Legal Article
16/12/22
The Claimant was born at 39 weeks at Burnley hospital. The Claimants mother was admitted with a history of spontaneous rupture of membranes. Following a virginal delivery, the Claimant was born in a very poor condition, a neonatal crash team performed resuscitation for a period of around 26 minutes…
Legal Article
15/12/22
UK hospitals have received an alert from Public Health England regarding the rise in cases of scarlet fever. This has also caused a lot of concern amongst parents. Scarlet fever is an infection caused by Group A Strep. Strep A is the most common bacterial cause of acute sore throat, accounting for…
Legal Article
02/12/22
Yusuf Mahmud Nazir passed away in November 2022 when he was wrongly sent home from Rotherham General Hospital with "the worst case of tonsilitis" that the treating doctor had ever seen. Yusuf and his uncle were told that there were no beds and not enough doctors at the hospital, so they could…
Legal Article
22/11/22
In 2020, the law around organ donation in England has changed. All adults in England are now considered to have agreed to be an organ donor when they die unless they have recorded a decision not to donate or are in one of the excluded groups. What is eye donation? Eye donation involves…
Legal Article
22/11/22
In traumatic injury and limb amputation cases, there should be a focus on rehabilitation. This means considering what support you need to allow you to return to work, the financial support you will need, and any changes to your home environment amongst many others. This is achieved by putting together a…
Legal Article
22/11/22
1 in 8 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer. If you're over 50, or a person of colour, or your dad or brother had it, you're at even higher risk. It is the most common cancer in men. Prostate cancer is not always life-threatening. But when it is, the earlier you catch it the more likely…
Legal Article
21/11/22
Nursing and healthcare unions have so far rejected the government's pay offer, which will lead to further strike action. The health unions are seeking a pay rise that would at least match inflation, which currently sits at 10.1%. The Royal College of Nursing is seeking a rise that would match…
Legal Article
19/11/22
Mental health is a serious and well publicised topic with many campaigns centred around talking about our mental health. It includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make…
Legal Article
18/11/22
It's important we all have regular eye tests and checkups. Changes in vision, floaters, blurred vision or loss of vision in part of the eye needs to be checked out urgently. GPs need to refer patients with symptoms to an ophthalmologist. An ophthalmologist will carry out tests and should refer…
Legal Article
17/11/22
Diabetes is a long term condition causing the blood glucose level to be too high. There are 2 main types of Diabetes; · Type 1 is an autoimmune condition where the body attacks the cells of the pancreas that produce insulin and insulin is not produced. · Type 2 Diabetes is…
Legal Article
08/11/22
The law in England continues to be particularly harsh when it comes to the death of a loved one. Only a long-standing, live-in partner, a spouse or dependent child can claim for the death and any losses arising from it. The estate of the deceased can bring a claim for any additional pain and…
Legal Article
07/11/22
Lung cancer is one of the most common causes of death in the Western world. In the United Kingdom, as in many countries, carcinoma of the bronchus is the most common cause of cancer deaths in men and women. The most common cause of lung cancer is smoking, with the instances of lung cancer being…
Legal Article
01/11/22
Mouth Cancer Action Month is held in November every year and is supported by the Mouth Cancer Foundation and the Oral Health Foundation. Mouth cancer is the 6th most common cancer in the world, but it's much less common in the UK. Around 8,300 people are diagnosed with mouth cancer each year in…
Legal Article
28/10/22
On 13 February 2020 Nadine Dorries MP, the Minister of State for the Department of Health and Social Care, confirmed in Parliament that NHS England and NHS Improvement had commissioned an investigation into maternity and neonatal services at East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust. Dr Bill…
Legal Article
25/10/22
A recent report highlights the continuing and shocking problems at some NHS trusts. The inquiry into East Kent Hospital University Trust reviewed more than 200 cases over a decade of maternity failings and found a " pattern of recurring harm ". The damning report revealed that almost half of…
Legal Article
11/10/22
What is a stillbirth? A still birth occurs when a baby dies after 24 weeks of pregnancy. This is a very traumatic experience and can have lifelong impact on the parents, and in particular the mother who may have gone through labour, or received a caesarean section. What causes a stillbirth…
Legal Article
11/10/22
Every two hours, somewhere in the UK, a baby dies in the final stages of pregnancy, or in the first moments of life. Baby Loss Awareness Week provides us with opportunity: · To support bereaved parents and families and to unite with others across the world to commemorate their babies…
Legal Article
01/09/22
I hope everyone is enjoying the wonderful weather. I have always been a big fan of the sunshine and outdoors, but with soaring temperatures and high UV index, I hope that we are all taking precautions? Experts recommend taking precautions for anything over index level 3. I am telling you this…
Legal Article
18/08/22
The Claimant had a family history of glaucoma with a raised intraocular pressure. They were a regular attender at the local hospital. As a result of increasing pressures in the eye, the claimant was referred to the glaucoma service. It was considered the pressure was high due to the use of steroids…
Legal Article
12/08/22
When a loved one dies there is already so much grief to contend with. If the death was caused by negligence that opens up fresh wounds. No life can be 'valued' in monetary terms, but the law provides a 'token' statutory bereavement award in such cases. This was revised in May 2020 and is…
Legal Article
11/08/22
The Times Newspaper reports "Cancer symptoms are more likely to be missed by GPs because they are now carrying out fewer face-to-face appointments, a study by Oxford University suggests." Early diagnosis is often key to cancer survival and treatment. It is often a difficult balance for…
Legal Article
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…
Legal Article
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…
Legal Article
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…
Legal Article
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…
Legal Article
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…
Legal Article
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…
Legal Article
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…
Legal Article
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…
Legal Article
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…
Legal Article
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…
Legal Article
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…
Legal Article
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…
Legal Article
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/…
Legal Article
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…
Legal Article
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…
Legal Article
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…
Legal Article
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…
Legal Article
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…
Legal Article
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…
Legal Article
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…
Legal Article
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…
Legal Article
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…
Legal Article
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…
Legal Article
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…
Legal Article
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 "…
Legal Article
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…
Forbes News
17/01/22
This week is cervical cancer prevention week One in three women and people with a cervix don't attend cervical screening however cervical cancer prevention doesn't stop at screening. 220,000 women and people with a cervix every year are told they have cervical cell changes after their…
Legal Article
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…
Legal Article
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…
