Put your own house in order, claimant lawyers tell NHS as fixed fees near – Litigation Futures

Posted February 16th, 2018 in costs, hospitals, negligence, news by sally

‘Claimant lawyers reacted with caution to the Department of Health’s announcement yesterday that it is setting up a working group on introducing fixed recoverable costs in medical negligence, saying that while costs could be cut in lower-value claims, the real goal had to be avoiding clinical mistakes in the first place.’

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Litigation Futures, 16th February 2018

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Government agrees to further discussion of clinical negligence costs regime, amid concerns – Litigation Futures

Posted February 15th, 2018 in consultations, costs, hospitals, negligence, news by sally

‘Four out of five respondents to the government’s consultation on fixed recoverable costs (FRC) in low-value clinical negligence cases have echoed Civil Justice Council (CJC) concerns about a single joint expert being used, it has emerged.’

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Litigation Futures, 15th February 2018

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Coroner criticises hospital failings and busy A&E department over death of rape victim who overdosed on diet pills – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 15th, 2018 in drug abuse, duty of care, hospitals, inquests, mental health, negligence, news, victims by sally

‘A coroner has criticised hospital failings in an overwhelmed A&E department over the death of rape victim who overdosed on diet pills.’

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Daily Telegraph, 14th February 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

‘Gross failure’ in man’s care led to death from constipation – The Guardian

Posted February 9th, 2018 in care homes, disabled persons, hospitals, inquests, news by tracey

‘Inquest into death of man with Down’s syndrome criticises care home and hospital over his treatment.’

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The Guardian, 8th February 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

NHS compensation payouts ‘unsustainable’, say health leaders – The Guardian

Posted February 2nd, 2018 in compensation, hospitals, negligence, news by sally

‘Payouts given to NHS patients who have been victims of negligence should be reduced because they are “unsustainable”, health service leaders have told the justice secretary.’

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The Guardian, 2nd February 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Campaigners to seek judicial review over hospital closures in Forest of Dean – Local Government Lawyer

Posted January 30th, 2018 in consultations, hospitals, local government, news by sally

‘Campaigners have vowed to challenge in the courts a decision to close two community hospitals in the Forest of Dean.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 30th January 2018

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Six patients die amid 400 errors as NHS staff accidentally switch off oxygen supply – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 11th, 2018 in health, hospitals, medical treatment, news by tracey

‘An NHS investigation has been launched following the deaths of six patients when hospital staff accidentally switched off their oxygen cylinders. A safety alert has been issued after watchdogs uncovered more than 400 incidents in which cylinder controls were wrongly operated – including 24 cases where patients came to “moderate or severe harm”.’

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Daily Telegraph, 10th January 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Must the family be told? Genetic information and liability for non-disclosure to relatives – 1 Crown Office Row

Posted January 9th, 2018 in disclosure, families, health, hospitals, human rights, news by sally

‘The facts of the ABC case are unusual and undeniably tragic. In 2007, ABC’s father shot and killed her mother. He was convicted of manslaughter, on the basis of diminished responsibility, and sentenced to a hospital order under the Mental Health Act 1983, s 37, with a restriction order under s 41 of the Act. The respective roles of the defendants in relation to the father’s subsequent care and treatment were as follows: he was detained in a clinic run by the second defendant (the South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust), where, whilst resident, he was seen by a social worker for whom the third defendant (Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust) was responsible, and he was referred to the first defendant’s hospital (St George’s Hospital) in order that his disorder could be explored.’

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1 Crown Office Row, 9th January 2018

Source: www.1cor.com

Family win five-figure sum after Grandmother choked to death on egg sandwich -Daily Telegraph

Posted January 5th, 2018 in compensation, elderly, hospitals, inquests, news by tracey

‘The family of a grandmother who died in hospital after choking on an egg sandwich have received a five-figure payout. Lilian Hugill, who had previously survived cancer, was admitted to York Hospital with a bladder infection, but later died after staff wrongly gave her the sandwich rather than soft food.’

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Daily Telegraph, 5th January 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

The award of damages to enable surrogacy – Family Law

Posted December 21st, 2017 in damages, hospitals, negligence, news, surrogacy by tracey

‘Given the nebulous nature of surrogacy law in the UK and the decision in Briody v St Helen’s and Knowsley Area Health Authority [2001] EWCA Civ 1010, [2001] 2 FLR 1094, with its confusing obiter dicta, it is somewhat surprising that the funding of surrogacy for an infertile young woman was included in the heads of damages in the decision in XX v Whittington Hospital Trust [2017] EWHC 2318 (QB).’

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Family Law, 20th December 2017

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Maternity mistakes: 276,000 incidents logged in two years – BBC News

Posted December 21st, 2017 in birth, hospitals, mistake, negligence, news, statistics by tracey

‘Tens of thousands of mothers and babies in England were harmed by potential lapses in maternity care in the past two years, the BBC has learned. More than 276,000 incidents were logged by worried hospital staff between April 2015 and March 2017 – the equivalent of one mistake for every five births.’

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BBC News, 21st Decembher 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Alfie Evans: Parents in legal fight to take brain damaged son to Vatican doctors – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 20th, 2017 in children, hospitals, medical treatment, news by sally

‘A hospital has prevented parents from sending their brain damaged toddler to the same Vatican doctors who offered to help Charlie Gard, a court has heard.’

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Daily Telegraph, 19th December 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Payout after woman was kept alive against her will – BBC News

Posted December 6th, 2017 in documents, hospitals, medical treatment, news by sally

‘The family of an 81-year-old woman has received a £45,000 payout after she was kept alive against her will.’

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BBC News, 6th December 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Cancer x-ray services to be reviewed after serious diagnostic failures – The Guardian

Posted December 1st, 2017 in cancer, hospitals, news, quality assurance, x-rays by tracey

‘Inspectors have launched a national review into radiology services in the NHS after it emerged patients came to “significant harm” at a hospital where junior doctors were left to interpret chest x-rays, including those for suspected cancer.’

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The Guardian, 1st December 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

Families buried wrong bodies after NHS mortuary mix-ups, study reveals – The Independent

Posted November 24th, 2017 in burials and cremation, hospitals, human tissue, mistake, news, reports by tracey

‘Families have been given the wrong bodies to bury or cremate due to serious errors in hospital mortuaries, a study has revealed. Analysis of 132 serious mortuary incidents reported by the NHS between 2002 and 2013 found nine cases where the wrong body was released and had to be exhumed after burial or cremation.’

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The Independent, 24th November 2017

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Out of Hours Order Under High Court’s Jurisdiction in Relation to Vulnerable Adults for Removal From Home and Detention in Hospital – No Claim Under HRA 1998 in Respect of Judicial Act – Garden Court Chambers

Posted November 23rd, 2017 in care orders, detention, hospitals, human rights, jurisdiction, news by sally

‘AM brought a claim for a declaration against the Lord Chancellor alleging breaches of Human Rights Act 1998 arising out of a judicial act, namely an order made in April 2016 by Mostyn J under the High Court’s inherent jurisdiction in relation to vulnerable adults.’

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Garden Court Chambers, 10th November 2017

Source: www.gardencourtchambers.co.uk

Continuation of Life-Sustaining Treatment not in Mrs P’s Best Interests – ASCERTAINING WHAT THE PATIENT WOULD HAVE WANTED – Garden Court Chambers

Posted November 23rd, 2017 in elderly, hospitals, medical treatment, news by sally

‘The Trust applied for a declaration that it was in Mrs P’s best interests to receive clinically assisted nutrition and hydration (CANH) by way of a gastric feeding tube. Following a fall, Mrs P, aged 72 years, went to hospital without telling her family. Her condition deteriorated and she fell into a minimally conscious state. A dispute arose as to whether CANH should be continued between her sisters who wanted treatment to be maintained and her partner and daughters who did not.’

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Garden Court Chambers, 10th November 2017

Source: www.gardencourtchambers.co.uk

Mother killed herself after ‘serious failure’ by mental health unit – The guardian

Posted November 15th, 2017 in birth, hospitals, inquests, mental health, news, suicide by tracey

‘A mother who killed herself while suffering from postnatal depression died as a result of a “very serious failure” that allowed her to leave a mental health unit unchaperoned, a coroner has ruled.’

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The Guardian, 14th November 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

Police investigating 30 years of alleged sexual and physical abuse against children at mental health unit – The Independent

Posted November 10th, 2017 in child abuse, hospitals, mental health, news, sexual offences, young persons by tracey

‘Police are investigating almost 30 years of alleged physical and sexual abuse against children and young adults being treated at a mental health unit.Hertfordshire Constabulary said the number of victims at the Hill End Hospital Adolescent Unit in St Albans was not yet clear.’

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The Independent, 9th November 2017

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Healthcare provider fined over internal occupational health service failures – OUT-LAW.com

Posted November 3rd, 2017 in fines, hazardous substances, health & safety, hospitals, news by tracey

‘A Bedford-based private healthcare provider has been fined after it failed to act on concerns raised about the running of its internal occupational health service.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 2nd November 2017

Source: www.out-law.com