Blog
Rayner my parade! The importance of specialist advice.
Jemma Brimblecombe
5 June 2014
Whistleblowers ignored at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells Hospital leading to the death of 5 patients
An article published in the Telegraph magazine on Monday 2nd June highlights that NHS trusts continue to ignore concerns raised by staff about colleagues.
14 May 2014
"If doctors fear being sued, taking away that fear might help patients" Response to Guardian article
Richard P Grant's article in the Guardian yesterday suggests that Lord Saatchi's medical innovation bill will make it easier for patients to obtain experimental treatment.
13 May 2014
Labour wards not for “straightforward births’ says NICE
This BBC headline today comments on draft advice issued by NICE – the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence which suggests that healthy women experiencing a “straightforward” or “low risk” pregnancy should be encouraged to give birth in a midwife-led unit rather than a traditional labour ward.
25 February 2014
The Care.Data Programme: Who’s reading your medical records?
In clinical negligence cases we invariably need to obtain copies of our clients’ medical records. Presentation of a signed Form of Authority is a key part of the process, and so it should be. Confidentiality lies at the heart of the patient doctor relationship, and doctors must always be clear that the patient’s explicit agreement is obtained before their private and sensitive data is released to third parties who are not involved in their care. The care.data programme that is being rolled out by the NHS puts both the doctor and the patient in an invidious position.
7 February 2014
The Francis Report: One Year On
A year has passed since the publication by Robert Francis QC of his report of the Public Inquiry into the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust (commonly known as the Francis Report) and a new report out today attempts to evaluate the extent to which acute hospital trusts in England have sought to embrace and act upon the main themes and recommendations from that Inquiry.