Please HELP Carehome negligence, need legal advice.

[hilton]

Hi,

My Mother recently died in a care and I strongly suspect negligence. I have reported to CQC. However, I feel that I need a solicitor. I lost my job last year and so would need legal aid? Could anyone please make suggestions, offer advice etc. It would be good to have independent support rather than social services, as they are all part of the same pot.

Thanking in advance

[Ron Burgundy]

I'm so sorry to read about your situation.

 

All Law Society solicitors will provide a free 30 monite consultation to see whether they can help you. Could you contact the Law Society and ask if there are any companies specialising in situations such as these?

 

http://www.lawsociety.org.uk/choosingandusing/findasolicitor.law

 

Good luck

[baby tiger67]

first of all you will need some sort of concrete evidence with regards to the suspected neglect, have you yourself witnessed any sort of care home neglect towards your mother ? you have to remember that when it comes to nursing/ personal care towards service users, these homes usually document everything to cover their own backs, was there a coroners request ? if so , have you read it ? and what was the outcome ? you need every little bit of info you can get hold of if you plan on prosecuting this care home. good luck with it all and please keep us posted.

[not wanted]

first of all you will need some sort of concrete evidence with regards to the suspected neglect, have you yourself witnessed any sort of care home neglect towards your mother ? you have to remember that when it comes to nursing/ personal care towards service users, these homes usually document everything to cover their own backs, was there a coroners request ? if so , have you read it ? and what was the outcome ? you need every little bit of info you can get hold of if you plan on prosecuting this care home. good luck with it all and please keep us posted.

 

Good advice.

[Wildcat]

You may not have any faith in any complaints procedures they have, but I recommend affording yourself of them, and perhaps any patients advocays groups that might be relevant. I suggest this not because I have faith in complaints procedures but that going through that process prior to taking legal action will help you to sort out what your complaints are by getting them down on paper and give you an idea of how they will respond. You may find their answers satifactory, if not then you might catch them out lieing which will then be useful later in any legal action. Don't however wait for a resolution through the complaints procedures before getting legal advice, you may find there are time limits for certain types of claims that you will need to bear in mind and the legal advice you get will help you with the case that you make.

 

Concerns or complaints about the care home

 

If you are not happy with the care home, in the first instance speak to the manager of the service. All care homes must have a complaints procedure.

 

If a referral to the home was made by social services, you should also speak to the social worker involved in the care package. All local authorities have a complaints procedure – this will offer three stages of complaint. If you have gone through all stages of the complaints procedure and you are still not happy, you may be able to take your case to the Local Government Ombudsman.

 

To find out about care home standards or to make a further complaint about a service, you can contact the following organisations:

 

• In England, the Commission for Social Care Inspection at http://www.csci.org.uk 0845 015 0120

• In Scotland, the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care at http://www.carecommission.com 01382 207 100

• In Wales, the Care Standards Inspectorate for Wales at http://www.csiw.wales.gov.uk 01443 848 450

• In Northern Ireland, the Department of Health for Northern Ireland at http://www.dhsspsni.gov.uk 02890 520500

 

If the service is provided by the NHS, ask your local health authority for a copy of their complaints procedure. If, at the end of the complaints procedure, you are still not happy, you may be able to take your case to the Health Service Ombudsman.

 

http://www.carersuk.org/Information/Whencaringends/Residentialornursingcare

[Moosey]

Hi,

My Mother recently died in a care and I strongly suspect negligence. I have reported to CQC. However, I feel that I need a solicitor. I lost my job last year and so would need legal aid? Could anyone please make suggestions, offer advice etc. It would be good to have independent support rather than social services, as they are all part of the same pot.

Thanking in advance

 

Can't get legal aid anymore for civil work but you'll be able to get free advice.

 

If you want, post/send a few details on here and I'll give you some basic advice if that helps. There's two different options here, being a personal injury claim, and a clinical negligence claim, which are handled differently.

[dawn allan]

have you tried the Inspection Unit there based down near don valley stadium, any suspect of abuse should be backed up with evidence or statements of accounts, but i am sure they will listen to you and do an unannounced if they feel the need, i used to work at a home and the insepctor was a lady called sue she was fantastic and nothing got passed her although i must say our home was marvellous and i spent 14 happy years working with some of the memorable characters i have ever met....good luck