The timing of the Medical Protection Society survey (click here to see the MPS article) coincides with ‘Black Wednesday’ – the day when newly qualified doctors start on hospital wards. The name has arisen from anecdotal concerns about poor levels of care, mistakes and an increased fatality rate as newly qualified doctors get to grips with their role and responsibilities. Of course starting somewhere new is always going to be difficult for everyone so it is unfair to criticise junior doctors but it is concerning that they often do not appear to be given the support they need in the early days, meaning patient safety might be jeopardised.
The survey also raises wider issues about patient safety, beyond the care provided by junior doctors. For example, 51% of Foundation Year 1 doctors said they had concerns about the quality of care in their workplace. This is a staggering number.
The survey also reflects the underlying cause of many clinical negligence cases: lack of time and lack of staff. 71% of Foundation Year 1 doctors said they did not have enough time to give patients the care they require and 39% said having more doctors on the ward would increase job satisfaction (presumably meaning their concerns about patient care would be alleviated).
Many of the clinical negligence cases Anthony Collins Solicitors investigate arise from the simple problem of hospital management not providing enough staff. Our clients often praise most of the doctors and nurses they came across but have concerns that there simply were not enough doctors or nurses available to actually provide the care and treatment they needed. Our solicitors aim to investigate the underlying reasons for poor care, rather than criticise individual doctors and nurses, who we recognise are often overworked and trying their best in very difficult circumstances.
If you have any queries about this article or would like to know more about a potential clinical negligence claim, please contact Ann Houghton on 0121 212 7478 or ann.houghton@anthonycollins.com.
Anthony Collins Solicitors have a dedicated specialist clinical negligence team, with Legal 500 and Chambers UK Guide recommending Anthony Collins Solicitors as one of the leading law firms in Clinical Negligence in the West Midlands.
On 18 May 2020, the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) wrote to all social housing residents in England (residents).
For anyone who is currently restrained from holding their General Meeting or have held such in breach of their governing documents, help is on the way!
Social landlords may be surprised to learn that “landlords should be able to carry out routine as well as essential repairs for most households”.
Many housing providers are now re-thinking about gathering information to complete their data return to the Regulator of Social Housing, with the initial exercise having been delayed by Covid-19.
With many premises being left unoccupied (or minimally occupied) during the lockdown, both Public Health England and the Health and Safety Executive have warned of the increased risks of Legionella.
The Court of Appeal judgement in Booth and another v R [2020] EWCA Crim 575 will be welcome news for local authority prosecutors and their investigation teams.
The Local Authorities and Police and Crime Panels (Coronavirus) (Flexibility of Local Authority and Police and Crime Panel Meetings) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020 came into force on 4 April.
The purpose of this 30-minute free webinar is to address how employers navigate homeworking; supporting employees whilst also ensuring that their organisation stays financially viable.
As we make our first tentative steps out of strict lockdown, many of us have been thinking about what the future will look like for charities, both in the short and long term.
The UK Government has, in the last few weeks, introduced a multi-billion-pound package of measures and financial support for businesses and institutions that experience issues with their cash flow.
To receive invitations to our events, as well as information and articles on legal issues and sector developments that are of interest to you, please sign up to Newsroom.