20/07/22
An article by Oliver Quick says " Healthcare harm is a global public health problem. The World Health Organization estimates that adverse events in medical settings cause more deaths than lung cancer, diabetes, or road injuries, and that 80% of adverse events are avoidable ." " The…
18/07/22
A hospital trust faces prosecution over the death of a baby 23 minutes after she was born. An inquest concluded that Wynter Adams, a baby that survived only 23 minutes after birth might have survived had it not been for " gross failings " by staff at Queen's Medical Centre in…
05/07/22
The Priory Group is the country's biggest independent provider of psychiatric services and obtains thousands of referrals from the NHS every year. Over the years the Priory Group has been continuously criticised by coroners and inquest juries for failing to keep patients safe. Following an…
01/07/22
Suicide is a national crisis in the United Kingdom, with over 5000 suicides in England alone in 2021. The impact of every single one of them undoubtably devasting. This has been demonstrated by the suicide prevention charity CALM's Southbank exhibition in June 2022. 'The Last Photo'. The…
29/06/22
Most significantly she has tackled the 'taboo on poo' and broken down barriers . Bowel cancer is one of the most treatable cancers if diagnosed early at stage 1. Sadly her diagnosis was made at the age of 35 at stage 4. As patron of Bowel Cancer UK and on the podcast ' You, Me and the…
24/05/22
How long it takes an ambulance to arrive may determine the outcome for that person. In the case of Kent v Griffiths (2000), the unanimous judgement in the Court of Appeal held that the acceptance of a call and dispatch of an ambulance established a duty of care. In that case an ambulance…
23/05/22
The Times Newspaper reports that "Between April 2021 and March 2022 more than 400 patients in England's hospitals suffered errors so serious that they should never have happened. They include the wrong hips, legs, eyes and knees being operated on, and diabetic patients being given too much…
09/05/22
The importance of monitoring and treating the eye for the presence and progression of glaucoma has been highlighted in a BBC article . In this case an 80-year-old woman lost her sight in one eye after regular hospital eye clinics were cancelled due to the pandemic. In 2019 she reports being…
09/05/22
Each time we consider a new 'suicide case' we know what failings to look for and the far reaching impact on the family left behind. We see the same mistakes by the NHS and their private partners. Whilst researching another unnecessary death I came across a Sunday Times article highlighting…
25/04/22
The Times report this week about the hidden risks of burns on the operating table. 'Hidden' risk of patients burnt on operating table | News | The Times The normal risks of anaesthesia and surgery are not the only ones that patients face in operating theatres. The possibility of fire…
12/04/22
The Times newspaper has reported today on the sad case of Matthew Caseby . The 23 year old escaped by jumping over a fence at the Priory Hospital in Woodbourne, and was killed by a train during a psychotic episode. Matthew's care has come under scrutiny, because it was known that vulnerable…
11/04/22
Times newspaper reports that "Babies' lives are at risk because maternity units are still unsafe" https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/almost-half-of-nhs-maternity-services-in-england-are-unsafe-lf7q7jlbm?shareToken=4b0b88dfae12089971ee8efb94febf24 The headlines continue about…
11/04/22
What is Brachial Plexus? Obstetric brachial plexus injury (OBPI), also known as birth brachial plexus injury (BBPI), is an injury more commonly seen in new-born children. It is an injury to the brachial plexus nerves. An injury occurs when the nerves are stretched, compressed, torn/pulled/…
08/04/22
Third of patients find they have cancer only at A&E The Times Newspaper reports "Some 326,000 fewer people in England received an urgent referral from a GP to a specialist for suspected cancer during the first year of the pandemic. Cancer screening programmes were also halted, while many…
29/03/22
The Times Newspaper reported this weekend that there was drive at the Shrewsbury NHS to encourage natural births as opposed to caesarean sections. The NCT( Natural Childbirth Association) use to advocate for fewer interventions, arguing that birth was primarily a natural process and that women…
15/03/22
We reported in December 2019 about the failings of the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust Maternity Unit. This was after a significantly high number of baby death, including stillbirths, deaths of mothers, babies left with brain damage, babies dying within 3 months of birth and deaths during…
11/03/22
The Times Newspaper reports "Patients with suspected cancer will be promised a diagnosis within 28 days under NHS plans, but a present target to get them in front of a specialist within a fortnight will be abandoned" "Two further measures are a maximum two-month wait from urgent…
02/03/22
In a recent article in The Times Newspaper urges people to get their eyes tested. Looking after our eyes is vital, especially as we get older. Regular check ups are recommended to ensure there is no risk of glaucoma or detached retina. Glaucoma is caused by the death of cells causing visual field…
01/03/22
The Times Newspaper has recently reported that NHS maternity units have been informed that they should not be focusing on the need to deliver babies naturally and should not be avoiding performing caesarean sections on mothers in order to meet targets to comply with delivery being natural. NHS…
01/03/22
The Times Newspaper has recently reported that there is a serious lack of awareness around the warning signs of ovarian cancer and the symptoms are often mistaken for common conditions such as cystitis or IBS, by both individuals suffering and the doctors investigating. Target Ovarian Cancer…
28/02/22
What is compartment syndrome? This is a limb threatening condition that is usually associated with fractures, mainly of the tibia - more commonly known as the shinbone. What problems can arise? If treatment is delayed or missed it can lead to significant long-term problems. Compartment…
17/02/22
The sad case documented by the BBC of Gary Mavin highlights a publicised case where multiple failings in mental health led to the death of a 54 year old man. In this example there was a misdiagnosis by a consultant psychiatrist. 'Leah Mavin told the BBC her 54 year old husband entered the…
09/02/22
The Times reported last week that a child was fighting for his life after a clerical error caused a delay in diagnosing a brain tumour. Eight year old Alexander Josephs mother described how she woke up in the middle of the night in September 2020 to find her son having a major seizure. He was…
08/02/22
Judgment has recently been handed down by the Court of Appeal in the case of Paul v Royal Wolverhampton NHS Foundation Trust. The case centred solely around liability to secondary victims, and dealt with the difficult question as to when a defendant in a clinical negligence case, could or should be…
28/01/22
Last week the Times Newspaper reported on a new Hotline for cancer. Specialist cancer nurses will be available to advise patients worried about their symptoms, if they are not being listened to or are having difficulty accessing their GP. There is a lot of talk in the press about the "…
18/01/22
The clinical problem Torsion of the testis occurs in young men, usually between puberty and 30 years of age. If not treated within six hour 'window of opportunity' there is a high risk of testicular damage or death. The importance of taking an in-depth history is essential to diagnose…
07/01/22
Whether medical treatment and care can be delegated in terms of liability has been somewhat unclear over the years in medical negligence claims. Recent dental claim decisions have resulted in findings that a dental practice, or the owner of a dental practice, has a non-delegable duty of care to the end…
05/01/22
The Government has announced that from the 12th January 2022, exceptional case funding for Inquests will no longer be means tested. Prior Position Prior to January 2022, all bereaved families requiring legal representation at an Article 2 Inquest, had to go through a process, for the Legal Aid…
