Doctors fear 'tsunami' of investigations over delayed care in COVID-19 pandemic

A poll of members by the Medical Protection Society (MPS) found that 43% of doctors fear investigation if patients come to harm because of delays to referrals and reduced NHS services during the pandemic.

Treatment has been delayed for millions of patients while the NHS has focused on managing the pandemic - with GPs in many areas still unable to refer as normal and even urgent referrals delayed while the UK has been in lockdown. The NHS Confederation has warned that 10 million people could be on NHS waiting lists by Christmas.

Reduced NHS services during the pandemic have left even patients who need urgent treatment or scans for cancer waiting longer. GPonline reported in April that patients had been waiting more than a month for urgent cancer checks - and Cancer Research UK warned in May that 2.4 million patients were waiting longer for scans or treatment because of disruption to services during the pandemic.

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Source: GPonline, 11 June 2020