13 October 2015
The ‘Weekend Effect’ – How to avoid dying in hospital
A recent study has produced findings which suggest that patients are more likely to die if admitted to hospital on a weekend.
The study, authored by researchers from University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and University College London and published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, examined the effect of hospital admission day on death rates across NHS England hospitals for 2013-2014. The results confirm findings from an analysis they undertook for 2009-2010.
28 September 2015
Cosmetic surgery – do your homework to reduce the risk
The American website myfreeimplants.com allows women to post photos of themselves to solicit donations for cosmetic surgery. Donors are invited to “invest in breasts” by contributing money to women seeking breast implants. Women post photos and messages about their plastic surgery goals and network with online benefactors, and in return, donors pay women to help them “achieve the body of their dreams”. Gobsmacked? So was I.
15 September 2015
Clinical Negligence - fix the costs and you load the die
You may have seen the recent press coverage relating to the government’s plan to consider introducing fixed recoverable costs for personal injury claims involving clinical negligence worth up to £250,000. There is an underlying premise that this will save the NHS money at the expense of ‘greedy’ lawyers. I find it frustrating that the approach and behaviour of NHS Defendants (which drive up Claimant costs) has so far been overlooked. Additionally, I question the impact that fixed costs would have on injured Claimants’ access to justice.
17 July 2015
Birth injury series - caesarean section
Families affected by a birth injury are often reluctant to pursue a claim against the NHS or private hospital involved with their child’s birth. They may be distraught and finding it difficult to come to terms with the devastating news that their child has a catastrophic brain injury.
The focus of this blog is caesaren section and is the sixth and final blog in our birth injury series.
This blog first appeared in At Home Magazine.
15 July 2015
Injured abroad whilst on holiday? A modern take on the story of David & Goliath
In an earlier blog, Children unlawfully killed in Corfu hotel - should Thomas Cook be compensated?, I talked about how helpful the Package Travel Regulations are, but unfortunately they don’t always apply.
A client of mine was involved in a very serious road accident in Egypt. She was travelling in a desert safari tour (which had been organised by her hotel) when the vehicle inexplicably left the road. Her husband was one of two people to die in the accident, and she herself received serious injuries.
