Errors by medical staff!
Should we sue these people who make mistakes?

Hello Alan

Mistakes by NHS medical staff should not be made. If they are made, one should complain to ensure that steps (e.g striking that member of staff off the register, retraining them, or getting appropriate protocols put in place, etc) are taken to avoid their being made again. Mistakes will always happen :banghead: but we should aim to minimize them and foster the conditions that don't encourage them.

Suing the NHS or its staff diverts the tax paid for actual healthcare towards covering litigation :twocents: costs and pay-outs.

I hope this give you a better idea of how I feel about this issue than I could convey through the poll.

Best wishes

Vinod :coffee:

I whole heartily agree with you Vinod, :twocents: imagine suing everyone who made a misteak opps sorry mistake, although when dealing with someones health i.e body, one should excert more care & attention than other professions, which amazes me why health care workers are paid so low :ashamed: .

For the most part I agreed with Vinod and Derek.

However, I do think that the standing and seniority of of any health professional making a mistake should be taken into consideration.

Surely those, relatively few, eminent members of the health profession earning very substantial sums of money could arrange their own liability insurance. These are the people who are least likely to make mistakes, but if or when they do the results could be catastrophic.

In short, a sliding scale of responsibilty.

I now expect somebody to shoot me down in flames!! :boxedin:

I think there is too much pressure from Nurses to Doctors to Consultants.
I think yes they should be aware of mistakes but NOT punished but taught.

Paul

To everyone,

Please be aware I have no intention of suing anyone!

The point I'm making comes from when I recently attended a 'Let's face it meeting' and one of the group was intent on being vengeful to doctor who had made a mistake!

I myself was subject to an error made by a pathologist, who tested a sample of bone marrow that was from an already known part of the mandible, and not what my max fax team had sent to see if they had cleared the infected sufficiently!

While this had caused a great deal of stress, I was more happy that I'm still here. But unfortunately the pathologist has since lost his job!

Sorry if I've caused a misunderstanding!

Alan - I don't think there's any need for you to apologise.

Be pleased that you provoked reactions!

I, for one, didn't think tou had any intention of taking legal action.

I was told in Sept after biopsy at Local hospital The Whittington in London
"my biospy was clear and go home need to worry"

2 months later have 11hr 45 mins operation for Mouth & Neck cancer?
Angry sue I was/
I know how you feel Alan.
I thnk ypou say what you want on here I do !

paul

When i first went to see GP about severe pain at base fo tongue and right sided earache ( feeling something serious was going on ) I was told to take sudafed.Shortly after, i returned and was prescribed anti biotics which did'nt make an ounce of difference. This GP was not my regular as my doctor was away and i got the impression that this no-nonsense busybody woman could'nt wait to get me out the surgery to attend to the production line. Not wanting my concerns to be ignored again, i took myself to hospital where... lo and behold... i was examined properly...and it turned out that i had a tumour at the base of my tongue. If something really dosent feel right, you have to voice this concern. I'm annoyed at this DR Picton for the time wasted and an apparent lack of interest in what turned out to be a very serious illness indeed. steve.