David Bowles: ‘Put patients at risk, cover it up, but who cares?’
A few years ago NHS bosses simply ignored their own codes designed to prevent hospitals in Lincolnshire becoming overcrowded. Overcrowded hospitals are more dangerous. Lincolnshire’s hospitals became some of the most full in the country from late 2009 to spring 2013 when Lincolnshire’s hospitals run by ULHT were put into special measures. But of course…
A few years ago NHS bosses simply ignored their own codes designed to prevent hospitals in Lincolnshire becoming overcrowded. Overcrowded hospitals are more dangerous. Lincolnshire’s hospitals became some of the most full in the country from late 2009 to spring 2013 when Lincolnshire’s hospitals run by ULHT were put into special measures.
Data on occupancy at ULHT compared with the country, compiled by health analyst Professor Sir Brian Jarman.
But of course the top brass of the NHS decided not to tell anybody that they put patients at risk by ignoring their own codes. Perhaps they do not use ULHT? By their lack of openness they deprived patients of their rights to information which could be vital before deciding whether or where to have treatment. If patients came to harm, the lack of openness by the top brass would not have helped patients or relatives decide whether to take legal action. Shocking, but this is NHS management and we have been here before.
Dealing with a real case Mr Ray Law was due to have an operation in early 2010. Before he had his operation nobody told him that the powers that be had crammed the surgical list with more difficult cases than the surgeon would normally carry out. Nobody told Mr Law that he should have a high dependency bed but there were not any and so instead he would go into a general ward. Nobody told Mr Law that there were concerns about the adequacy of the staffing of those wards or indeed the concerns about junior medical cover during his recovery period.
Regrettably this ‘otherwise well gentleman’ died from complications which could and should have been detected.
After his unfortunate death nobody told Mr Law’s relatives the facts about the risks which had been taken.
Nobody that is until a whistleblower at Lincoln County Hospital came forward. The whistleblower released an internal ULHT document and for the first time, some three years later, Mr Law’s family got an insight into the sad and tragic events which affected their family. The coroner’s inquest in 2014 criticised ULHT and the family finally settled a claim against the NHS. However no doubt they feel that they can never be compensated for such a loss.
Other Lincolnshire whistleblowers have referred to patients suffering life changing complications which could have been avoided.
So Cure the NHS has taken legal advice on what happened in Lincolnshire from late 2009 to spring 2013. If you or your relatives had treatment at ULHT and came to harm or suffered poor care, if that overcrowding contributed to your problems, lawyers have advised that the NHS may have breached its duty of care to you.
Alternatively if the additional risks of the hospital being overcrowded were not explained to you before treatment, you may not have given what is called ‘informed consent’. Either way the NHS may now be liable to legal claims from hundreds or even thousands of patients. If you or a relative was affected more advice can be found on Cure the NHS Lincolnshire’s website.
The NHS in Lincolnshire is facing even greater pressure in the future. One way that we can try and force NHS bosses to put safety at the forefront of what they do with our NHS now, is make it clear that what they did in the past was unacceptable. There should be no more cases like Mr L.
Had this happened in the leafy suburbs of Surrey, there would be outrage by our politicians. But this is only Lincolnshire so, frankly, who cares?
— David Bowles is the former Chief Executive of Lincolnshire County Council and Chair of ULHT. He is a member of the Council of Public Concern at Work, the whistleblowing charity.
Spotted an error? Please notify us by selecting that text and pressing Ctrl+Enter.
David Bowles is the former Chief Executive of Lincolnshire County Council and Chair of ULHT. He is a member of the Council of Public Concern at Work, the whistleblowing charity.
The Lincolnite welcomes your views. All comments are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules. Please stay on topic and be respectful of other readers.
The Lincolnite welcomes your views. All comments are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules. Please stay on topic and be respectful of other readers.
Few people attended the second Kill the Bill protest in Lincoln on Saturday, as Extinction Rebellion activists stood alone on the High Street to campaign against a proposed policing bill that could make many protests illegal.
Activists from Extinction Rebellion Lincolnshire gathered at Speakers’ Corner to oppose plans for the latest Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, which could curtail protesting rights if passed through parliament.
Extinction Rebellion were the main representatives at the protest. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Under the proposed bill, police officers will be given greater powers to put a stop to any protests, as well as determining start and finish times for them, and controlling noise levels.
A few stopped to talk with the protestors, but most just went about their day walking down Lincoln High Street in the first weekend that non-essential shops and beer gardens reopened.
The Lincolnite spoke to one of the rebels at the protest, to find out the reasons behind the march.
They said: “This draconian bill cannot go ahead, it needs to be taken apart and re-evaluted completely.
“People have been walking past us shaking their heads, but they don’t realise that it’s their freedom we are fighting for.”
The Lincolnite photographer Steve Smailes captured some pictures from the protest.
Signs were put up by the works at Speakers’ Corner on Lincoln High Street. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
A 19-year-old man is in hospital with serious injuries after a crash on the A52 on Friday evening.
The single-vehicle crash, involving a white Suzuki Splash, happened in the westbound lane of the A52 between Barrowby and Sedgebrook at around 7.20pm on Friday, April 16.
The driver of the car is now in hospital after suffering serious injuries, and police are appealing for witnesses to come forward.
Officers believe the driver had travelled from Grantham on the A52 at Barrowby before the crash.
Anyone who has dashcam footage or saw the vehicle before the incident is being asked to call 101, quoting incident 420 of April 16.
Alternatively, you can email [email protected], using the same reference in the subject box.
It has been a tragic week with three deaths on Lincolnshire’s roads after two male motorbike riders and a man on a pedal bike lost their lives.
The roads are now busier again after further lockdown restrictions were eased on April 12, but since then three men have sadly died.
A man died after falling from his pedal bike in Branston on Wednesday, April 14 and police said his death is not being treated as suspicious.
On the same day, a 34-year-old male died after a crash involving two motorcycles near Gainsborough.
The man who lost his life in the collision was riding a silver Wuyang motorcycle. The second motorcycle was a blue Suzuki being ridden by a man in his 30s, who was taken to hospital with suspected serious injuries.
A 54-year-old man from North Lincolnshire also died after his motorbike crashed with a Royal Mail post van on the A631 near Glentham at around 4pm on Thursday, April 15.
This comes after it was revealed on March 11 that for the first time in over three decades nobody had died on the county’s roads in the first months of the year, according to Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership.
Lincolnshire Police revealed earlier this week that between 2018 and 2020 twenty five motorcyclists lost their lives on Lincolnshire’s roads.