVID-19, but the Royal Derby Hospital and NHS Trust have advised that all women who may need further investigation should be contacted by early October 2020.
Read More “Royal Derby Hospital Gynaecologist investigation advice”