Kath Sansom

Falling asleep at the wheel causing a multiple car crash is considered such a serious offence in law that the driver could face up to 14 years in prison.[1] When it comes to falling asleep at the medical regulation wheel, however, causing major harm to patients, the result appears to be a review, knuckles rapped, a few negative media reports and then business as usual. Campaigners celebrated when Baroness Cumberlege called for urgent reform of the way healthcare treatments are regulated in her First Do No Harm Report.[2] But really, this is old news. As long ago as 2005, th

Corruption, greed and deceit, sound like the basis of a gripping crime novel or a binge-worthy Netflix series, but for patient campaigners it’s what we find on an alarming basis when it comes to the lucrative world of healthcare. We’re in an age of miracles where modern medicine can achieve remarkable things, but this can lead to patient safety taking a backseat when shareholders have dollar signs in their sights. We hear how tragedies such as the mesh scandal, Primodos, Valproate, metal hips and PIP breast implants must never happen again. But until we have tougher regulations, alongside