Anthony Collins Solicitors

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Latest Articles:

Multi-resistant bug connected with returning military solidiers
Category: Clinical Negligence & PI

16 / 04 / 2008

A superbug which is more resistant to antibiotics than MRSA is reported to have caused deaths at Birmingham's Selly Oak hospital between 2005 and 2007. The multi-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii bug (MDR-AB) has been connected to returning military soldiers and is sometimes only sensitive to the antibiotic Colistin. It is thought that weaker patients contract the bug when it is introduced to the hospital by soldiers. The issue raises the question of whether there should be distinct military hospitals to ensure that the different infections and bacteria which can be brought back from war zones, are kept away from civilian wards and patients. It also highlights the importance of identifying the exact nature of a patient's infection as a matter of urgency to ensure that the infection is treated with appropriate antibiotics to avoid unnecessary deaths.

Further details can be found on the BBC's website http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/7339128.stm

We are currently investigating a death which has been linked to MDR-AB and should be happy to discuss any of your experiences with this bug if you or a member of your family have been affected by it. Please contact phil.barnes@anthonycollins.com or ellen.parry@anthonycollins.com if you would like to discuss this.

Anthony Collins Solicitors supports the Brain Injury Rehabilitiation Trust (BIRT) during brain injury awareness week
Category: Clinical Negligence & PI, General

26 / 03 / 2008

Anthony Collins Solicitors is pleased to be support the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Trust (BIRT) during brain injury awareness week which runs from 31 March to 6 April 2008 this year.

The potential consequences of brain injury can be multiple and life changing such as changes in personality and memory, behavioural problems, difficulties with mobility and can even result in a coma.
BIRT’s theme this year is entitled “Look After Your Head” and the main thrust of the awareness campaign is to highlight safety measures and the effects of brain injury to youngsters, who statistically are more likely to sustain a brain injury than any other age group. Every year over 80,000 children between 5 and 11 suffer a head injury – some of which are extremely serious resulting in a permanent disability. This year, BIRT’s campaign is supported by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents and the Bicycle Helmet Initiative Trust.

Awareness activities are taking place in schools and community groups all over the country. If you would like more information about how you can get involved or simply learn more about brain injury more information can be found at BIRT’s website (www.birt.co.uk).

This year, Anthony Collins will be supporting West Heath House, Redditch which is a 25 bed residential rehabilitation facility for people with acquired brain injury run by BIRT. We intend to re-develop a garden area at this facility including:

- Assisting with the raising of £5,000
- Building a wheelchair ramp.
- Building/planting/refurbishing the garden.

As well as this, we have been organising activities to support the project throughout the year. Just prior to the commencement of brain injury awareness week on 28 March 2008 we will be launching 200 balloons and holding a quiz night with all funds raised going directly to BIRT from the rooftop terrace at our offices at 5.30 pm.

Senior Associate, Rankeshwar Batta of the clinical negligence and personal injury department commented, “We are committed to providing support, assistance and guidance to the brain injured, their families and carers. We are extremely proud to support BIRT and its campaign to raise awareness of brain injury itself but also to inform and implement key groups such as healthcare and education professionals who have regular interaction with the younger population”.

If you would like more information about this campaign or you believe we may be able to help you with any aspects of brain injury whether this be through obtaining compensation, making a will or Power of Attorney, Court of Protection work, education, support for carers etc please get in touch with Rankeshwar Batta on 0121 212 7427 or by email on rankeshwar.batta@anthonycollins.com

Are ministers failing to harness the resources of their multibillion pound procurement programme - from school and hospital building to the great Olympics "spendathon" - to steer the unemployed into work?
Category: General, Local Government, Regeneration

20 / 03 / 2008

Around the country, a few ambitious councils, progressive developers and public agencies are developing programmes to find work for the jobless by writing specific "community benefit clauses" into contracts - guaranteeing, for instance, that 10% of jobs in a building project must go to the long-term unemployed, new entrants to the labour market, and those needing vocational training.

According to the two leading experts in this field, lawyer Mark Cook, from the Birmingham-based Anthony Collins Solicitors, and regeneration consultant Richard Macfarlane, many job opportunities are being squandered because the government is failing to exploit the benefit of these clauses. "As a country, we are certainly missing a trick or two," Cook says.

The full article appeared in the Guardian (19 March) and can be found by clicking on the following link:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/mar/19/socialexclusion.welfare

On-site success for jobless regenerating Scottish estate
Category: General, Local Government, Regeneration

20 / 03 / 2008

For the full article that featured in the Guardian and comment by Mark Cook, partner at Anthony Collins Solicitors, please click on the link below:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/mar/19/regeneration.scotland

Failure to diagnose fourth degree tear following episiotomy
Category: Clinical Negligence & PI

19 / 03 / 2008

Mrs A was a 21 year old lady giving birth to her first child at the Defendant Hospital Trust in 2003. During the birth of her son on 30 May 2003, she had to undergo a episiotomy. The midwife carrying out the episiotomy did not perform an internal examination of the vagina or the rectum following completion of the procedure. Subsequently on 1 June 2003 Mrs A complained of faeces being passed from her vaginal area. On 2 June 2003 it was recorded that there was a fistula or a hole in the recto-vaginal area which was the cause of the problem. Mrs A had to have a colostomy bag fitted on 4 June 2003, a repair of the fistula on 13 August 2003 and then a reversal of the colostomy on 17 December 2003.

We obtained specialist expert reports which confirmed that an immediate rectal/vaginal examination should have been done following the episiotomy and had that occurred, the fistula would have been picked up and immediately been repaired. All of the subsequent surgeries would have been avoided.

Mrs A suffered psychologically as well as physically – she was unable to care for and bond with her baby for the first 12 months, was unable to have sexual intercourse with her husband for a period of time and was deeply distressed and inconvenienced as a result of the actual injury itself and subsequent operations.

Thankfully the parties managed to negotiate a settlement in the sum of £45,000 plus payment of reasonable costs and disbursements which ultimately brought an end to the proceedings which were issued out of Birmingham County Court.

If you would like more information about this condition and how it is treated or if you believe that we can assist you with a similar case please contact Rankeshwar Batta, Senior Associate in the clinical negligence and personal injury department who had conduct of this case on 0121 212 7427 or email rankeshwar.batta@anthonycollins.com

For more information about any of these news articles, please contact Simeon Ling on +44 (0)121 200 3242 or email simeon.ling@anthonycollins.com