Tag: negligence

Plastic surgeon compensation

company guilty of misbranding cancer drug

You may be entitled to make a plastic surgeon compensation claim if the work you have had has not turned out to be as expected.

Plastic surgeon compensation cases can be difficult. This is why it’s vital that you instruct specialist medical negligence lawyers like us. Cosmetic procedures carry inherent risks, especially the more invasive procedures that many people are undergoing nowadays.

If you have suffered complications or you have ended up with an unexpected outcome, what are your rights?

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Gosport Hospital scandal: an avoidable tragedy

care laws

The Gosport Hospital scandal was avoidable given the information that has come to light as part of the Gosport Independent Panel reports.

Nurses as far back as 1988 – 30 years ago – reportedly raised the alarm over drugs being prescribed to patients. The powerful diamorphine that was given to patients by Dr Jane Barton has said to have contributed toward a number of deaths.

Despite warnings being raised by staff with managers and unions, there was a failure to act. The report by the Panel concluded that Dr Barton was responsible for some 656 deaths between the 1980’s and 2001.

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NHS patients denied hip and knee replacements

surgery negligence

NHS patients are increasingly being denied hip and knee replacements as a result of funding issues, leaving people at risk of complications and mobility problems.

According to a British Medical Journal study, patients are being denied hip and knee replacements more and more, with refusals increasing by 45% when compared to the previous year.

These restrictions on procedures are a damning reflection of the continuing NHS funding problems that are only going to leave patients more vulnerable to complications and prolonged mobility problems, which in turn could see a rise in cases of negligence.

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Shropshire baby deaths review widened

patient observations

Last year’s investigation into the tragic Shropshire baby deaths is to be widened as the number of cases has increased from 23 to over 40.

The investigation that was launched last year into the quality of care at a Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust maternity unit has been looking into a lack of staff and a lack of a learning couture to prevent incidents, with a number of the Shropshire baby deaths cases being linked to negligence.

Infant deaths, maternal deaths and brain injuries are among the problems that have been linked to poor quality of care within the Trust.

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Medical Negligence Solicitors – instruct a solicitor direct

depression

If you need to make a claim for medical negligence compensation, you should instruct Medical Solicitors directly.

But, what does this mean?

A number of the ‘big name firms’ you see out there, including those who advertise on the TV with famous faces touting their services, are actually not lawyers at all. Many are actually claims management companies, or claims advice services; essentially middlemen who pass the claims over to solicitors when you can simply go direct.

We advise that you should always approach Medical Negligence Solicitors, and there are good reasons as to why you should.

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Staff shortages leaving patients in the hands of untrained Healthcare Assistants

hernia mesh claims

Staff shortages are reportedly leaving patients in the hands of untrained Healthcare Assistants who are forced to step in and do the jobs of doctors and nurses without proper training and qualifications.

Healthcare Assistants are, of course, vital for the care of patients, and it’s certainly not their fault that they’re having to fill the gaps due to staff shortages. But this is very dangerous. Staff having to undertake the type of care that requires training and proper supervision is leaving patients in a vulnerable position, and it’s not fair on the Healthcare Assistants either.

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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.

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Patients put at risk due to ambulance delays because their stuck in overcrowded A&E departments

Accident and Emergency claims ambulance delays

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

hernia mesh compensation claims

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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Two-year wait for mental-health treatment not good enough

depression

According to a BBC Freedom of Information request, a third of NHS Trusts are missing the government guidelines for psychological therapy, which should start within six weeks for 75% of referrals.

What’s more concerning is that, in some cases, there were patients waiting more than two years for the vital mental health treatment they needed.

Mental health intervention is key to saving lives. Although we all know the NHS is stretched right now, lives are clearly at risk if some patients are having to wait too long for the psychological treatment they need.
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Medical negligence compensation claims – a few facts

Medical negligence compensation is a hotly-debated topic. On the one hand, we have a stretched and underfunded public health service that could do without legal cases eating up millions of taxpayers’ pounds in pay-outs and legal fees, but on the other hand, we have the victims.

One of the major problems with medical negligence claims is that they’re often complex to run. Unlike a road accident where someone hits the back of another driver and it’s usually obvious who is at fault, in a medical negligence claim, it can be far harder to determine whether any negligence has occurred. The case often requires in-depth investigations and an expert lawyer representing you for the case; both of which costs money.
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When failure and delays in providing treatment is a cause for medical negligence

private treatment for medical negligence

We all know that our National Health Service (NHS) is extremely busy. The mainstream media inform us about the constant shortages of nurses and hospital beds all the time. With so many patients and so little staff, sometimes it feels like the quality of care the NHS provides has significantly dropped. In their busy and long shifts, doctors and nurses are arguably susceptible to making mistakes more than we would like to think about.

Research states that around 15% of patients suffer a misdiagnosis or mistreatment because of mistakes. In the worst of these scenarios, people can be left suffering with serious problems.
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