Pages On: NHS Claims
The NHS is an excellent organisation that saves so many lives. Having such a resource allows the people of the UK to not constantly fret about choosing between their finances and their health. However, that does mean the NHS is under routine strain from the vast quantities of patients, as well as mismanagement from higher up. Patients can often wait weeks before seeing a GP, and months, sometimes even years, for referrals. In the event of serious illness, this can be too late to combat. There are also the chances of surgical mistakes, misdiagnosis, birth injury and a myriad of other types of medical negligence. If the NHS has failed in its duty of care to you, and you have suffered as a result, you may be entitled to claim compensation.
A&E waiting times only “getting worse”
Posted: 1 December 2015
Posted in: Medical Negligence, NHS Claims
New data collected by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine found that A&E waiting times in England only continue to get worse. The figures found that 88% of A&E patients were admitted or treated within the four-hour waiting time, despite the fact that the current target stands at 95%. The College compiled the data from over 40 trusts – one in five of the total in the UK. The report revealed further problems related to discharging patients. Across some trusts, one fifth of hospital beds were occupied by patients ready…
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Health trust ‘requires improvement’ after failing standards
Posted: 25 October 2015
Posted in: Medical Negligence, NHS Claims
An English NHS health trust has been rated as “requiring improvement” after recent Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspections. Inspectors found that Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust were failing in a number of areas including staffing, cleanliness and infection control. The trust runs a total of four hospitals in South Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire: Doncaster Royal Infirmary, Bassetlaw District General Hospital, Retford Hospital and Montagu Hospital in Mexborough. The CQC carried out inspections in April, with particularly worrying findings made with regards to staffing. The report stated that the low…
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Multiple Sclerosis medication should be offered earlier
Posted: 2 October 2015
Posted in: Medical Negligence, NHS Claims
According to a report published by the Multiple Sclerosis Society, people suffering with Multiple Sclerosis, in its most common form, are not being offered drug treatment early enough. The report states that doctors currently use a “wait-and-see” approach, which causes patients suffering with the disease to experience unnecessary deterioration in their condition. Drug watchdog NICE, however, responded by saying that where “disease-modifying therapy” can help in some cases, the benefits and side-effects have to be weighed up. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an incurable disease that affects around 100,000 people in…
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Access to radiotherapy must improve
Posted: 27 September 2015
Posted in: Medical Negligence, Negligent Cancer Diagnosis, NHS Claims
Doctors have called for radiotherapy access to be improved globally after data shows the millions of deaths worldwide from cancer that could have been treated with radiotherapy. Recently released figures show that around nine out of ten people in low-income countries have almost no access to radiotherapy treatment for their cancer. Even in countries where the facilities are in place, experts say that staff and equipment shortages are preventing it from being used. ‘Access to radiotherapy in low-income countries by 2035’ The data is to be presented at the European…
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Ambulance equipment ‘out of date’
Posted: 23 August 2015
Posted in: Medical Negligence, NHS Claims
Following a recent health watchdog inspection, vital equipment used by Yorkshire Ambulance Service paramedics for major disasters is out of date. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) report stated that breathing apparatus used by the hazard response team was not checked to meet standards, and on one occasion a defibrillator had not been changed. Not only did the CQC report note equipment issues, but it also highlighted the fact that the trust was failing to meet response time targets for the most serious 999 calls. It was revealed that less than…
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Demand on NHS all-time high
Posted: 21 August 2015
Posted in: Medical Negligence, NHS Claims
Official data from NHS England has revealed the huge increase in demand on hospital services. The data showed increases across numerous areas of the NHS, including emergency ambulance call-outs, emergency admissions, A&E admissions, diagnostic tests and treatments. NHS England recognised that this constant increase in demand is part of a continuing trend. The data, which covered a wide range of services, was the first time NHS England has published data of this variety and depth in one day. This “super-Thursday” provided an illustration of the year that led up to…
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Woman awarded £75,000 in compensation after botched operation
Posted: 23 July 2015
Posted in: Medical Negligence, NHS Claims
A woman has been awarded £75,000 in compensation after a medical operation went wrong, leaving her with a colostomy for two years. The woman, who remains anonymous, initially sought medical help from her GP for severe constipation. She was referred to consultant Rob Jones after it was believed that she had a prolapse. Mr Jones failed to present any options other than surgery, and scheduled an operation immediately. On the day of the operation, a locum consultant examined the patient. The consultant said that surgery was not the correct treatment…
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Woman wins compensation following negligent gynaecology surgery
Posted: 25 June 2015
Posted in: Medical Negligence, NHS Claims
A mother-of-three is one of the first women to be awarded compensation following the negligent operations carried out by gynaecologist Rob Jones. Claire Hill is the first of potentially hundreds of female patients to win damages against Mr Jones after she was left incontinent for two years following a botched operation. It was heard that the consultant made a serious mistake during Mrs Hill’s hysterectomy at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in September 2011. Following the operation, Mrs Hill complained to Mr Jones about the pain she was experiencing. Mr Jones…
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Hospital ‘put patients at risk’
Posted: 11 February 2015
Posted in: Medical Negligence, NHS Claims
Bristol’s new £430,000 hospital has been criticised by a health watchdog over its critical care and emergency services. A recent Care Quality Commission report (CQC) said that the recently opened Southmead Hospital was putting its patients and staff at risk. Since the inspections, North Bristol NHS Trust said that extra staff had been recruited to help deal with the issue. The report pointed out that both staff and patient safety was being jeopardized by the hospital’s safety standards. The inspection, which was carried out in November, rated the hospital as…
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Care at hospital improves after investigations deem it inadequate
Posted: 15 November 2014
Posted in: Medical Negligence, NHS Claims
Following serious criticisms last year regarding patient care standards, the Royal Bournemouth Hospital has made major improvements. The Care Quality Commission carried out an investigation into patient care at the hospital in December 2013, which found that the care of patients, especially older patients, was “inadequate”. The report highlighted key areas for improvement, including staffing levels, A&E security, and the dementia care department. It also singled out Ward 3 and Ward 26, where elderly patients are treated, as areas of urgent attention. The report found that some patients were left for hours…
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End of life care not acceptable in Leicestershire and Rutland
Posted: 1 August 2014
Posted in: Medical Negligence, NHS Claims
A recent report looking into the end of life care provided to patients in Leicestershire and Rutland has made some worrying findings. It was found that one in five patients who died in Leicestershire and Rutland received a substandard, and even “unacceptable”, level of care. The report took into account 381 cases of patients that received end of life care, with some having even been resuscitated when they did not want to be. It was also found that numerous patients were taken into hospital despite the fact that they specifically wanted to…
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Man wins £45,000 compensation following failed operation
Posted: 26 May 2014
Posted in: Hand Injuries, Medical Negligence, NHS Claims
A man has been awarded with £45,000 in compensation following a failed operation at James Cook University Hospital. 70-year-old Malcolm Atkinson suffered with a debilitating finger condition, which was left considerably worse after going under the knife. The condition Mr Atkinson suffered with was Dupuytren’s contracture, a condition that causes the fingers to bend inwards into the palm of the hand. Since the operation, Mr Atkinson has been left with a permanently disabled left hand. It was heard at court that the failed operation ‘inadvertently’ damaged the nerves in the hand,…
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