Suing the NHS. Have you? should you? would you?

[*_ash_*]

The fact remains that a doctor or nurse may well do an action in "good faith" but their mistake could potentially seriously injure or kill someone.

 

Those who have been the victim of such mistake and who have actually suffered either permanent injury or death as a result should deserve what then??

 

Nothing because it was all done in good faith and was a mistake? A written apology? Monetary compensation from the NHS Insurers? What?

 

 

^^^ Bold, that.

 

As it is the claims companies are profiteering from it otherwise.

[999tigger]

No, but I would have no hesitation in suing if the incident warranted it.

[monkeygirl]

i saw an item, think it was this week on look north. this poor couple had been trying to have a child for years. she finally got pregnant but the doctors repeatedly failed to pick up something that was wrong with the baby - something that was treatable. the child was stillborn :-(

 

the couple did sue and the "procedures" have been changed so hopefully it never happens again. apparently they are using the money to fund ivf. i doubt any amount of money could pay for a lost child but i personally couldn't begrudge this poor couple or judge them for suing

[onewheeldave]

i saw an item, think it was this week on look north. this poor couple had been trying to have a child for years. she finally got pregnant but the doctors repeatedly failed to pick up something that was wrong with the baby - something that was treatable. the child was stillborn :-(

 

the couple did sue and the "procedures" have been changed so hopefully it never happens again. apparently they are using the money to fund ivf. i doubt any amount of money could pay for a lost child but i personally couldn't begrudge this poor couple or judge them for suing

 

This is the value of legal action- it brings about change.

 

The NHS is grossly mismanaged, and, like all such organisations, it's often not productive to stick to their 'official routes of complaints' system (in house).

 

Lack of action to tackle problems will always be justified (in their eyes) by lack of funds.

 

Successful legal action and compensation makes it apparent that tackling the (usually, long standing) problem will be cheaper than being sued again.

 

Legal action benefits the NHS by making it clear that, in the long term, it's in the NHS's interests to correct it's faults.

[Fabric]

Sue them but it won't help. Doctors have medical negligence insurance and they always win.

[Andy1976]

Sue them but it won't help. Doctors have medical negligence insurance and they always win.

 

Apart from all the times they don't, and it's reported in the papers.

[charmer]

Can doctors on the NHS alter medical records, blood test results? This is not a joke question.

 

If so how many times do they get away with it?

 

I don't watch tv much or read newspapers. This is a serious question.

 

Yes they can. They get away with it approximately 2.3 times per employee per week. As they get away with it, it is hard to track. But each nhs building has an honesty book. Every time some does something bad and gets away with it, they put a token in the box. These tokens are counted every month.

[L00b]

Can we have a bit less of the doctor-bashing in here?

Yes they can. They get away with it approximately 2.3 times per employee per week. As they get away with it, it is hard to track. But each nhs building has an honesty book. Every time some does something bad and gets away with it, they put a token in the box. These tokens are counted every month.

Remember this? Quote from it, relevant to the above:

David Loughton, who has earned £400,000 this year as chief executive of Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust, last night faced calls to resign after details emerged of his attempts to drive out whistleblowers. It was revealed earlier this week that Mr Loughton oversaw threats to punish a whistleblower for warning that his hospital was fiddling its death rate figures. Sandra Haynes Kirkbright was suspended after claiming the hospital was manipulating records. She was sent a threatening letter saying she had breached her contract by talking to the Daily Mail – despite repeated assurances from the Government and NHS bosses that whistleblowers will be protected.

Now read this about that Trust and Mr Loughton, in the news again this week.

Last April, 13 years after Mattu spoke up, an employment tribunal that ran for six months produced a remarkable 400-page document that detailed the systematic destruction of one man’s career by managers, some of whom remain in the NHS and one of whom, David Loughton, is now a CBE. The report found that management had created a culture of fear, and Mattu had been victimised for raising concerns over patient safety; he will be awarded compensation. The case against him, meanwhile, is thought to have cost the NHS £6m-£10m so far.

Thinking about suing the NHS? Were I in Dr Mattu's shoes, I'd take the NHS/Trust for every last penny I can wring out plus heads (CBE-garlanded or otherwise) on a plate. As it happens, that's exactly what he is doing. Give that man a cigar.

 

Some systems get to be so dysfunctional after a while, they need to be broken down and rebuilt, rather than fixed. I'd say the NHS is about there, due to the tail (management) eventually getting to irremediably wag the dog (healthcare structure and professionals).

Edited November 26, 2014 by L00b

[Blaster Bate]

If they do wrong they should be sued.