John Knight

By John Knight john.knight

Delegates at the National Cancer Research Institute Conference in Liverpool this week were quick to tell us how proud and excited they were about recent and future developments in the fight against cancer, but yet on ITV’s Exposure programme Too Late to Save Your Life painted a different story.

Which are we to believe?

The information put forward by ITV’s researchers was shocking when talking about the UK’s screening programmes for Lung, Prostate and Bowel Cancer. These three cancers together make up 40% of all cancer deaths in the UK and every year collectively 60,000 people die from one of these three cancers – or one person every nine minutes.

Yet we have worse screening programmes for these cancers than a number of European countries. Even the poorest areas of Boston, US, have better programmes (free!), in a country which often won’t treat you until you have given them details of your bank account.

On the other hand, research and technical developments in the fight against cancer has been excellent over recent times, due to an increase in funding and technological advances in areas such as genetics.

It is certainly possible that both of these news stories are true. What we see though at Ringrose Law, on a daily basis, are enquiries from distraught members of the public who feel let down by someone or something in the NHS at a time when they need timely investigation or treatment and support from the NHS.

We of course only see the negative side of the NHS and are well aware of the thousands of patients who are dealt with excellently on a daily basis (the writer included). When contacted, we always give free initial advice as to which way we believe they should take their problem forward.

To help people who find themselves or a family member having difficulty with NHS treatment at times like this, we would suggest that:

• They initially express their concerns to the people who are treating them;
• They ask for an explanation of matters if they haven’t already been given one (poor communication is a common problem we hear of);
• They ask for a second opinion if they are still not happy;
• If no progress is being made, please contact PALS if treatment is still being given, or POhWER , if treatment has finished and they will help you with your complaint;
• Alternatively, contact Ringrose Law and we will provide free initial advice to try and help you resolve the situation, or recommend commencing legal action if appropriate

Should you have a matter to wish to discuss confidently with us please contact us on 01522 561020.

John Knight is the Head of the Personal Injury and Medical Negligence departments at Ringrose Law. He has worked in the Personal Injury team at Ringrose Law since 2003, and particularly specialises in complex and high value claims such as accidents at work, road traffic accidents and accidents resulting in death. He also specialises in representing families at inquests and helping people suffering serious injuries from assaults or other criminal activities via the Criminal Injury Compensation Authority.

By John Knight john.knight

The number of complaints to the NHS has doubled in the last five years, with over 8,000 people complaining in 2012 about treatment they have received, according to reports.

Out of the complaints made, 10% were actually made by doctors against other medical professionals. This shows that the previous attitude of looking after their own and staying silent when patients suffer at the hands of their colleagues and peers is beginning to change, so that more people are held accountable when their standard of treatment is not at the level expected of them.

It is thought that the increase in the number of complaints has partly been caused by the investigations into many of the NHS trusts because of their low standards of care. United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust, which covers local hospitals including Lincoln County, Boston Pilgrim and Grantham and District, is one of the trusts being investigated.

Even though the number of complaints has risen, a survey showed that the majority of people still do not report a problem they have had with medical treatment and instead suffer in silence.

This means that they are missing out on the opportunity to ask questions about the treatment they were not satisfied with and find out if it was negligent. If there has been negligent treatment by a medical professional then this means that a claim for compensation can be made, but many people do not realise they are able to make a claim and lose the chance of obtaining compensation that they are entitled to.

Only this month, a teenage boy who suffered severe brain damage during his birth at Lincoln County Hospital won over £2.65 million in compensation.

Examples of situations where there could have been negligence on behalf of a medical professional include failing to diagnose a condition or illness, prescribing incorrect or inappropriate treatment, failing to warn someone of all of the significant risks that could occur as the result of treatment and providing a very poor standard of treatment.

John Knight is the Head of the Personal Injury and Medical Negligence departments at Ringrose Law. He has worked in the Personal Injury team at Ringrose Law since 2003, and particularly specialises in complex and high value claims such as accidents at work, road traffic accidents and accidents resulting in death. He also specialises in representing families at inquests and helping people suffering serious injuries from assaults or other criminal activities via the Criminal Injury Compensation Authority.