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Found 570 results
  1. News Article
    The public inquiry into the Lucy Letby murders will seek changes to NHS services and culture next year despite the fact that formal hearings are likely to be delayed until the autumn. Inquiry chair Lady Justice Thirlwall will issue an update message later today. In it she will stress the inquiry will “look for necessary changes to be made to the system of neonatal care in this country in real time and at the earliest opportunity, avoiding delays in making meaningful change”. HSJ understands Lady Thirlwall will look to agree on some changes, based on the inquiry’s evidence gathering and discussions with the sector before it begins oral hearings – which are unlikely to start for at least a year due to ongoing legal action. Lady Thirlwall will say the legal constraints mean its early work will focus on the experience of families who were named in the cases already heard; and “on the effectiveness of NHS management, culture, governance structures and processes, as well as on the external scrutiny and professional regulation supposed to keep babies in hospital safe and well looked after”. She said, “I want this to be a searching and active inquiry in the sense that it will look for necessary changes to be made to the system of neonatal care in this country in real time and at the earliest opportunity, avoiding delays in making meaningful change”. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 22 November 2023
  2. Content Article
    Professor Jane Somerville, emeritus professor of cardiology at Imperial College, talks about the issues facing doctors who raise concerns about patient safety issues in the NHS. She shares her views on the risks facing doctors who speak up and the ways that healthcare managers treat whistle blowers. She also highlights issues in the employment tribunal system and outlines the need to regulate NHS managers. In the video, Jane mentions the employment tribunal of Dr Martyn Pitman. Since this interview was recorded, Dr Pitman lost the case he brought for retaliatory victimisation.
  3. News Article
    A woman who suffered traumatic complications from a vaginal mesh implant has been awarded a record settlement of at least £1m from the NHS. Yvette Greenway-Mansfield, 59, was given a mesh implant at Coventry’s University Hospital in 2009 and went on to suffer serious complications. Her medical negligence claim against the hospital trust found that the surgery was carried out prematurely and unnecessarily and that her consent form had been doctored to include additional risks after Greenway-Mansfield had signed it. Greenway-Mansfield said that being awarded the compensation was a “huge relief”, but added that many other women who have suffered similar damage had received little or no compensation, and criticised the government’s failure to establish a financial redress agency for victims. “I’m not the only one. There are thousands of mes,” she said. “There should be a pot of money to provide damages for these women and a care plan in place as an automatic response to mesh-damaged people. It comes down to a perception of women and women’s health problems. We’ve all had enough of it.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 13 November 2023
  4. News Article
    AstraZeneca is facing legal action over its Covid vaccine, by a man who suffered severe brain injury after having the jab in April 2021. Father-of-two Jamie Scott suffered a blood clot that left him with brain damage and unable to keep working. The action, taken under the Consumer Protection Act, alleges the vaccine was "defective" as it was less safe than individuals were entitled to expect. Studies suggest Covid vaccines have saved millions of lives. In June 2022, the World Health Organization said the AstraZeneca vaccine was "safe and effective for individuals aged 18 and above". A further claim from about 80 people who say they were injured by the AstraZeneca vaccine is also due to be launched later this year but Mr Scott's case is expected to be heard first. AstraZeneca said: "Patient safety is our highest priority and regulatory authorities have clear and stringent standards to ensure the safe use of all medicines, including vaccines. "Our sympathy goes out to anyone who has lost loved ones or reported health problems. "From the body of evidence in clinical trials and real-world data, Vaxzevria [the vaccine against Covid] has continuously been shown to have an acceptable safety profile and regulators around the world consistently state that the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks of extremely rare potential side effects." Read full story Source: BBC News, 9 November 2023 Related reading on the hub: Interview with Charlet Crichton, founder of UKCVFamily
  5. News Article
    Priory Healthcare faces legal action following the death of a vulnerable man who was hit by a train after leaving Birmingham’s Priory Hospital Woodbourne in September 2020. Matthew Caseby, 23, detained under the Mental Health Act, escaped the hospital by climbing a 2.3-metre fence. The inquest jury, which heard the University of Birmingham graduate should have been under constant observation but was left alone, reached a conclusion that his death “was contributed to by neglect”. Concerns were raised about the hospital's record-keeping, risk assessments, and fence safety. Following the inquest, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) charged Priory Healthcare with two offences under the Health and Safety Act 2008, related to failing to provide safe care and treatment, and exposing a patient to avoidable harm. Read full story Source: ITV, 6 November 2023
  6. Content Article
    Medical Protection have brought experienced medical educators, medicolegal consultants and world leading experts together to help inform, protect and connect doctors from across the globe. This channel offers three distinct series; Real World focuses on the challenges and solutions to modern day practice, Headliners ensures you are kept up-to-date, and Case files lets us learn through real life cases.
  7. Content Article
    A new guide to help health service trusts tackle racial discrimination in disciplinary procedures and promote inclusivity has been launched by NHS Providers.
  8. News Article
    A public inquiry into the deaths of at least 2,000 mental health inpatients has been relaunched with new powers. The Essex Mental Health Independent Inquiry was established in 2021 to investigate the deaths of people on mental health wards in the county. The number of initial responses to the inquiry from current and former staff was described as "disappointing". The inquiry has converted to a statutory inquiry meaning witnesses can be forced to give evidence. It is understood the new chairwoman is considering extending the inquiry's timeframe to include deaths from the start of 2000 until the end of 2023. Baroness Kate Lampard, leading the inquiry, said: "I am determined to conduct this inquiry in a fair, thorough and balanced manner. "I am also concerned to ensure that I do not take any longer than necessary - the recommendations from this inquiry are urgent and cannot be delayed." She added: "To be clear from the outset, I will not be compelling families to give evidence. "Evidence from staff, management and organisations will be gathered in a proportionate, fair and appropriate manner." Read full story Source: BBC News, 1 November 2023
  9. News Article
    Dr Martyn Pitman claimed retaliatory victimisation after raising morale concerns but tribunal says it was his manner that cost him his job. A doctor has said raising whistleblowing concerns about maternity care at his hospital “cost me very dearly” after he lost his employment tribunal. Consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Martyn Pitman was dismissed earlier this year from his job at the Royal Hampshire county hospital (RHCH) in Winchester, where he had worked for 20 years. He told the Southampton tribunal, which concluded earlier this month, that he had been “subjected to brutal retaliatory victimisation” after exercising his rights under the Public Interest Disclosure Act. A tribunal judgment released on Friday said there had been “unanimous” agreement that the arguments behind the whistleblowing claim “fail and are dismissed”. Read full story Source: Guardian, 29 October 2023
  10. News Article
    Lawyers for a doctor at the centre of Northern Ireland's biggest patient recall have withdrawn from his new fitness to practise hearing. Legal representatives for Michael Watt said they are "concerned about his serious mental health condition". They told the Medical Practice Tribunal Service that the continuation of the hearing in public "presents a real risk to his mental health". A new fitness to practise hearing began in September. The legal team has also formally withdrawn an application to the tribunal for Michael Watt to remove himself from the medical register. It followed a ruling by the High Court earlier this year to quash a decision where he previously was voluntary erased from the medical register. The tribunal is inquiring into the allegation that, between 7 and 22 of October 2018, Michael Watt underwent a General Medical Council assessment of the standard of his professional performance. It is alleged that that performance was unacceptable in the areas of maintaining professional performance, assessment, clinical management, record keeping and relationship with patients. Read full story Source: BBC News, 27 October 2023
  11. News Article
    Some care home residents may have been "neglected and left to starve" during the pandemic, Scotland's Covid Inquiry is expected to hear. Lawyers representing bereaved relatives said they also anticipate the inquiry will hear some people were forced into agreeing to "do not resuscitate" plans. Shelagh McCall KC told the inquiry that evidence to be led would "point to a systemic failure of the model of care". The public inquiry is investigating Scotland's response to the pandemic. Ms McCall is representing Bereaved Relatives Group Skye, a group of bereaved relatives and care workers from Skye and five other health board areas of Scotland. In her opening statement, she told the public inquiry that families wanted to know why Covid was allowed to enter care homes and "spread like wildfire" during the pandemic. She added: "As well as revealing the suffering of individuals and their families, we anticipate the evidence in these hearings will point to a systemic failure of the model for the delivery of care in Scotland, for its regulation and inspection. "We anticipate the inquiry will hear that people were pressured to agree to do not resuscitate notices, that people were not resuscitated even though no such notice was in place, that residents may have been neglected and left to starve and that families are not sure they were told the truth about their relative's death." Read full story Source: BBC News, 25 October 2023
  12. News Article
    An employment and equality lawyer will lead investigations into claims of racism, sexism and toxic culture at the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). The nursing regulator has appointed Ijeoma Omambala KC to review claims that fitness to practise cases have been mishandled, especially those involving racism, discrimination, sexual misconduct and child protection. She will lead a concurrent investigation into how complaints about allegations were handled. "I’m sorry anyone has concerns about our culture, and the regulatory decisions we take. We’re committed to a rigorous, transparent and independent response". Read full story (paywalled) Source: Nursing Standard, 17 October 2023
  13. News Article
    A man claims he lost his sight in one eye after routine cataract surgery left him in "unbelievable" pain. John Stabler, from East Yorkshire, is set to sue the maker of an artificial lens he had fitted last year and which was later recalled over safety fears. The 63-year-old said he felt like he had been hit "with a sledgehammer" after the operation and had suffered "catastrophic" loss of income. Manufacturer Nidek said it "profoundly regrets" any patient suffering. Mr Stabler is one of 14 patients seeking compensation over the company's EyeCee One Preloaded lens. He said he had suffered permanent nerve damage to his left eye after having the lens fitted at Hull and East Yorkshire Eye Hospital in October last year. He told the BBC: "About two days after, I was getting really bad pain. It was unbelievable. It was like someone was hitting me with a sledgehammer." NHS England issued a safety alert in January 2023 after Nidek announced a "voluntary and precautionary" global product recall of its EyeCee One and EyeCee One Crystal intraocular lenses. UK distributor Bausch + Lomb said there has been "a limited number of reports of elevated intraocular pressure in patients". Read full story Source: BBC News, 19 September 2023
  14. News Article
    A private healthcare provider has been ordered to pay more than £1.5m – the largest fine issued for such a case – after pleading guilty in a criminal prosecution brought by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) over the death of a young woman at Cygnet Hospital Ealing in July 2019. It is the highest ever fine issued to a mental health service following a prosecution by the CQC. The firm pleaded guilty to one offence of failing to provide safe care and treatment, acknowledging failures to: provide a safe ward environment to reduce the risk of people being able to use a ligature; ensure staff observed people intermittently in line with the company procedures; and train staff to be able to resuscitate patients in an emergency. The offences related to the case of a young woman who was admitted to a ward in Cygnet Hospital Ealing in November 2018. In July 2019, she took her own life while on the ward. CQC said Cygnet Ealing had been aware the young woman tried to harm herself in an almost identical way four months earlier, but had failed to mitigate the known environmental risk she was exposed to. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 21 September 2023
  15. News Article
    The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has sent warning letters to pharmacy chains Walgreens and CVS accusing them of illegally marketing eye care products. The FDA’s warning letters said the products in question, which were falsely labelled as potential treatments for conditions like glaucoma, cataracts, and pink eye, should be modified if the companies and manufacturers that make and distribute them want to avoid legal action. “The FDA is committed to ensuring the medicines Americans take are safe, effective and of high quality,” Jill Furman, Director of the Office of Compliance at the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a statement. “When we identify illegally marketed, unapproved drugs and lapses in drug quality that pose potential risks, the FDA works to notify the companies involved of the violations.” Ms Furman wrote in the letter sent to Walgreens: “Your ‘Walgreens Allergy Eye Drops,’ ‘Walgreens Stye Eye Drops,’ and ‘Walgreens Pink Eye Drops’ products are especially concerning from a public health perspective. Ophthalmic drug products, which are intended for administration into the eyes … pose a greater risk of harm to users because the route of administration for these products bypasses some of the body’s natural defences.” Read full story Source: The Independent, 21 September 2023
  16. Content Article
    On 4 September 2023, England’s health and social care secretary Steve Barclay announced that the government was considering introducing 'Martha’s rule', requiring NHS hospitals to give quick access to a second clinical opinion in urgent cases. In this article, Clare Dyer of the BMJ looks at how the introduction of a formal system to allow patients or families the right to demand an urgent second opinion will affect doctors.
  17. Content Article
    Extravasation is the leakage of intravenously administered solution into surrounding tissues, which can cause serious damage to the patient. There are multiple guidelines and local policies relating to extravasation injuries but not a singular national uniform policy.  NHS Resolution share their recent slides on what can be learned from extravasation claims, presented at the IV Therapy Summit.
  18. Content Article
    When a patient is deteriorating but no one is listening, Martha’s rule will guarantee a second opinion. Martha’s mother, Merope Mills, calls for doctors and nurses to embrace its implementation.
  19. News Article
    The GMC has responded to senior medical leaders’ frustration at news that the Government is again delaying long-promised plans for its reform which would ease the strain felt by doctors. Its chief executive said its Council shared widespread disappointment at the hold-up in changing the legislation – which was expected this year, but will not now happen until 2024-25. Charlie Massey told Independent Practitioner Today: "Physician associates and anaesthesia associates are an important part of the health workforce and we welcome progress to bring them into regulation, which we will do within 12 months of legislation being laid by Government. "But we are disappointed that the outdated legislation for doctors will not be replaced at the same time. "The current framework stops us from being responsive and flexible in how we address patient safety concerns and register doctors to join the UK workforce. That isn’t good for patients and puts unnecessary strain on doctors. "The Government has said that it expects to deliver reforms for doctors as a priority following its work on physician associates and anaesthesia associates." Mr Massey called for a clearer commitment on the specific timing of that work, adding that the GMC wanted to progress better regulation for both doctors and medical associate professionals (MAPs) as soon as the Department of Health and Social Care laid the necessary legislation. "It is now the department’s decision when and how to implement these changes. When the department does implement these changes, we will be ready to start the process to put the reform changes into practice," he said. Read full story Source: Independent Practitioner Today, 9 August 2022
  20. News Article
    Police are investigating possible corporate manslaughter at the hospital where serial killer Lucy Letby worked. The former nurse, 33, was jailed in August for murdering seven babies and attempting to kill six others at the Countess of Chester Hospital. Cheshire Police said the latest investigation was in its early stages. Lawyers representing some of the victims' families said they were "reassured" steps were being taken to consider the actions of management. Organisations and companies can be found guilty of corporate manslaughter as a result of serious management failures resulting in a gross breach of a duty of care under The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007. Det Supt Simon Blackwell, of Cheshire Police, said the inquiry would focus on the indictment period of the charges for Letby from June 2015 to June 2016. He said the investigation would consider areas "including senior leadership and decision making to determine whether any criminality has taken place". "At this stage we are not investigating any individuals in relation to gross negligence manslaughter," he added. Read full story Source: BBC News, 4 October 2023
  21. Content Article
    Martha’s Rule is currently a topic of intense discussion and debate. Behind the rule is a sad and tragic story which strikes at the heart of NHS care delivery – clinical failures and the death of a 13-year-old girl. In this blog, John Tingle argues there is a need to formalise the right of patients and their families/carers to obtain an urgent clinical review, second opinion.
  22. Event
    until
    An online half day conference from the Legal Training Consultancy with a panel of seven speakers, including five KCs. Who should attend? The conference will appeal to solicitors, barristers, medical professionals, expert witnesses, NHS Trusts and Private Health Providers, insurers and associations. Topics Causation and divisible vs indivisible injuries. Scope of the Duty of Care. The law on consent to medical treatment following McCullough v Forth Valley Health Board in the Supreme Court. A medical perspective on proposals for reform of medical litigation. Case law update. CCC v Sheffield Teaching Hospitals and “lost years” compensation. Early investigation of cerebral palsy claims: The lessons learned. Speakers: Alexander Hutton KC, Hailsham Chambers Ben Collins KC Old Square Chambers Richard Booth KC, 1 Crown Office Row Richard Baker KC, 7BR Owain Thomas KC 1 Crown Office Row Jeremy Pendlebury, 7BR Hugh Whitfield , Consultant Urological Surgeon Register
  23. News Article
    More than 1 in 10 sexual harassment complaints against doctors are not investigated by the General Medical Council because of an “arbitary” rule, the Observer has revealed. According to data obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, 13% of sexual misconduct complaints made between the years 2017-18 and 2021-22 were closed without investigation because the GMC is prevented from considering alleged incidents more than five years after the event. As part of the council’s remit to protect patient safety and improve medical education and practice across the UK it investigates any kind of complaint against doctors. The figures show the GMC refused to investigate 170 complaints relating to sexual assault, attempted rape, and rape in the period analysed. In 22 of those cases the five-year rule was cited. It received 566 sexual harassment complaints in the same period. Anthony Omo, the GMC’s general counsel and director of fitness to practise, told the Observer: “We can and do waive the five-year rule where there are grave allegations involving sexual assault or rape. In many cases involving sexual allegations, the GMC’s position will be that such serious misconduct is incompatible with continued registration.” A government consultation in February heard that the five-year-rule was “arbitrary” and “a barrier to public protection” as it allowed doctors who may be guilty of inappropriate behaviour to continue practising. However, despite commitments from the Department of Health and Social Care to scrap the limitation as a “top priority”, no date has been set. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 30 September 2023
  24. Content Article
    In this article, Sharon Hartles highlights the high-profile legal battle involving numerous Primodos-affected claimants against pharmaceutical companies and the government. The court ruled against the claimants, dismissing their claims related to hormone pregnancy tests and foetal harm. This decision led to disappointment and criticism from advocates, MPs, and academics involved in the Primodos scandal. Sharon Hartles is affiliated with the Risky Hormones research project, which is an international collaboration in partnership with patient groups. Additionally, she is a member of the Harm and Evidence Research Collaborative at the Open University. Related reading on the hub: Primodos 2023: The fight for justice continues for the Association for Children Damaged by Hormone Pregnancy Tests Primodos, mesh and sodium valproate: Recommendations and the UK Government’s response Primodos: The next steps towards justice Patient Safety Spotlight interview with Marie Lyon, chair of the Association for Children Damaged by Hormone Pregnancy Tests
  25. News Article
    Claims for damages by more than 170 people who say they were affected by hormone-based pregnancy test drugs have been thrown out by a High Court judge. The drugs, including Primodos, were given to women to test if they were pregnant from the 1950s to 1970s and alleged to have caused birth defects. But the judge ruled there was no new evidence linking the tests with foetal harm and "no real prospect of success". Campaigners say they are "profoundly disappointed" with the judgement. Legal action had been brought against three drug companies - Bayer Pharma, Schering Health Care, Aventis Pharma - as well as the government in a bid for compensation. However, they argued there was no evidence of a "causal association" between the hormone pregnancy tests and the harm suffered by the claimants. Marie Lyon, chair of the Association for Children Damaged by Hormone Pregnancy Tests, said she was "profoundly disappointed" with the judgement. "We do not accept the defendants' claim that our evidence did not provide sufficient scientific evidence and look forward to the additional scientific evidence, to support our original argument, which is due to be published shortly," she added. Read full story Source: BBC News, 28 May 2023 Further reading on the hub: Patient Safety Spotlight interview with Marie Lyon, chair of the Association for Children Damaged by Hormone Pregnancy Tests
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