TTIP deal poses ‘real and serious risk’ to NHS, says leading QC – The Guardian

Posted February 22nd, 2016 in contracting out, doctors, hospitals, news, public interest, trade unions by sally

‘The controversial transatlantic trade deal set to be agreed this year would mean that privatisation of elements of the NHS could be made irreversible for future governments wanting to restore services to public hands, according to a new legal analysis.’

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The Guardian, 22nd February 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Ministers seek to stop procurement boycotts through new guidance – Local Government Lawyer

‘Public procurement should never be used as a tool to boycott tenders from suppliers based in other countries, “except where formal legal sanctions, embargoes and restrictions have been put in place by the UK Government”, ministers have said in new guidance.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 17 February 2016

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Dismissed NHS whistleblower who exposed safety concerns handed £1.22m – The Guardian

Posted February 5th, 2016 in damages, health & safety, hospitals, news, unfair dismissal, whistleblowers by tracey

‘An NHS whistleblower who was unfairly sacked after exposing concerns about patient safety has been awarded £1.22m in damages by a hospital trust.’

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The Guardian, 4th February 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Toddler dies of leukaemia after medics miss condition 35 times – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 1st, 2016 in cancer, children, codes of practice, coroners, doctors, hospitals, inquests, medical records, news by tracey

‘A toddler died of leukaemia after medics repeatedly failed to diagnose the condition despite numerous “red flags” and 35 separate visits to doctors and hospitals.’

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Daily Telegraph, 1st February 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

C-Section manslaughter trial collapse: How transport disasters led to law NHS trust was prosecuted under – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 29th, 2016 in corporate manslaughter, hospitals, news, prosecutions, transport by tracey

‘The hospital where young mother of two Frances Cappuccini died was prosecuted under corporate manslaughter legislation introduced in the wake of a series of catastrophic disasters in the late 80s and early 90s.’

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Daily Telegraph, 28th January 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Government confirms 1 October 2016 date for fixed costs in clinical negligence – Litigation Futures

‘The introduction of fixed recoverable costs (FRC) in clinical negligence cases is still planned for 1 October 2016, the Department of Health has confirmed.’

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Litigation Futures, 14th January 2016

Source: www.litigationfutures.co.uk

Landmark case puts NHS Trust on trial alongside two doctors it is claimed were underqualified – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 14th, 2016 in corporate manslaughter, doctors, homicide, hospitals, negligence, news by sally

‘Court hears two underqualified doctors watched as a previously healthy young woman lay dying without taking the basic steps that could have saved her.’

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Daily Telegraph, 13th January 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Serious Personal Injury Litigation – A Quantum Update – Byrom Chambers

‘We are now bombarded with case reports by email and over the Internet. The reporting of 1st instance quantum decisions used to be a comparative rarity before 1992 and the PIQR. Even then there was a time lag in publication and many decisions were never covered. On one level, we are immensely fortunate now to be able to discern how the best counsel and 1st instance judges set about their respective tasks in serious personal injuries litigation; but with that opportunity comes the obligation on the serious practitioner to take the time really to get to grips with the lengthy judgments. It is not easy. This paper, evolving since the autumn of 2007, is an exercise in the on-going fulfilment of that obligation.’

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Byrom Chambers, 7th December 2015

Source: www.byromstreet.com

Kernicterus brain disease boy Dilraj Singh wins payout – BBC News

Posted November 23rd, 2015 in birth, children, compensation, disabled persons, hospitals, midwives, news by sally

‘A mother whose son was left brain damaged after midwives allegedly failed to act on signs of jaundice has won compensation at the High Court.’

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BBC News, 23rd November 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Telegraph misled readers over NHS x-ray service, press watchdog finds – The Guardian

Posted November 20th, 2015 in doctors, hospitals, industrial action, media, news, ombudsmen, Sunday trading, x-rays by tracey

‘The Daily Telegraph misled readers by suggesting NHS radiology departments were closed on Sundays in an article about Justice Secretary Michael Gove breaking his foot, according to a ruling from the Independent Press Standards Organisation.’

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The Guardian, 20th November 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Intensive care, and the outer limits of Cheshire West – UK Human Rights Blog

‘Where a coroner has reason to suspect that a person has died in custody or “otherwise in state detention” and that the death was violent, unnatural or by way of unknown cause, the coroner must hold an inquest with a jury (section 7 Coroners and Justice Act 2009 (“CJA”)). The interesting issue in this case was whether and/or in what circumstances a person who has died whilst in intensive care will be regarded as having died “in state detention”, thus triggering a jury inquest.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 6th November 2015

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Mid Staffs NHS trust admits ‘very significant’ breaches over patient deaths – The Guardian

‘The NHS trust that ran Stafford hospital has pleaded guilty to “very significant” health and safety breaches connected to the deaths of four elderly patients in its care.’

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The Guardian, 4th November 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Assessing Damages when the Claimant was Already Seriously Incapacitated: Court of Appeal Decision – Zenith PI Blog

Posted November 3rd, 2015 in appeals, damages, disabled persons, hospitals, negligence, news, personal injuries by sally

‘In Reaney -v- University Hospital of North Staffordshire NHS Trust [2015] EWCA Civ 1119 the Court of Appeal considered the appropriate approach to the award of damages when injuries are caused to a claimant who, prior to the defendant’s negligence, was already seriously disabled.’

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Zenith PI Blog, 2nd November 2015

Source: www.zenithpi.wordpress.com

Connor Sparrowhawk inquest: Care unit death ‘contributed to by neglect’ – BBC News

Posted October 19th, 2015 in autism, hospitals, inquests, news by sally

‘Neglect contributed to the death of an Oxford teenager who drowned in a bath at an NHS care unit, a jury inquest has ruled.’

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BBC News, 16th October 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust charged over four deaths – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 16th, 2015 in health & safety, hospitals, inquests, news, prosecutions by sally

‘The trust at the centre of the worst ever NHS scandal is facing criminal charges over the deaths of four patients .’

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Daily Telegraph, 15th October 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Stafford Hospital investigated over claims of a “cover-up” – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 9th, 2015 in children, freedom of information, hospitals, medical records, news by tracey

‘Police and health officials are investigating claims of an NHS “cover-up” over the death of a three-year old boy at Stafford Hospital.’

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Daily Telegraph, 9th October 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

GP practices ‘offered rewards’ for not referring patients to hospitals – The Guardian

Posted October 2nd, 2015 in doctors, freedom of information, health, hospitals, inducements, news by tracey

‘GP practices are being offered thousands of pounds to cut the number of patients they refer to hospitals, according to an investigation.’

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The Guardian, 1st Ocotber 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

When should a decision be remitted to a different decision-maker? – Competition Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers

Posted September 28th, 2015 in appeals, competition, health, hospitals, inquiries, news, regulations, tribunals by sally

‘The Court of Appeal’s answer to this question in HCA International Limited v CMA [2015] EWCA Civ 492 was, in effect: rarely. The judgment, which contains some serious criticism of the CMA even though it won the case, illustrates just how high the threshold is before a court will insist that a remitted decision should go to a new decision-maker. It is not enough for the original decision-maker to have made a mistake, however conspicuous. Rather, there needs to be a reasonable perception of unfairness or damage to public confidence in the regulatory process.’

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Competition Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers, 25th September 2015

Source: www.competitionbulletin.com

Cancer patient Ashya King’s parents ‘put him at risk’, report reveals – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 24th, 2015 in cancer, health, hospitals, news, reports, social services by tracey

‘Ashya King, who was removed from hospital by his parents while undergoing treatment for a brain tumour, was “put at risk” by his parents, according to safeguarding report.’

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Daily Telegraph, 23rd September 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Stepping Hill Hospital poisoning deaths: Ten inquests held – BBC News

Posted September 17th, 2015 in hospitals, inquests, news, poisoning by tracey

‘Inquests are being held into ten deaths at Stepping Hill Hospital following the jailing of killer nurse Victorino Chua.’

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BBC News, 17th September 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk