News

02 February 2012
111 patient helpline safety concerns - GP magazine, Pulse
The new 111 patient helpline should be put on hold over safety concerns, doctors warned yesterday.
Read

20 January 2012
Law to protect whistleblowers
Health professionals who blow the whistle are now legally protected under changes to the NHS Constitution announced by Health Secretary Andrew Lansley.
Read

16 January 2012
£200k compensation for shoulder injury caused by hospital negligence
On August 10, 2007, the claimant (C) attended an accident and emergency department of the defendant trust (D) suffering from fever, nausea, swelling and pain in her right upper arm.
Read

13 January 2012
Legal Aid changes will incur new costs for the taxpayer
As the government’s proposed £350 million legal aid cuts return to be debated in the House of Lords, an independent report from one of Britain’s leading universities reveals how these changes will incur new costs for the taxpayer by simply shifting the burden onto other parts of the public purse, such as the NHS.
Read

03 January 2012
Increase in NHS patients returning to hospital in an emergency
75 % increase in NHS patients returning to hospital in an emergency within a month of discharge.
Read

09 December 2011
Surgical Negligence - National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death
As Many as 100,000 high-risk patients undergoing surgery in NHS hospitals each year get sub-standard care.
Read

21 November 2011
£90k compensation for severe radial nerve damage
£90k compensation for medical negligence during a humerus bone operation, causing severe radial nerve damage and permanent disability.
Read

21 November 2011
£12.5k for delay in diagnosis of brain tumour
Although the claimant’s tumour was benign, a delay in diagnosis for almost 6 years led to devastating consequences: more complex surgical procedures resulting in facial nerve damage and nerve palsy.
Read

31 October 2011
Hospital maternity report - Patients ‘at risk’
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) review of Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust began in June 2011 after the deaths of two pregnant women at Queen's Hospital in Romford.
Read

31 October 2011
Government’s watered down “Duty of Candour” is a ‘cop out’
The Duty of Candour proposed by the Department of Health will not protect the rights of patients to the extent the patient safety charity AvMA (and others) hoped…
Read

20 October 2011
Brachial Plexus injury – £55k compensation claim
£55k compensation claim for child born with Erb’s Palsy as a result of negligent care of his mother during childbirth.
Read

13 October 2011
Compensation for negligent advice regarding medication
£1,250,000 compensation for GP negligence victim who suffered a severe stoke after her treatment passed from Hospital to her GP.
Read

11 October 2011
Department of Health seeks views on a ‘Duty of Candour’ for health providers
On 10 October 2011, the Department of Health commenced a ‘Duty of Candour’ consultation process intended to make the NHS more transparent.
Read

05 October 2011
Negligent nursing care
The head of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) comments on the poor quality of care and underfed patients due to the lack of training for health care assistants.
Read

05 October 2011
Negligent destruction of medical records
Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust has negligently destroyed 10,000 archived records and it failed to realise its mistake for three months.
Read

29 September 2011
Untreated wrist fracture leads to lifetime of pain
As a result of clinical negligence leaving a wrist fracture untreated, the claimant received an out of court settlement of £20k.
Read

26 September 2011
Retained swab after caesarean section - medical negligence claim success
£15k compensation for surgical negligence which resulted in a swab left in a lady’s abdomen following a caesarean section.
Read

21 September 2011
NHS London reports "hundreds die at weekends"
Hundreds of people die every year in London due to a lack of hospital consultants available at weekends, according to NHS London.
Read

20 September 2011
Legal aid cuts - the fight goes on
Campaign groups have vowed to continue their fight against the government’s proposed legal aid cuts which include welfare benefits, clinical negligence and housing.
Read

14 September 2011
Undetected Hip Dysplasia – £488k compensation
17 yr old girl receives £488k for hospital failure to diagnose, treat and manage hip dysplasia.
Read

06 September 2011
£20k for medical negligence related pressure sore
Deceased's estate receives £20k compensation following medical negligence and inadequate care which resulted in a pressure sore related death.
Read

02 September 2011
Young father dies on Christmas Day after hospital negligence
A 23 year old father died after repeated misdiagnosis from GPs and at hospital led to blood poisoning from a bowel abscess.
Read

01 September 2011
Young girl leaves hospital paralysed after epidural
A 17 year old girl will never walk again after an epidural was left in her back for over two days while in in hosptial.
Read

01 September 2011
NHS complaints system under fire
The Care Quality Commission joins statutory agencies in criticising the adequacy of the NHS complaints system.
Read

31 August 2011
£140k compensation for birth injury only partially repaired
A 37 year old woman received £140k for incomplete repair of third degree tear suffered whilst giving birth in July 2005.
Read

26 August 2011
Delay in diagnosis of cervical cancer
Despite numerous complaints of unexpected vaginal bleeding, GPs and hospital doctors neglected to perform a cervical smear and diagnose cervical cancer.
Read

26 August 2011
Annual NHS hospital complaint report now available
Key finding: an increasing number of Foundation Trusts failed to submit data regarding patient complaints.
Read

25 August 2011
£150k compensation for stillbirth following delayed caesarean section
A 43 year old woman whose complaint of reduced fetal movement was not acted on receives £150k after her child was stillborn.
Read

18 August 2011
NHS trusts not complying with patient safety alerts
Hospital and GP managers are failing to perform their duties and comply with rapid response safety alerts issued by the National Patient Safety Agency.
Read

18 August 2011
Statistics reveal high instances of surgical error during bowel surgery
After many bowel surgeries - one in every 15 procedures - patients need repeat or further surgery and success rates vary between different surgeons and trusts.
Read

16 August 2011
£165k compensation for multiple errors during spinal injury care
A spinal injury patient recevies £165k compensation settlement for medical negligence pre, during and post spinal surgery.
Read

09 August 2011
£850k for severe injury at birth
13 yr old receives £850k for medical negligence at birth leading to severe spinal damage and Erb's Palsy.
Read

04 August 2011
Patient Safety – how can lawyers help?
Compensation culture in the UK is not as big an issue as the media portrays; patients mainly bring medical negligence claims against the NHS to protect others from the same outcome.
Read

03 August 2011
GP misdiagnosis of growth in groin
Successful clinical negligence claim against GP who misdiagnosed a malignant melanoma.
Read

02 August 2011
GP negligence: on the increase
The General Medical Council (GMC) confirms most of the complaints it receives relate to GP clinical negligence.
Read

01 August 2011
Surgeon who botched operations suspended for a year
Doctors and surgeons must recognise when a procedure is beyond their capability, rather than risk medical negligence.
Read

01 August 2011
Delay in diagnosis of testicular cancer
A 31 year old man was awarded £10k following medical negligence leading to a delay in diagnosis of testicular cancer.
Read

14 July 2011
Lack of hospital screening for DVT
English hospitals risk medical negligence claims for not screening patients for deep vein thrombosis (DVT), according to a review by the NHS.
Read

07 July 2011
NHS cut backs: increase in waiting time?
As the NHS purse strings tighten further, senior executives consider the implications on current waiting time targets.
Read

07 July 2011
Widow receives compensation for GP misdiagnosis
£125k successful compensation for widow whose husband died as a result of a incorrect medication for internal bleeding.
Read

07 July 2011
Compensation for negligence during hysterectomy
A 56 year old woman received £65k compensation for surgical negligence during a hysterectomy operation.
Read

06 July 2011
Major Enquiry into London NHS Trust
The Care Quality Commission investigates medical negligence at London NHS Trust – only the second inquiry of its kind to be carried out.
Read

06 July 2011
Pulmonary embolism misdiagnosis leads to young man’s death
Parents receive £130k compensation for son’s death following hospital failure to diagnose a pulmonary embolism on multiple occasions.
Read

06 July 2011
Does mediation improve efficiency of claims?
Boyes Turner medical negligence lawyer Adrian Desmond responds to a Government consultation regarding the use of mediation in accident claims.
Read

05 July 2011
Industry body defends doctors who act with integrity
The MDU defends doctors who are potential scapegoats for medical negligence as a result of system (rather than individual) failures.
Read

04 July 2011
Medical negligence - delays in teenage cancer diagnosis
One in four young cancer patients (24%) aged between 13 and 24 visited their GP at least four times before their symptoms were taken seriously.
Read

04 July 2011
Is the NHS Complaints System failing?
In 2009-2010, the medical negligence ombudsman investigated only 3% of about 15,000 health complaints.
Read

28 June 2011
Hospital complaints on the rise
More than 100,000 people complained about NHS treatment in 2009-10, an increase of 13.4% to 101,077, the biggest rise for 12 years.
Read

22 June 2011
Goodbye to legal aid
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has today confirmed that it will bring forward legislation immediately for the abolition of legal aid for clinical (ie medical) negligence cases.
Read

21 June 2011
Duty of Candour - Imposing a duty on Doctors to admit mistakes
The patient charity AvMA reports that the Liberal Democrats are arguing for the Duty of Candour to be included in the Health & Social Care Bill after the current ‘listening’ exercise.
Read

21 June 2011
Delayed diagnosis of child’s brain tumour
A campaign is being launched to teach parents to look out for the warning signs of brain tumours - the leading cause of cancer deaths in children. Brain tumours also leave two-thirds of survivors with significant disability.
Read

07 June 2011
Medical negligence claim for failure to diagnose dislocated shoulder
A 56 year old woman has been awarded £35k in compensation for an 8 month delay in diagnosing her dislocated shoulder.
Read

07 June 2011
£120k compensation for negligence during surgery
A 71 year old man has received £120k in compensation for the injuries, pain and suffering he sustained following negligently performed operations in 2007.
Read

07 June 2011
Poor post surgical after care results in pressure sores - £30k compensation
A man in his eighties has been awarded compensation for the negligent care he received following an operation at Worthing Hospital. The failings in care led to him developing extensive pressure sores, exposing both muscle and bone.
Read

03 June 2011
Delayed diagnosis of dislocated shoulder - £35k compensation
A 56 year old woman received £35k in compensation as a result of an 8 month delay in diagnosing a dislocation of her left shoulder.
Read

01 June 2011
Health service negligence
According to an article in The Independent on 20 May, the head of the country's medicines watchdog said NHS chief executives care more about managing their budgets than saving the lives of their patients.
Read

01 June 2011
Delay in diagnosis of cancer caused unnecessary suffering
A woman underwent months of unnecessary and painful treatment after her GP failed to refer her for a chest x-ray which would have allowed an earlier diagnosis of her cancer.
Read

25 May 2011
Wales NHS cuts
Wales is facing the worst NHS cuts in the UK, a recent review of spending suggests. How will this affect levels of patient care?
Read

23 May 2011
Birth injury compensation for 8 year old boy
An 8 year old boy was awarded £60k in medical negligence compensation for injuries sustained during his delivery in March 2002 as a result of negligent hospital staff.
Read

20 May 2011
£12k compensation - negligent surgery performed on sports injury
Read

04 May 2011
More screening for pregnant women required?
All pregnant women should be screened for hidden signs of thyroid disease, according to Czech researchers.
Read

28 April 2011
Ovarian Cancer – call for earlier action
GPs should offer more blood tests to try to detect ovarian cancer earlier, according to new guidelines for the NHS.
Read

14 April 2011
1 in 3 patients encounter hospital error in USA
Out of every 3 patients who go to hospital in the United States, 1 will encounter a hospital error, according to an article published in Health Affairs this month.
Read

14 April 2011
Nursing negligence
President of the Royal College of Nursing admits that some members of her profession are not fit to work in hospitals and deliver poor care to patients.
Read

14 April 2011
NHS front line jobs under threat
A Royal College of Nursing study of 21 NHS trusts where budget cuts were taking place found more than half of posts under threat were in areas such as nursing and midwifery.
Read

22 March 2011
Royal Brompton Hospital child heart surgery plans challenged
The Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust is to challenge proposals to end child heart surgery at the Royal Brompton Hospital.
Read

04 March 2011
Baby loss depression 'lasts years'
The psychological impact of losing an unborn baby can last for several years, a British and US study has found.
Read

03 March 2011
£2 million compensation for delay in diagnosis of an epidural abscess in neck
A woman was left permanently paralysed from the chest down and requiring 24-hour care after hospital staff wrongly diagnosed her symptoms leading to a delay in treatment.
Read

28 February 2011
Lives at risk as hospitals fail to fix safety problems
Half of the 406 NHS trusts in England are failing to comply with the alerts, which cover everything from equipment failure to warnings on correct dosage, according to the charity, Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA).
Read

25 February 2011
Government about to announce fines for hospitals where catastrophic mistakes occur
A list of 25 unacceptable errors likely to cause death or serious injury has been drawn up including giving transfusions of the incorrect blood type, amputating the wrong limb, and causing patients to suffer severe scalding.
Read

16 February 2011
Children’s Heart Surgery Review – Decision due
A review of children's heart surgery is expected to recommend that at least four out of 11 units across England should stop operating.
Read

16 February 2011
Failings in the care of elderly NHS patients “Listen Better, Learn More” a lesson for the NHS?
The NHS is failing to treat elderly patients in England with care, dignity and respect, an official report says.
Read

16 February 2011
Woman dies after doctors fail to diagnose perforated bowel following colonoscopy procedure
In a recent case, a woman and her siblings brought a claim against an NHS Trust following the death of their 71 year old mother in January 2005.
Read

10 February 2011
Woman suffered pulmonary embolism and psychological injury
A 58 year old woman was awarded £50k in compensation following hospital negligence which resulted in her developing a pulmonary embolism.
Read

08 February 2011
Diluting patient power? The NHS shake-up
Patients risk having less of a say in the running of the NHS in England under the proposed shake-up, according to eight leading health charities.
Read

04 February 2011
GP’s failure to refer premature baby to hospital led to brain injury
In a recent case, a GP was found to be negligent after he failed to refer a prematurely born baby to hospital despite the fact that it was displaying worrying symptoms. His failure to act led to the baby suffering severe brain damage which could have been avoided.
Read

03 February 2011
Small maternity units in Wales 'not safe' - Welsh NHS official
NHS Wales' medical director admits that some smaller maternity units in Wales are not "safe or sustainable" - dependent on temporary agency staff at a cost of millions of pounds a year with no way of ensuring the quality and competence of these staff or their immediate availability.
Read

01 February 2011
£1 million compensation after mis-diagnosis led to permanent brain injury
A 60 year old man, was awarded £1million in compensation after he suffered a ruptured spleen and subsequent brain injury in June 2004. He was left with permanent cognitive impairments which affected his ability to continue working.
Read

01 February 2011
£1.9 million compensation - woman left wheelchair bound
A 39 year old woman, was awarded £1.9 million in compensation after a hospital failed to catheterise her following the delivery of her 3rd child in August 2001.
Read

28 January 2011
Cerebral palsy and quadriplegia - boy receives £6.4m pay out
A hospital trust has been ordered to pay out £6.4m to a couple whose son was born with learning difficulties and quadriplegia.
Read

28 January 2011
Pressure sores - £25k compensation
An 89 year old man was awarded £25k in medical negligence compensation for pressure sores he sustained on his heels and sacrum in January 2009.
Read

27 January 2011
Hospitals fail to use early warning systems to identify deteriorating patients
Recent research suggests that hospitals are not using the early warning systems recommended by the National Patient Safety Agency to identify deteriorating patients, despite evidence they can help reduce hospital death rates.
Read

24 January 2011
Women injured during childbirth
For a few women in the UK, giving birth results in traumatic, life-changing injuries. In the UK, the number of women affected is very small, but the effect on their lives is colossal reports The Guardian.
Read

24 January 2011
National Heart Failure Audit - Specialist cardiology care could save 5000 lives a year
Two recent articles published by The Guardian look at the results of a National Heart Failure Audit published by the NHS Information Centre which suggests that people with heart failure are twice as likely to die if they are admitted to a general hospital ward rather than one specialising in cardiology.
Read

17 January 2011
NHS upheaval could have been avoided
The upheaval in the NHS in England is unnecessary as the same results could have been achieved by a small change in the current structure, leading GPs say.
Read

12 January 2011
Cases dropped against malaria homeopaths
Officials have dropped charges against pharmacies alleged to have advised people to take homeopathic remedies to protect them against malaria instead of anti-malarial drugs, the BBC reported this week.
Read

04 January 2011
"Seismic shift" in maternity care required
The leader of the UK's midwives says there needs to be "a seismic shift" in the way maternity care is provided. In a New Year's message, the head of the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), claimed maternity services were "almost near breaking point".
Read

04 January 2011
Will NHS reforms lead to supermarket-style discount surgery deals?
The NHS is bracing itself for a price war in which hospital trusts will offer supermarket-style discounts to fight each other for business. The Government is to permit hospitals to compete on price for the first time, raising the prospect of two-for-one deals on surgery and cut-rate consultations for certain specialties.
Read

22 December 2010
Cancer survival rates in UK lag behind other countries
Although breast cancer survival rates have improved, overall cancer survival rates in the UK are much lower than those in other developed countries.
Read

21 December 2010
Thousands of diabetes patients have been given the wrong doses of insulin
Official figures have revealed that thousands of diabetes patients have been given the wrong doses of insulin. Hospitals and community health organisations have ordered an online mass safety training programme for doctors and nurses.
Read

21 December 2010
Woman died after medical staff failed to recognise cervical cancer
A young mother died leaving her husband and four children after medical staff failed to recognise that her cervical cancer had returned.
Read

20 December 2010
Women with birth injuries suffering in silence
Mel had her first baby two years ago. Although her pregnancy went well and today her son is a happy, healthy toddler, her son’s delivery was traumatic. She is doubly incontinent, sex is difficult and painful and she rarely goes out socially. She has only been able to return to work in the last two months. Mel isn't alone.
Read

20 December 2010
Care Quality Commission reports continuing concerns
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has told Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust that it must improve the way it follows up on test results and how it deals with serious incidents including missed diagnoses.
Read

20 December 2010
£359m fund supporting people with severe disabilities to be cut
The Independent Living Fund, worth £359m, is to be cut by 2015. With that, and other spending cuts to welfare benefits, such as the mobility element of disability living allowance for those in residential care, people with severe disabilities are greatly affected.
Read

20 December 2010
17% of NHS estate deemed ‘not functionally suitable for use’
The Department of Health supplied figures in 2009/10 that 17% of the NHS estate has been deemed ‘not functionally suitable for use’.
Read

20 December 2010
Should there be a free movement of labour?
The BBC has been told how a GP has been campaigning following the death of his father. His father was killed by a lethal overdose of Diamorphine given to him by an incompetent GP from Germany who was doing a shift for an out-of-hours service in the UK. Despite being struck off by the General Medical Council (GMC) he has been allowed to continue practising back in Germany.
Read

09 December 2010
'Misdiagnosed cancer patients' at Bristol Royal Infirmary
A report commissioned by the University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust has criticised the Bristol Royal Infirmary after patients were given the wrong cancer diagnoses.
Read

07 December 2010
Delay in diagnosis of cancer - the official statistics
23% of all cancer cases in England are not spotted until patients are admitted to hospital for emergency treatment, according to a study published by the National Cancer Intelligence Network recently. The study revealed that the elderly, the poor and people under 25 are most at risk of a late diagnosis of the condition.
Read

02 December 2010
A lack of basic care in NHS hospitals
The Patients Association has today said to the BBC that nursing care must be strengthened and the complaints system overhauled because of continued poor care of older people in hospital.
Read

02 December 2010
Improvements required for out of hours medical care
The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) today told the BBC that junior doctors have to care for too many patients because there are not enough consultants on duty at weekends and in the evenings. The RCP says there is mounting evidence of poor out-of-hours care in hospitals. It is calling for a consultant to be on duty for at least 12 hours a day, seven days a week.
Read

29 November 2010
Compensation awarded for failure to diagnose bowel obstruction in 2 year old
Hospital failed to recognise and treat an internal blockage relating to gastroschisis in a 2 year old.
Read

26 November 2010
Baby was given 10 times salt dose at Nottingham hospital
Distracted nurses gave baby Samuel 10 times the prescribed dose of salt at a Nottingham hospital. The infant suffered swelling to the brain and died.
Read

25 November 2010
Appropriate management of diabetes patients
Data from the Department of Health shows variations in the amputation rates in diabetes patients across England.
Read

24 November 2010
Millions of patients at risk as hospitals disregard blood clot guidance
Report finds that up to eight million NHS hospital patients may be at risk of life threatening blood clots because hospitals are not following guidelines about their prevention.
Read

17 November 2010
Midwife deficit set to worsen as Government u-turns on pre-election promise
Government u-turn on pledge to provide 3000 extra midwives in the face of rising birth rates and increasing numbers of high risk births.
Read

15 November 2010
NHS 'must improve care of elderly surgery patients'
A recent independent review has concluded that NHS Hospitals need to improve their care of elderly patients undergoing surgery.
Read

15 November 2010
Stafford Hospital’s ‘ineffective’ controls – inquiry
The regulatory system at Stafford Hospital was "wholly ineffective", a public inquiry has heard. The hearing is the fifth into the hundreds of higher than expected deaths at the hospital between 2005 and 2008.
Read

12 November 2010
Job cuts and rising waiting lists for NHS Hospitals
According to a report from the Royal College of Nurses, the NHS faces a period of job cuts, clogged hospital wards and rising waiting times.
Read

12 November 2010
No money for Avastin
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has confirmed there will not be NHS funding in England and Wales for the anti-cancer drug Avastin.
Read

10 November 2010
£25k compensation for damage caused to ureter during hysterectomy operation
A woman received £25k incompensation after neglient surgery left her with a damaged ureter. As a result, she had to undergo a second operation and several months of pain, suffering and anxiety.
Read

09 November 2010
Stafford Hospital - Public Inquiry
Robert Francis QC has been asked by the Health Secretary to undertake a Public Inquiry into events at Stafford hospital between 2005 and 2008, when as many as 1,200 patients may have died from preventable causes.
Read

03 November 2010
Midwifery negligence - compensation for woman who was injured at birth
An 18 year old woman was awarded £170k in compensation, following a bracial plexus injury she had suffered during her birth. She suffered cosmetic deformity and restricted functional abilities in her non-dominant arm.
Read

01 November 2010
NHS Trust 'failing' on 11 standards
Boyes Turner's medical negligence lawyers are currently acting for a number of patients and their families in claims arising as a result of prescription errors which have resulted either a poorer outcome for the patient, or indeed death.
Read

01 November 2010
Ectopic pregnancy test developed
A new type of blood screening has been developed that can detect whether a baby is growing outside of the womb with higher accuracy than the conventional test.
Read

24 October 2010
£28.5k compensation - damaged bowel caused by negligent surgeon
A 21-year-old woman has received £28.5k in compensation after her mesenteric vein and small bowel were damaged during surgery in May 2006. She was left with permanent scars and the possibility of requiring revision surgery in the future.
Read

24 October 2010
Welfare Spending Cuts - How will the sick and disabled be affected?
The government’s new four year spending plans will mean one million sick and disabled people who are struggling to find jobs will lose thousands of pounds in benefits a year, forcing many back into work. Here we look at how you may be affected.
Read

24 October 2010
Patient left brain damaged after agency nurse mistakenly switched off life support
An agency nurse working for the NHS was filmed switching off her patient's life support machine by mistake, causing him to suffer serious brain damage.
Read

19 October 2010
The NHS Constitution and Whistleblowing - A paper for consultation
On 12 October the Department of Health launched a consultation document which seeks views on proposals amending the NHS Constitution regarding patient safety and whistleblowing.
Read

17 October 2010
Delay in diagnosis of cervical cancer led to death of 30 year old woman
A young mother died after an eight month delay in the diagnosis of cervial cancer left her with an advanced tumour in the pelvic cavity which was inoperable.
Read

17 October 2010
John Radcliffe Hospital Oxford heart surgery unit set to close
Heart operations on children were suspended at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford in March this year after four babies died within a few months of a new surgeon starting work there. The unit is now set to close following a Government review.
Read

13 October 2010
Hepatitis C caused by health and safety breaches
A healthcare worker contracted the Hepatitis C virus after injuring herself on a needle used to take blood from an infected patient.
Read

11 October 2010
Is rise in caesarean births down to legitimate medical reasons?
New research scotches the myth there is a large group of women clamouring for caesarean on demand.
Read

11 October 2010
Shocking carelessness: high numbers of 'wrongsite surgery' still taking place
Figures released by the National Patient Safety Agency show that in 2009-10 there were 57 reports of "wrongsite surgery" ie operations on the wrong parts of patients' bodies or the wrong patient.
Read

11 October 2010
Erb's Palsy - Negligence compensation secured for 18 year old birth injury victim
An 18 year old woman has received over £169k in compensation after negligent medical care during her birth left her with erb's palsy.
Read

27 September 2010
Keyhole surgery injury claims on the rise
The National Patient Safety Agency have issued an alert stating that surgeons are failing to notice complications after "keyhole" surgery which have led to the deaths of 11 patients and hundreds more being harmed.
Read

21 September 2010
Are vulnerable pregnant women missing out on vital antenatal care?
Teenage mothers, domestic abuse victims, drug users and non-English speakers are the least likely to use antenatal services despite being the most in need.
Read

09 September 2010
Ten hospital doctors and a GP miss stomach cancer
Angela Skeffington, 43, claims blundering medical staff continually misdiagnosed her stomach cancer as period pains, depression and even indigestion.
Read

09 September 2010
Brain tumour missed for four years
A man's tumour showed up on brain scans in 2000 but a senior consultant failed to examine them.
Read

08 September 2010
Compensation for injuries received whilst being treated for a heart attack in hospital
A 41 year old man, received £100k in compensation for the arm injuries he sustained during hospital treatment in June 2004. He suffered permanent significant functional impairment of his right arm.
Read

08 September 2010
Hospital's failure to diagnose mothers' ruptured abdominal scar led to baby's death
A 34 year old woman was awarded £60k in compensation for the death of her newborn baby boy at 4 months old, after a hospital's failure to diagnose a ruptured abdominal scar and immediately carry out a caesarean section.
Read

08 September 2010
Erb's palsy claim - £280k compensation for 10 year old boy
A 10 year old boy has received £280k in compensation for injuries to his left brachial plexus sustained during his delivery. He developed Erb's palsy and suffered permanent impairment of function in his shoulder, arm and elbow.
Read

07 September 2010
Health and social care services are monitoring controlled drugs more effectively
New findings have been published in the third annual report on progress made in implementing regulations introduced in response to the Shipman Inquiry.
Read

06 September 2010
Delayed diagnosis and treatment of boy's Ewing's Sarcoma cancer
A 14 year old boy has received £80k in compensation after a 4 month delay in the diagnosis and treatment of the cancer in his leg meant he had to undergo more aggressive treatment which carries a very high risk of causing infertility.
Read

01 September 2010
Complaints against GPs
Latest figures suggest that the number of written complaints about general practice in the last year increased by 4.4 per cent.
Read

01 September 2010
Compensation for elderly patient who was injured whilst in hospital due to negligent care
A 75 year old woman received £18k in compensation for injuries sustained when she fell out of her hospital bed after the bedrails were put down.
Read

01 September 2010
Survey shows delayed surgery for one in five elderly patients with broken hips
Hip fractures from falls are one of the most common reasons for elderly people to end up in hospital. The survey of 36,000 patients also raised concerns about access to specialist care, the right drugs and support to prevent future falls.
Read

30 August 2010
Hospitals are 'still failing' on elderly patients' nutrition
Hospitals across the UK are not doing enough to spot elderly people at risk from malnutrition, says charity Age UK.
Read

30 August 2010
New test for mothers that could mark the end of unnecessary prolonged labours
A test which could stop women labouring for hours in the hope of a "normal" birth only to end up with a Caesarean section has been developed in Sweden.
Read

25 August 2010
Record increase in NHS complaints
Written complaints about NHS hospital and community services in England has seen the biggest annual rise since records began over a decade ago.
Read

25 August 2010
Delayed operation left man severely disabled - £300k compensation
A 29 year old man received £300k in medical negligence compensation after delayed treatment of an infection in his hip left him severely disabled.
Read

25 August 2010
Complaints against NHS hospitals
The number of complaints made about NHS hospital and community health services have reached a record high.
Read

25 August 2010
£28k compensation for elderly woman who fractured hip whilst in hospital
A 97 year old woman received £28,750 after she fractured her hip by falling from a hospital bed in March 2008.
Read

25 August 2010
£70k compensation for woman after bodged hip replacement surgery
A 55 year old woman, received £70k in compensation for injuries to her left leg sustained during an operation in March 2005.
Read

24 August 2010
New guide published on the standard of quality and safety of NHS hospitals
Medical negligence solicitor Adrian Desmond comments on the Care Quality Commission's new guide to the standard of quality and safety that can be expected in hospital.
Read

12 August 2010
Incompetent staff and inadequate treatment at hospital
A 21 year old man has been awarded £14k after the little finger on his left non-dominant hand was misaligned following medical treatment in February 2006. The finger caused him pain when knocked and the injury is permanent.
Read

12 August 2010
NHS patients at risk
AVMA reports that NHS trusts are putting people at risk by failing to implement a critical system of safety alerts.
Read

11 August 2010
Misdiagnosis of teenager's displaced fracture
A 14 year old boy was awarded £3.7k after he experienced pain and suffering following a misdiagnosis of his displaced femoral fracture in October 2007.
Read

04 August 2010
Medical negligence claims against the NHS
THE cost of settling negligence claims in the NHS over the next 15 years has risen to £15billion according to the annual report of the NHS Litigation Authority.
Read

03 August 2010
Care for pregnant women at risk?
The care of pregnant women in England is being undermined by the lack of involvement of GPs, experts say.
Read

02 August 2010
Cuts to surgeons' hours have reduced patient safety
According to a survey by the Royal College of Surgeons, 80% of consultant surgeons and 66% of surgical trainees said patients were less safe due to the European Working Time Regulations.
Read

02 August 2010
Safety in the NHS?
Action against Medical Accidents of which Boyes Turner is a long term supporter, is seeking assurances that patient safety work will not be diluted, following the Government announcement that the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) will be abolished as part of its cull of quangos announced last week.
Read

28 July 2010
Hospital negligence - £25k compensation recovered for delay in diagnosing fractured wrist
A woman has received £25,000 in compensation. The A&E department diagnosed a sprained wrist and failed to carry out x-rays which would have identified the woman had fractured her wrist.
Read

21 July 2010
Doctors negligence - doctors feel unprepared to report incompetent colleagues
Over a third of US doctors who responded to a survey did not agree it was their responsibility to report colleagues who were incompetent or impaired.
Read

21 July 2010
Drop in number of hospital doctors and nurses will impact on patient care
Statistics from the NHS Information Centre show the number of doctors and nurses in NHS hospitals is falling. Despite Government promises that frontline staff will be protected as health trusts endeavour to find £20 billion of 'efficiency savings' by 2014, the latest data suggests otherwise.
Read

21 July 2010
New guidance issued for treatment and care of stroke patients
Approximately 150,000 people in the UK suffer a stroke and 67,000 people die as a result every year. New comprehensive guidance about the care of stroke has been issued.
Read

19 July 2010
Care Quality Commission's investigation into GP out-of-hours provider Take Care Now
The Care Quality Commission has published its findings following an investigation into Take Care Now, the GP out-of-hours provider. The report reveals that Take Care Now did not act on previous warnings about the use of diamorphine.
Read

14 July 2010
Welsh Assembly Redress Scheme
The NHS Redress (Wales) Measure was the first measure to pass through the Welsh Assembly. It is designed to reform the way the NHS handles complaints and claims for compensation but so far stakeholders have given it a lukewarm reception. The health minister has been forced to give further thought to some of the underlying principles of the scheme.
Read

13 July 2010
Negligent hospital care resulted in elderly woman requiring hip replacement after fall
An 80 year old woman was recently paid £100k in compensation after suffering a hip fracture and head injury whilst being cared for in hospital following surgery.
Read

13 July 2010
Poor nursing care and pressure ulcers
Pressure ulcers can cause serious pain and severe harm to patients and cost the NHS billions of pounds each year to treat. Yet in the majority of cases they can be prevented if simple measures are followed.
Read

12 July 2010
For every 4 Lottery millionaires, the NHS pays someone £1m in compensation
More than 600 people have received payouts of £1million-plus in damages for injuries caused by negligent NHS care.
Read

11 July 2010
£45k compensation for woman whose bladder was punctured by a negligent surgeon
A 27 year old woman has recently been awarded £45,000 after she suffered a puncture to her bladder during an operation to remove her appendix.
Read

11 July 2010
Birth injuries are the reason behind the massive NHS medical negligence compensation bill
Negligent care during maternity has been identified as the common cause of the huge medical negligence compensation payouts made by the NHS in recent years.
Read

04 July 2010
£200k compensation for woman left with permanent anal incontinence
A 38 year old woman received £200k in compensation after hospital staff were negligent in the management of the delivery of her baby leaving her with permanent anal incontinence.
Read

29 June 2010
Cerebral Palsy caused by delayed birth - multimillion-pound compensation award
A six-year-old Wearside boy has been awarded multimillion-pound damages after mistakes at his birth left him severely disabled.
Read

24 June 2010
Can bowel problems after childbirth be caused by medical negligence?
Up to one in every 10 new mums have bowel problems as a result of childbirth. But many do not know that they can get help, or where to go.
Read

23 June 2010
Birth Injury claim settles for £1.9 million lump sum plus annual payments for life
An 11 year old girl has been awarded £1.9 million in compensation as a lump sum plus significant additional annual payments after medical staff delayed in delivering her in November 1997. As a result she suffered asymmetric mixed spastic dystonic tetraplegia and will never be functionally independent.
Read

23 June 2010
Major deficiencies found in the way hospitals provide artificial nutrition to sick babies
The National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death has reported major shortcomings in the way artificial nutrition is given to sick and premature babies. Problems were found in three quarters of the intravenous feeding it cases examined.
Read

20 June 2010
Surgery targets endanger patient safety, failings in patient care
Findings from a recent survey suggest that pressures over hospital budgets and targets may be damaging patient safety in operating theatres.
Read

14 June 2010
Misdiagnosis: £75k clinical negligence compensation settlement over teenager’s death
A teenager’s family has been awarded £75k in compensation after he was mistakenly diagnosed with viral meningitis and later died of a brain haemorrhage.
Read

08 June 2010
£900k lump sum plus £176k per year compensation after hospital fail to diagnose
A 73 year old woman received £900k in medical negligence compensation as a lump sum, plus payments of £176k per year thereafter following a hospital's failure to diagnose and treat a spinal abscess. As a result she became tetraplegic, was incontinent, relied on the use of a wheelchair and had to live in a care home.
Read

07 June 2010
£35k compensation - hospital failed to appropriately treat pressure sore
A man who had to endure a number of extensive surgical procedures and a prolonged period of pain and suffering succeeded in a medical negligence claim against a hospital trust after it was failed to adequately treat his gangrenous pressure sore without delay.
Read

01 June 2010
Negligent paediatric surgeon in Manchester
Hospital chiefs face calls for an inquiry after claims they ignored repeated warnings about the competence of a paediatric surgeon found guilty of misconduct.
Read

27 May 2010
Teenage thrombosis and blood clots - more common than we realise
A healthy 19 year old girl was found to have three blood clots in her leg after her teacher urged her to go to the Doctors. She had thought she was too young to have blood clots and could have died.
Read

25 May 2010
£40k compensation for grade four pressure sore
£40k in compensation was awarded to the estate of a deceased woman who had suffered a grade four pressure sore prior to her death as a result of hospital negligence.
Read

16 May 2010
£235k in compensation - failure to diagnose tear caused by childbirth
A 25-year-old woman received £235k in compensation after a hospital failed to diagnose that she had torn her anal sphincter whilst delivering her child in April 2004.
Read

12 May 2010
BMA study says NHS doctors have whistle-blowing fear
Many hospital doctors are too scared to raise concerns about patient care or staff behaviour in case it affects their career, according to a survey which found 40% of the 384 doctors questioned do not report issues of concern.
Read

06 May 2010
Nurses cover for night GPs
A Daily Mail survey reveals that out-of-hours care on the NHS is now so bad that thousands of patients are being treated by nurses instead of doctors because they are cheaper to employ.
Read

04 May 2010
£18k compensation - denial of basic hospital treatment
A patient at Amersham Hospital was left with serious pressure sores after a routine hip operation. The 46 year old developed pressure sores to both of his hips after the surgery in May 2007.
Read

28 April 2010
Maternal mortality: how many women die in childbirth in your country?
Just as many women die in pregnancy and childbirth in the UK as they were 20 years ago, leaving Britain trailing behind countries like Albania, Poland and Slovakia as well as the wealthier nations of Europe.
Read

28 April 2010
Failure to adequately assess overdose patient
The mother of an 18 year old boy who died as a result of inadequate assessment by hospital staff following his overdose has been awarded over £100k in compensation for her own suffering and on behalf of her son's estate.
Read

28 April 2010
Will the planned A&E closures lead to more mistakes?
Doctors working in accident and emergency say plans to downgrade some services are based on flawed evidence.
Read

21 April 2010
Compensation for woman who sustained burns to her body during hysterectomy surgery
A woman received £12k in compensation for a diathermy burn she sustained on her thigh during an operation.
Read

18 April 2010
Failure to diagnose appendicitis - £35k compensation
A 27 year old man received £35k in compensation after a hospital failed to diagnose that he was suffering from appendicitis. As a result, his appendix ruptured and he experienced unnecessary pain and suffering along with a prolonged recovery period.
Read

31 March 2010
Top hospitals 'censured in tough new inspection regime' - NHS trusts now need licences
A dozen NHS trusts in England have been told to improve or face tough sanctions. All 378 trusts need a licence from the Care Quality Commission to work in the NHS under a new regime from 1 April.
Read

31 March 2010
NHS blunders covered up?
Hospitals are covering up fatal blunders by doctors and issuing misleading information about accidents to patients’ families, The Sunday Times reported this week.
Read

31 March 2010
Failure to diagnose lung cancer for two years – six figure sum awarded to widower
In a clear case of medical negligence, a man whose wife died from lung cancer has been awarded a six-figure sum by the NHS trust which failed to spot the disease.
Read

31 March 2010
Health Board apologises to family of Erbs Palsy boy
The parents of a Pembrokeshire boy, left with severe physical birth injuries as a result of errors made by health care professionals, have received a formal apology from Hywel Dda Health Board after a five-year battle for answers.
Read

30 March 2010
£3.45m compensation for woman left brain damaged by hospital
A woman who was left brain damaged while undergoing treatment for gallstones has been awarded £3.45m in compensation.
Read

30 March 2010
£500k compensation for 23 year old woman left infertile
A woman has received over £500k in compensation from the Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust after she was left infertile after delayed diagnosis of cervial cancer.
Read

26 March 2010
NHS safety alerts jump by a quarter in six months
Latest figures show the number of reported safety alerts involving NHS patients has risen sharply, with nearly 500,000 incidents in six months with 473,162 incidents were reported between April and September last year, compared with 379,345 in the same period in 2008.
Read

25 March 2010
Inaccurate X-rays lead to misdiagnosis and medical negligence claims
Recent research undertaken by US doctors found that standard x-rays fail to spot up to nearly a third of fractures of the hip and pelvis leading to misdiagnosis, delayed treatment and subsequent medical negligence claims.
Read

25 March 2010
High death rates at 25 NHS trusts a result of medical negligence?
Professor Jarman believes the self-assessment system for NHS trusts is flawed and that twenty-five of them should be investigated over higher than normal death rates after 4,600 more patients died at those trusts in 2007-08 than would be expected.
Read

25 March 2010
Medical Negligence: NHS target for A&E treatment 'risks patient safety'
Doctors say a key NHS target - to treat people visiting accident and emergency units within four hours - is compromising care and patient safety.
Read

24 March 2010
A licence for NHS Trusts to practice? A new system for monitoring standards announced
From 1 April, 381 NHS trusts in England will have to be registered with the Care Quality Comission by law to provide care. To be registered, trusts must show they meet new essential standards of quality and safety, which the regulator will constantly monitor.
Read

24 March 2010
Inadequate maternity services for obese women
A recent independant survey carried out by the Centre for Maternal and Child Enquiries showed that UK maternity units are short of basic equipment like extra-wide operating tables and beds. It also showed that obese pregnant women are not getting the right advice and assessments.
Read

10 March 2010
Patients' medical records go on NHS database without consent
The aim of the new NHS database is to hold the private records of more than 50 million patients, but concerns have been raised about the security of the private information held on the system and how it will be protected from hackers.
Read

03 March 2010
Hospital negligence and delay in diagnosis leads to removal of a kidney
A 41-year-old woman received £125k in compensation after significant delays to her referral and treatment. As a result her right kidney had to be removed and she subsequently suffered lyphodema and debilitating pain.
Read

02 March 2010
FOCIS response to CJC 'Cost of care consultation'
Response from the Forum of Complex Injury Solicitors to the Civil Justice Council's 'Cost of care in Personal Injury Claims' Consultation.
Read

02 March 2010
FOCIS response to CDF provisional final draft amended clinical negligence protocol
Response from the Forum of Complex Injury Solicitors to the CDF Provisional Final Draft Amended Clinical Negligence Protocol.
Read

25 February 2010
Hospital left patients 'sobbing and humiliated'
Following an investigation into one of the worst NHS scandals in history, BBC News recently reported how hospital patients were left "sobbing and humiliated" by uncaring staff.
Read

24 February 2010
Paraplegia caused by inadequate monitoring equipment and surgeon failure
NHS Trust and surgeon found negligent after a patient was left paraplegic following negligent spinal surgery.
Read

17 February 2010
8 month delay in diagnosis of breast cancer - negligent GP
A 48-year-old woman recently received £5,460 after she suffered a delay of 8 months in being referred to a breast clinic and having her breast cancer diagnosed.
Read

15 February 2010
Cerebral Palsy caused by negligent midwifery staff - significant compensation for 6 year old boy
In a recent case a 6 year old boy wasd awarded significant compensation for his cerebral palsy caused by negligent midwifery staff.
Read

10 February 2010
Gross negligence and manslaughter - negligent German locum GP
On the 4 February 2010 a coroner ruled that the death of a 70-year-old patient who was administered a tenfold overdose by an "incompetent" German GP was unlawful killing.
Read

10 February 2010
£4.5 million in compensation for paralysed TV Reporter abandoned by neurosurgeon
Andrew Brown, a former CNN report, has settled his claim against consultant neurosurgeon David Sandeman in the sum of ₤4.5 million plus Brown’s legal costs.
Read

08 February 2010
£2 million awarded to 14 year old for medical negligence before and during her birth
In October 2009 a 14-year-old girl received £2 million in compensation for alleged negligence by medical staff prior to and during her birth in July 1995.
Read

08 February 2010
‘Unacceptable’ major trauma care in England
There is unacceptable variation in major trauma care in England depending upon where and when people are treated, according to a National Audit Office report.
Read

03 February 2010
The cost of failure - £12.7bn NHS National Programme for IT
Read

02 February 2010
£30k in compensation for neurological and functional losses suffered following delays
A 42 year old man received £30k in compensation for neurological and functional losses suffered following delays and alleged negligent failings by an NHS Trust in providing treatment between October 2004 and February 2005.
Read

02 February 2010
Claim against GP for failure to diagnose a man's Cauda Equina Syndrome
Medical negligence lawyer Adrian Desmond secured a High Court judgement for a 40 year old man after GP failed to diagnose cauda equina syndrome.
Read

27 January 2010
Child drug errors 'too frequent'
A snap-shot study by the University of London of five hospitals in the city found 13% of the 3,000 prescriptions they examined had an error and a fifth of drugs given to children in these hospitals during 2004 and 2005 were administered incorrectly.
Read

15 January 2010
Lord Justice Jackson’s Review of Civil Litigation Costs
Lord Justice Jackson's recommendations about legal costs in his report published yesterday attack, as predicted, the soft target of personal injury claimants.
Read

08 January 2010
Stafford hospital branded Britain’s worst NHS Trust
Two years ago an unpublished report by the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) identified problems at Stafford hospital. The report concluded that the hospital’s surgical team was “dysfunctional” and recommended that surgeons take “psychological assessments” to improve working relationships.
Read

15 December 2009
National crackdown as NHS forced to log all errors
Hospitals, GPs' surgeries and all other healthcare providers will in future have to log every time a patient is harmed or dies while receiving treatment.
Read

15 December 2009
Care Quality Commission loses Chairman over patient safety debate
Read

01 December 2009
NHS 'must get better at early cancer diagnosis'
The second annual report following the Cancer Reform Strategy in 2007 has found that there is a considerable regional variation in cancer outcomes and services across the UK and looks particularly at the one year survival rates as an indicator for the early diagnosis of cancers, which in turn leads to improved outcomes.
Read

23 November 2009
NHS suspends private care after two negligent deaths
A new government scheme providing "private care on the NHS'' for 50,000 people has been suspended after two patients died.
Read

20 November 2009
Doctors told to say sorry to patients more often in a bid to reduce litigation costs
The NHS is asking doctors and nurses to be more honest and open when things go wrong and offer an apology to the patient or their family.
Read

18 November 2009
NHS Trust prosecuted over death of woman after epidural drug was injected
The Health and Safety Executive is prosecuting the Great Western Hospital NHS Trust over alleged "safety breaches" following the death of a 30 year old mother hours after the birth of her son in 2004.
Read

11 November 2009
NHS must do more to prevent harm to patients from prescribed medicines
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has raised concerns about the risk of harm to patients caused as a result of failures to monitor and review prescribed medications on discharge from Hospital to the community.
Read

06 November 2009
NHS Healtcare rated as equal to the best in the world
Britain's family doctors, not particularly renowned for their optimism about the NHS, have rated the health care delivered in the UK as equal to the best in the world.
Read

06 November 2009
Ministers reject call to invest £89m a year in NHS neonatal units
Ministers have pulled the plug on funding to bring the care of the sickest babies up to the standard for adults, in a sign of the impact of the credit crunch on the NHS.
Read

03 November 2009
Battle on NHS gagging orders
A woman has defied a gagging order to speak out publicly about her victory over the NHS in a funding wrangle.
Read

28 October 2009
Gagging clauses stop truth coming out about NHS patient safety
The British Medical Journal has accused an NHS trust of trying to impose a gagging clause on a consultant as part of a deal to terminate his employment. It is alleged that the deal is intended to prevent him speaking out about issues of patient safety.
Read

12 October 2009
U-TURN: NHS turns to no win, no fee legal representation
The NHS is turning to no win, no fee legal representation – despite being a persistent critic of the practice according to an original article published by the BBC. Boyes Turner's Adrian Desmond comments.
Read

12 October 2009
NHS wastes £500m a year on unused drugs
It has been revealed that the NHS loses up to £500million a year on drugs unused by patients.
Read

12 October 2009
48-hour weeks for hospital staff are 'killing' NHS patients
Senior doctors say NHS patients are dying as a result of new European Union rules that impose a 48-hour week on hospital staff.
Read

12 October 2009
NHS mistakes 'harming thousands'
It has been reported that in a six month period over 5700 patients in England died or suffered serious harm due to NHS medical errors.
Read

12 October 2009
Rate of medication errors in nursing homes is 'unacceptable'
Research published this month shows an alarming rate of medication errors in nursing homes with 7 out of 10 nursing home residents being exposed to medication errors.
Read

01 October 2009
NHS fails to make top 10 health systems in Europe
According to analysts Britain’s health care system is just ahead of Slovenia and the Czech Republic among European nations.
Read

28 September 2009
Compensation payout for mother’s death after caesarean section
The family of a woman who died during a caesarean section at a Buckinghamshire hospital has been awarded £410k in compensation by the High Court.
Read

28 September 2009
Research links 'death rates rise' with arrival of junior doctors
Researchers say they have found a small but statistically significant increase in the number of patients who die each year when junior doctors start work.
Read

28 September 2009
Stafford inquiry 'adds insult to injury'
Patient safety charity Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA) is disappointed and frustrated by the limited terms of reference imposed on the independent inquiry into the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust.
Read

28 September 2009
Proposals to impose a legally binding "duty of candour" on healthcare providers
The Department of Health considers imposing a legally binding "duty of candour" on hospitals, surgeries and other healthcare providers ensuring NHS managers and staff admit to patients when an error has led to harm, explain what went wrong and apologise.
Read

10 September 2009
Medical negligence - £1.6 million awarded to man who was left wheelchair bound
A man was awarded £1.6 million after negligent surgery to remove a bulging lumbar disc in his back left him with permanent damage to his bladder, bowel and sexual function and suffering constant and untreataeble neuropathic pain in both feet and legs.
Read

10 September 2009
Surgical negligence - inadequate anaesthesia administered prior to surgical removal of retained placenta
A 34-year-old woman received £12k in compensation after she was inadequately anaethesised and therefore suffered pain during the surgical removal of a retained placenta and subsequently experienced post traumatic stress disorder.
Read

10 September 2009
Medical negligence and birth injuries - brachial plexus injury caused at birth
A 14-year-old girl received provisional damages of £320k after suffering shoulder dystocia during her birth in November 1994. She sustained a right-sided brachical plexus injury and developed curvature of the spine.
Read

10 September 2009
NHS blunders double in 3 years
There has been a dramatic rise in the number of medical mistakes involving NHS patients, with more than twice as many incidents reported to the official watchdog over a three-year period.
Read

26 August 2009
Patient Association publishes report on 'cruel and neglectful' standards of care within the NHS
A report published by the Patients Association (PA) today identifies a consistent pattern of 'cruel and neglectful' standards of care within the NHS.
Read

25 August 2009
Pensioner "not ill enough to qualify for funding" according to NHS Trust
A pensioner suffering from Alzheimer's disease has been refunded £110,000 in care home fees after Dorset NHS Trust wrongly claimed she was not ill enough to qualify for funding.
Read

25 August 2009
All hospitals with an A & E department should provide acute oncology services
The National Chemotherapy Advisory Group (NCAG) have recommended that all hospitals with an emergency department should provide acute oncology services to ensure the correct treatment of emergency cancer patients.
Read

25 August 2009
10% of hospital admissions suffered some form of harm
A report on patient safety over the summer found that as many as 10% of hospital admissions suffered some form of harm. It recommended that all hospitals conduct regular sample case note reviews to provide a clear indicator of local performance in making services safer.
Read

18 August 2009
Delay in diagnosis and negligently administering chemotherapy - £250k compensation claim
A 55 year old man received £250,000 when his wife died of neutropenic sepsis after receiving chemotherapy treatment.
Read

09 August 2009
Surgery negligence claim - woman suffered left-sided facial paralysis following operation
A 51 year old woman received £50,000 after she suffered left-sided facial paralysis following an operation.
Read

06 August 2009
Pressure sore compensation claim - paraplegic receives £32,500 in compensation
A 64 year old man received £32,500 after he sustained pressure sores to his buttocks whilst staying at the defendant hospital. A black pressure sore on his left buttock took approximately five months to heal but left an obvious scar and the area would be prone to developing pressure sores in the future.
Read

29 July 2009
Hospital Negligence - failure to act on pregnant woman's blood test results
A 29-year-old woman received £50k after she suffered a post-partum haemorrhage (PPH) and subsequently underwent a hysterectomy as a result of hospital negligence.
Read

27 July 2009
Hospital fails to diagnose torn achilles tendon - £8k compensation
A 46-year-old man received £8,000 after a hospital failed to diagnose a tear of his achilles tendon in August 2005. He required surgery and was unable to return to carry out all his duties at work for approximately eight months.
Read

20 July 2009
GP Surgery Negligence - nurses left gauze in woman's surgical wound for 6 weeks
A 40-year-old woman received £13.5k in medical negligence compensation after a gauze pack was left inside her surgical wound in July 2005.
Read

20 July 2009
Hospital negligence caused delay in diagnosis of breast cancer
In a shocking case, a 50-year-old woman received £10k in medical negligence compensation for a hospital's failure to carry out a mammogram in December 2005, leading to a delay in diagnosing breast cancer.
Read

16 July 2009
Health Committee slams NHS in patient safety report
A Health Committee report has slammed the NHS for failing to collect evidence about whether patients are any safer after a decade of initiatives to stop harm.
Read

05 July 2009
NHS is not learning from its mistakes - patient safety still under threat
The House of Commons Health Committee has revealed in a 100 page report on NHS medical negligence that the basic changes recommended after a cancer drug error killed a teenage boy have still not been implemented - eight years after he died.
Read

17 June 2009
Medical negligence and children - report finds 70 children died and 20,000 suffered injury
A report on the safety of NHS care for children found that during 2007/8 more than 70 children died and 20,000 suffered injury or harm following mistakes in medical care.
Read

15 June 2009
Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) patients 'failed' by doctors
BBC News has reported on a national inquiry which found that Doctors have been failing patients who develop emergency kidney problems in hospital.
Read

14 June 2009
Lord Justice Jackson's Review of the Costs of Clinical Negligence Litigation
Adrian Desmond, Chariman of the Forum of Complex Injury Solicitors (FOCIS) met with Lord Justice Jackson this month to discuss his review of the costs of clinical negligence litigation. The review is currently in its second consultative phase which ends on July 31.
Read

14 June 2009
Costs of clinical negligence litigation under review
Adrian Desmond, Boyes Turner's medical negligence expert and Chairman of the Forum of Complex Injury Solicitors (FOCIS) discusses the review of of the costs of clinical negligence litigation with Lord Justice Jackson.
Read

07 June 2009
NHS trust ordered to apologise to relatives after man bled to death
A public services ombudsman report has criticised the former North Glamorgan Trust saying delaued diagnosis and negligent hospital staff caused the death of Myron Hall, 47.
Read

13 May 2009
Shortage of consultants puts babies’ lives at risk
The spotlight has recently been turned on the country’s NHS maternity units – many of which do not have enough consultants to deliver babies safely round the clock and look after women during childbirth.
Read

07 May 2009
£1.9 million in compensation - woman's bladder damaged after childbirth
In the case of Warrilow v Norfolk & Norwich NHS Trust (2006) a 39-year-old woman received £1.9 million in compensation following damage to her bladder after she gave birth as a result of negligent hospital care.
Read

16 April 2009
22 year old wins £30k compensation for negligent surgery undertaken when she was 4
A 22-year-old woman received £30k in medical negligence compensation for the 17cm keloid scar and a distorted navel that she was left with following negligent surgery at the age of 4.
Read

02 April 2009
Breakthrough - NHS complaints and litigation
The Department of Health has confirmed that the current bar on people having an NHS complaint investigated if they have started or intend to start litigation to recover compensation is to be lifted.
Read

02 April 2009
New independent regulator for the NHS
From 1 April 2009 the Care Quality Commission takes over responsibility for independent regulation of the NHS from the Healthcare Commission.
Read

02 April 2009
Concern over inappropriate diagnosis and treatment of thyroid problems
It has been reported that the number of people being inappropriately misdiagnosed and treated for underactivity of the thyroid gland is rising.
Read

31 March 2009
Compensation awarded to man for medical negligence of prison medical staff
In a recent case, a 58-year-old man made a medical negligence compensation claim and received £12.5k in damages for the perforated gastric ulcer that developed as a result of negligent prison medical staff.
Read

18 March 2009
Failing hospital 'caused deaths'
According to the NHS Watchdog, Stafford Hospital's "appalling" emergency care resulted in hundreds of patients dying needlessly. Boyes Turner's medical negligence compensation lawyer, Stephen Underwood, comments.
Read

06 March 2009
£22k compensation - delayed diagnosis of ruptured achilles tendon
Here we look at a case where a 51-year-old man received £22k in compensation for the suffering he experienced following delay in hospital staff providing a correct diagnosis of a ruptured Achilles tendon in June 2005. He was unable to resume full work duties for approximately one year after the accident.
Read

06 March 2009
NHS Trust liable for cerebral palsy caused by obstetrician's failure to act
An NHS trust was liable for cerebral palsy suffered by a baby as a result of an obstetrician's failure to intervene timeously in its delivery.
Read

18 February 2009
NHS Complaints handling is not satisfactory
Read

18 February 2009
£117.5k in compensation - delayed diagnosis of metastatic carcinoma
In a recent medical negligence case, 2 claimants together received £117.5k following the death of a woman (X)who died at the age of 40 following delayed diagnosis of metastatic carcinoma of her breast.
Read

11 February 2009
Medical blunders will cost NHS £700 million next year
Health bosses say that NHS payouts for serious medical errors are set to soar next year to more than £700million. Boyes Turner's medical negligence expert Adrian Desmond comments.
Read

11 February 2009
CASE REPORT: Doctor's breach of duty of care - Meningitis
A doctor breached her duty of care by failing to investigate the history of a child's illness which included constant headaches. Had that history been investigated, and in the absence of any viral symptoms, it would have led to the child being admitted to hospital and being diagnosed and treated for tuberculosis meningitis.
Read

29 January 2009
Have you been affected by NHS age discrimination?
The Mirror’s ‘Dear Miriam’ this week revealed that half the doctors specialising in care for older people believe the NHS is "institutionally ageist". Age discrimination legislation will be broadened in the forthcoming Equality Bill but it may take more than a year before it's approved. In the meantime, here's how to make your doctor listen.
Read

15 January 2009
A simple surgical checklist that saves lives
The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) has ordered all hospitals in England and Wales to use a new surgical checklist across the board by February 2010. The checklist was tested in eight cities around the globe and results show that using it during major operations can cut deaths by more than 40% and complications by more than a third.
Read

18 November 2008
NHS to face string of compensation claims after u-turn
This week’s announcement that the rules allowing patients to "top up" their NHS care with private treatments are to be relaxed means patients who buy their own life extending medication will no longer lose their right to free NHS care.
Read

31 August 2008
GMC faces judicial review for not investigating negligent death 'cover-up' allegations
Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA) is applying for a judicial review after the GMC decided not to investigate serious allegations concerning the death of a 10-year old boy.
Read

28 August 2008
NHS has money in bank while patients remain deprived
The NHS is predicted to have a £1.75 billion surplus in the bank by the end of this financial year. Medical negligence lawyer Adrian Desmond comments.
Read

26 August 2008
Fears over 'super surgeries'
Super clinics - which are a half-way house between a GP surgery and a hospital - are being built to improve access to patients.
Read

21 August 2008
Medical negligence - ageism rife in the NHS
The Daily Mail this week reported on the impact that age discimination in the NHS is having on the elderly. Leading medical negligence lawyer Susan Brown comments.
Read

20 August 2008
Challenges remain in improving diabetic care
Diabetes care is improving, but there is still a long way to go before the NHS is providing top quality services. Medical negligence lawyer Rosaline Wong comments.
Read

17 August 2008
Pathologist's negligence led to woman's death
A High Court Judge recently found that a woman would probably have survived if not for a series of errors by a pathologist at Kings' College Hospital. Lucy Norton comments.
Read

17 August 2008
The dangers of NICE
"Arrogant, illogical and totally out of touch, NICE must be scrapped ...it's killing too many people." The words of Jonathan Waxman, a professor of oncology at Imperial College London, who last week wrote an article, published by The Daily Mail, exposing the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).
Read

17 August 2008
Court of Protection: visitors at risk
Trevor Lyttleton recently wrote in The Law Society Gazette about how the Court of Protection must address the 'catastrophic impact' of the Mental Capacity Act on visitors. Adrian Desmond comments.
Read

06 August 2008
Patients falsely cleared of cancer diagnosis
The Guardian recently reported that according to an NHS trust, blunders in a hospital laboratory led to 17 patients being given a false all-clear for caner, delaying the start of life-saving treatment. Medical negligence lawyer, Susan Brown, comments.
Read

05 August 2008
Doctor's 'DIY' kidney machine can save lives
BBC News has reported that a baby dying from kidney failure was saved when her doctor designed and built her a dialysis machine from scratch in his garage.
Read

04 August 2008
Statins 'may cut dementia risk'
Scientists have found further evidence that taking commonly used chloesterol-lowering statins may protect against dementia and memory loss.
Read

04 August 2008
Breast surgeon could be struck off after multiple medical negligence claims
The GMC is to decide if a surgeon will be permanently barred from breast surgery, after being reported to them by lawyers.
Read

04 August 2008
Millions to be spent on NHS rebrand
It has been reported that £2 million of taxpayers' money will be spent in an NHS re-branding exercise which seeks to give a slick new title to the cumbersome 'Primary Care Trust' label currently used for local healthcare organisations.
Read

04 August 2008
NHS castigated for fatal neglect of patients with learning disabilities
The Independent's Health Editor, Jeremy Laurance, last week reported on the inquiry into the shocking deaths of six patients with learning difficulties who suffered appalling neglect at the hands of the NHS which concluded that the cases were "not isolated incidents".
Read

31 July 2008
NHS blunder led to 17 patients getting false all-clear for cancer
Read

30 July 2008
Draft NHS complaints Constitution published
Read

30 July 2008
NHS Litigation Authority Chief Executive comments on compensation claims
NHS Litigation Authority Chief Executive talks about his observations on litigation against the NHS in the UK.
Read

28 July 2008
Woman received settlement of £800k after being brain damaged by detox diet
Woman suffered epileptic seizure causing brain damage.
Read

28 July 2008
Statins - risk of dementia halved?
Statins, which are commonly used to reduce the risk of heart disease, may also decrease the chance of developing dementia by up to 50%.
Read

22 July 2008
Skin cancer sufferers at risk - delays in diagnosis, incomplete removal and scarring by GPs
Read

10 July 2008
Healthcare watchdog urges NHS to improve maternity services
The Healthcare Commission has urged the NHS to redouble its efforts to improve maternity services by enhancing the quality of clinical care and the experiences of women.
Read

10 July 2008
A&E medical negligence - brain-damaged boy receives compensation for 30-hour delay
It has been reported that in a case which took nine years to settle, a brain-damaged boy has finally received a substantial settlement for a 30-hour treatment delay.
Read

10 July 2008
Delay in diagnosis and treatment of cancer - dangers of malignant melanoma
Malignant melanoma affects 9000 Britons per year and claims more than 1800 lives.
Read

08 July 2008
The Darzi Review - the Government's latest NHS overhaul
Lord Darzi's plan for the next 10 years of the health service in England emphasises the importance of striving for high quality care from the NHS, rather than setting targets or calling for wholesale reorganisation of the way services are delivered.
Read

07 July 2008
Alan Johnson's NHS of the Future
The Department of Health reports on the draft Constitution that enshrines the principles and values of the NHS for the future. It was published this week for consultation by the Secretary of State for Health, Alan Johnson.
Read

30 June 2008
Early diagnosis and treatment for childhood stroke
Read

26 June 2008
Hospital medical negligence - will 'Safer Surgery Checklist' reduce surgery death rates?
Every year, an estimated 2000 NHS Patients die as a result of errors in treatment. Medical negligence lawyer Rosaline Wong comments on the new 'Safer Surgery Checklist' being piloted in London this week.
Read

26 June 2008
Delay in diagnosis - reduced due to new cervical cancer vaccine
BBC News has reported on a row over a new vaccination programme to protect schoolgirls from cervical cancer later in life, which campaigners say will be using the wrong vaccine.
Read

26 June 2008
Cost cutting - medical negligence - delay in diabetes diagnosis
Figures show that the number of children in England needing emergency hospital care for complications of diabetes has risen. Medical negligence lawyer Nina Ali comments.
Read

26 June 2008
Treatment top-ups turnaround?
Health Secretary Alan Johnson has announced that the Department of Health is reviewing top ups of NHS treatment with privately-funded drugs after 20 years of disallowal.
Read

19 June 2008
APIL warns of laser treatment cowboys
APIL launched a press campaign this week to warn against Government plans to deregulate cosmetic laser treatment. Medical negligence lawyer Lucy Norton comments.
Read

17 June 2008
Statins may cut caesarean section risk
Read

15 June 2008
Half of patients do not know they have a choice of hospital
Medical negligence lawyer Sue Brown comments on this article which was published in The Daily Telegraph on 12 June 2008.
Read

15 June 2008
Patient choice? Who pays the compensation if it goes wrong?
Medical negligence lawyer, Rosaline Wong looks at the pros and cons of the Government's NHS Choice and initiatives to shorten waiting lists.
Read

03 June 2008
NHS scandal: dying cancer victim was forced to pay
A woman dying of cancer was denied free National Health Service treatment in her final months because she had paid privately for a drug to try to prolong her life.
Read

03 June 2008
Hospital surgery death rates to be made public
The Guardian reported this week that the government is preparing to publish for the first time the death rates of patients undergoing major surgery at NHS hospitals in England. Medical negligence lawyer Susan Brown comments.
Read

27 May 2008
GP negligence - failing to refer heart patients
According to a Europe-wide survey led by the Sticares Cardiovascular Research Foundation in the Netherlands, many GPs, and even some hospital specialists, are failing to follow guidelines for managing heart failure.
Read

27 May 2008
Birth and neo-natal injury - Pre-eclampsia tests not accurate enough!
According to a recent study, tests for pre-eclampsia, a serious condition that causes high blood pressure in pregnancy, are not accurate enough. Lucy Norton comments.
Read

22 May 2008
NHS in Wales quibbling over who should pay for treatments
Medical negligence lawyer, Susan Brown, comments.
Read

22 May 2008
Missing medical records - concerns over patient safety
Another issue regarding patient safety has been highlighted by a recent survey which reveals that thousands of outpatient appointments take place each year without the doctor having the patient's medical records. Susan Brown comments.
Read

21 May 2008
Queen's speech promises to reform law relating to medical negligence compensation
The draft Queen's speech promised to reform the coroners system and the law relating to damages.
Read

20 May 2008
Clash over 24 weeks abortion limit
MPs reject challenge to Britan's abortion laws to lower the 24 week time limit for abortions. Rosaline Wong of Boyes Turner comments.
Read

20 May 2008
Possible Meningitis B Vaccine Tested
A possible vaccine against meningitis B has shown "encouraging" results in preliminary clinical trials.
Read

14 May 2008
Most inpatients are happy with their care
Rosaline Wong looks at the Healthcare Commission's published survey which suggest that over 90% of patients treated in NHS hospitals are generally satisfied with their care.
Read

14 May 2008
Hospital negligence - midwifery errors
Medical negligence expert Rosaline Wong looks at the effects of midwifery errors in medical negligence cases, including failure to detect early signs of pre-eclampsia; negligent management of ante natal care; failure to act upon abnormal fetal trace; failure to listen to baby's heartbeat and resusitate at home birth; failure to give Anti-D Immunoglobulin and errors made in injecting local anaesthesia intravenously.
Read

12 May 2008
Compensation Claim - GP failed to diagnose meningitis
GP found liable in negligence to the claimant in a personal injury action for his failure diagnose meningitis.
Read

12 May 2008
Beta blockers may increase surgery risk
The use of beta blocker drugs before surgery to cut the risk of heart problems may be counter-productive, a study suggests.
Read

07 May 2008
Health Charities call for reform of prescription charges to end risk to patients
Health charities call on the Government to reform NHS prescription charges in England.
Read

07 May 2008
Faulty weighing scales - Risk to patient safety
Another risk to patient safety has been identified following an inspection programme by trading standards offficers which found that hospitals were using inappropriate or faulty weighing scales to calculate the dosage of patient's medications.
Read

07 May 2008
Maternal and Child Health Report - stillbirth and neonatal deaths
Enquiry finds stillbirth rates are not falling, but neonatal death rates have reduced.
Read

05 May 2008
Privatised decontamination puts patients at risk
Criticising the government's policy on cleaning equipment, the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) says operations are being cancelled because equipment is being damaged and delayed by out-sourced private decontamination centres being rolled out across the NHS.
Read

05 May 2008
New GP surgeries to open at weekends
Health Secretary Alan Johnson, has announced new Government plans that will see patients able to visit their GPs at evenings and weekends at 12 new surgeries around England.
Read

27 April 2008
Pioneering Gene therapy improves sight
An 18-year-old whose sight was failing has had his vision improved in a pioneering operation carried out by doctors at Moorfields Eye Hospital.
Read

27 April 2008
Hospital negligence - healthcare-associated infection
The Healthcare Commission has launched the biggest inspection programme ever carried out in NHS acute trusts to check whether they are meeting standards on infection control.
Read

22 April 2008
Hospital negligence - nurse failing in her patient duty
Medical News Today has reported that a registered nurse from a hospital in Poole has been struck off the register after failing to care for a patient properly.
Read

22 April 2008
NHS 'falling behind' on care for diabete sufferers
BBC News has reported that the charity 'Diabetes UK' is concerned that Government targets for improving diabetes care may be missed as local health providers are failing to offer key services.
Read

21 April 2008
Blood clot complications after surgery - Pradaxa could save thousands
BBC news has reported that wider use of Pradaxa, a new blood-thinning drug to stop blood clots could save thousands of lives a year.
Read

21 April 2008
Thalidomide is back - is it worth the risk?
The European drug agency has given clearance for thalidomide to be sold on prescription in Europe as a powerful cancer treatment for the newly diagnosed multiple myeloma.
Read

16 April 2008
Medical negligence - maternity deaths inquiry launched
BBC News has reported that an inquiry is under way at Northwick Park Hospital maternity unit after 3 more deaths were reported within the last ten months.
Read

14 April 2008
Pneumococcal bug poses new threat to children
BBC News has reported that a strain of bacteria which can cause pneumonia and meningitis in children is on the rise in England and Wales.
Read

10 April 2008
NHS redress plans stalled in England but going ahead in Wales
Ministers in England are 'reconsidering' plans for the NHS Redress Scheme in England.
Read

10 April 2008
Plans for tendering medical negligence claims shelved for at least 5 years
It has been reported that as part of the settlement terms of the Law Society ending its judicial review proceedings against the Legal Services Commission (LSC), the LSC has given a commitment not to introduce Best Value Tendering before 2013.
Read

09 April 2008
Healthcare watchdog calls on NHS to learn from patients' complaints
The Healthcare Commission is urging NHS trusts to learn from patients' complaints and improve complaints handling, with key proposals including apologising more often when they do make mistakes.
Read

09 April 2008
Healthcare Commission publishes results of survey of staff
More than 155,000 staff give their views on working for the NHS. Survey results of NHS staff in England show that there are fewer medical errors and near misses.
Read

06 April 2008
UK fertility safety for women is 'among the worst in Europe'
Mothers' health may be put at risk in the quest for high pregnancy rates at British IVF clinics, warn experts.
Read

02 April 2008
Medical negligence - compensation awarded for injustice in residential care
A joint report published by the Local Government Ombudsman and the Health Service Ombudsman for England found that the level of care provided by Buckinghamshire County Council and the Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Mental Health Partnership Trust for a man with severe learning disabilities was unacceptable. Susan Brown a leading medical negligence lawyer at Boyes Turner comments.
Read

01 April 2008
Medical negligence - drugs for dementia 'killing thousands'
The Times online reported this week that the drugs prescribed to make dementia sufferers more manageable in care homes could be killing more than 23,000 people prematurely each year.
Read

26 March 2008
Cancer patients given untested drugs
BBC News has reported that in a bid to halve the time it takes to develop new drugs, the Department of Health has approved a move to allow the NHS to give cancer drugs which have not yet been tested on humans to terminally ill patients. Medical negligence lawyer Nina Ali comments on the decision.
Read

18 March 2008
Prostate cancer medical services vary - early diagnosis needed
BBC News online reported this week that health experts are calling for improvements in prostate cancer services to help tackle the wide variations in care seen across England. Boyes Turner medical negligence lawyer, Nina Ali, comments.
Read

10 March 2008
Cancer medical negligence - delay in diagnosis
The Times Online reported this week that over the past ten years the NHS has paid out almost £100 million in negligence claims due to medical errors in cancer treatment. Lucy Norton, medical negligence lawyer at Boyes Turner comments.
Read

04 March 2008
Waiting times up - delay in diagnosis?
The average NHS wait has risen under Labour Government.
Read

29 February 2008
Primary Care Trusts criticised
The National Audit Office has criticised Primary Care Trusts for not using the GP contracts introduced in 2004 to force better access for patients.
Read

27 February 2008
Anti-depressants' 'little effect'
BBC News recently reported that according to research, new generation anti-depressants have little clinical benefit for most patients.
Read

26 February 2008
Negligent medical staff - nurse struck off for falsifying records
Medical News Today recently reported that a 37 year old registered adult nurse from Wigan, Lancashire has been struck off the Nursing and Midwifery Council register after being found guilty of falsifying a patient's records in an attempt to cover up omissions in his care.
Read

25 February 2008
Hospital negligence - swab left inside Caesarean mother
BBC News recently reported that a woman underwent an operation to remove a swab left inside her during a Caesarean delivery.
Read

21 February 2008
Limiting obesity operations - patients referred back to GPs
GP magazine "Pulse" reported this week that consultants undertaking "limiting obesity operations" such as gastric banding and gastric bypass, sent half the patients referred to them back to their GPs.
Read

14 February 2008
"Payment by Results" scheme interfering with clinical judgement
Has patient care suffered as hospitals try to cut costs?
Read

12 February 2008
Unregulated botox - 16 deaths
US federal regulators are investigating the use of Botox in cosmetic and medical procedures after it was linked with 16 deaths.
Read

07 February 2008
Delays in diagnosis and treatment leading to years of unnecessary suffering
Patients with hearing and balance problems suffer delay in diagnosis and treatment due to lack of physicians and multidisciplinary teams.
Read

07 February 2008
Medical negligence - delays in cancer diagnosis
BBC News recently reported that survival rates from cancer in the UK are poorer than in much of Europe. One reason is that the disease is often diagnosed later in the UK.
Read

06 February 2008
Hospital negligence - wrong dosage of epidural anaesthesia during childbirth
Medical negligence lawyers Adrian Desmond and Rosaline Wong from Boyes Turner comment on the case of Mayra Cabrera who died after giving birth to her son Zac in 2004.
Read

29 January 2008
Thousands of nurses leaving NHS in search of better pay and conditions abroad
The Times online recenty reported that more than 10,000 nurses and midwives left the UK to work abroad in 2006-07, leaving the NHS just a few years away from a staffing crisis.
Read

29 January 2008
Medical negligence - London maternity care - consistently poor
Legal & Medical, a leading online magazine for the medico-legal profession, recently reported that according to a Healthcare Commission report maternity care in the North of England is far better than in London.
Read

28 January 2008
Clegg sets out elderly care plan
As reported on BBC News recently, Nick Clegg, who became Liberal Democrat leader in December, has outlined a £2 billion "care guarantee" plan for the elderly, as part of his proposals to reform the NHS.
Read

25 January 2008
Medical negligence compensation claims due to failure in diagnosing cancer
Hospital pathologist fails to diagnose cases of cancer.
Read

24 January 2008
Government set targets could lead to medical negligence
Yet another politician chanting the "reform for the NHS" mantra.
Read

21 January 2008
Medical negligence - Breast cancer follow-up 'lacking'
Breast cancer patients are not receiving the best follow-up care according to BBC News.
Read

18 January 2008
Impact of Court of Appeal Judgement on medical negligence claims
Compensation for future loss will be linked to the likely growth in the relevant wage inflation rather than RPI.
Read

17 January 2008
Government concerned over NHS spending on prescription drugs
NHS spending on prescription drugs has risen over the last 10 years. Savings can be made without affecting patient care.
Read

16 January 2008
Hospital negligence - deep cleaning under fire
1500 hospitals ordered to be deep cleaned by Government.
Read

16 January 2008
Hospital negligence - Woman died from brain haemorrhage during childbirth
Hospital failed to address specialist care needed for woman with rare condition.
Read

16 January 2008
Deadly new form of MRSA emerges
A deadly strain of the superbug MRSA which can lead to a flesh eating form of pneumonia has emerged.
Read

10 January 2008
Medical negligence claims - NICE delay guidance to NHS on treatments available to patients
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence criticised by Health Committee.
Read

08 January 2008
Medical negligence claims - patients refused treatment or surgery
The Prime Minister has announced an 'NHS Constitution' that could mean patients may have to change their lifestyle to recieve healthcare. Should patients be responsible for their own entitlement to NHS care?
Read

06 December 2007
Negligent nurse - maladministration of drugs
Mental health nurse charged with several accounts of poor record keeping and maladministration of drugs.
Read

27 November 2007
Nurse struck off for negligent care
Nurse failed to wash her hands after treating a patient with MRSA.
Read

22 November 2007
Hospital failings - trauma care concern
Trauma care could be better according to National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death.
Read

22 November 2007
Hospital negligence - new Superbug
Media coverage has highlighted the threat of superbugs, and recently yet another common bacteria has turned into one. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a very common bacteria found in soil, water, plants and animals.
Read

15 November 2007
C Difficile hospital escapes prosecution
Stoke Mandeville Hospital where 33 people died as a direct result of C Difficile outbreaks in which 334 patients were infected between October 2003 and June 2005 has escaped prosecution.
Read

21 October 2007
Payout to NHS patients - 9 billion in compensation
The number of mistakes by NHS Trusts appear to be on the rise.
Read

17 October 2007
NHS not learning from their medical mistakes
The news comes as no great surprise to Adrian Desmond, Partner in Boyes Turner's specialist Medical Negligence group.
Read

17 October 2007
Healthcare watchdog pledges tough action on behalf of patients
Healthcare Commissions pledges to carry out more stringent assessment of Trusts' infection control practices.
Read

14 October 2007
Medical negligence - UK Healthcare system falls further behind
Artcile published by Legal & Medical highlights the fact that the UK's health system is failing behind its European neighbours.
Read

09 October 2007
Hospital negligence - Maidstone Hospital Deaths
Patient deaths due to outbreaks of C. difficile at Maidstone Hospital.
Read

01 October 2007
Call for NHS hospitals to provide dignity in care to older people
An article recently published by the Healthcare Commission emphasised the need for NHS hospitals to step up efforts to provide dignity in care to older people. This follows findings by a healthcare watchdog published in a national report.
Read

14 August 2007
Medical negligence compensation awarded for woman who changed mind on abortion
Hospital admits failure. Medical professionals went ahead with abortion procedure without getting confirmation that the mother had consented.
Read

12 August 2007
Hospital negligence - hospital admits error over cancer treatment deaths
Two cancer patients die due to hospital staff miscalculating drug dosage.
Read

30 June 2007
Hospital negligence - NHS hygiene criticised
Legal & Medical, one in four NHS trusts in England is failing to meet standards of cleanliness and infection control as set out by the Department of Health's compulsory hygiene code.
Read

25 June 2007
Medical negligence during surgery - instruments left inside patients
283 medical negligence claims have been made against NHS Trusts.
Read

25 June 2007
GP negligence
Better care needed from GPs at night time and weekends according to Gordon Brown.
Read

03 June 2007
Medical negligence - delay in treatment for stroke
Reports show that stroke patients are having to deal with unacceptable waits for brain scans and starting treatment.
Read

02 June 2007
Medical negligence - healthcare associated infection
Government will carry out unannounced inspections at 120 NHS Trusts over the next year in order to prevent and manage healthcare-associated infections.
Read