In the UK medical negligence instances have been continuously rising for many years now. There have been over 8000 deaths over the last 13 years and many more other cases which left patients with illnesses or injuries. Within the NHS Medical Negligence is a very big issue and because each case leaves the NHS facing the possibility of having to pay compensation, it can be very harmful to the NHS over time.
The NHS is there to supply free healthcare to the 60 million plus population of the United Kingdom. To be able to do this the NHS must be funded through the taxpaying public who have a percentage of their income deducted each month. Once the tax is paid to the government they decide how much of it will be allocated to the NHS. For the year 2011/2012 the NHS budget is around 106 billion and this goes towards paying all of the NHS's expenses.
Whenever a medical negligence case happens within the NHS they are likely to have to pay out compensation to the individual or the family of the individual who suffered the injury, illness or in the worst case death. Medical negligence pay outs are usually quite high in the eyes of the NHS but to the victims and their families they offer little in the way of comfort. Only 40% of all NHS medical negligence claims result in a pay out of less than 5000.
Of course because the NHS has a set budget for each year they cannot afford to be paying out for negligence claims on a regular basis. Every compensation settlement which they have to pay is less money which can be spent on employees} and equipment to offer greater healthcare. Having to spend so much on compensation is obviously very damaging to the NHS. Payments as big as this medical negligence settlement are proof that as long as serious mistakes happen the compensation pay outs no matter how big or damaging to the NHS must be settled one way or another....
It is not just in a financial way that negligence pay outs weaken the NHS either. Cases of medical negligence often entice negative media attention and a lot of discussion of the high NHS negligence pay out numbers. Consequently his in turn causes people to question the standard of care provided by the NHS.
Please Click Below For Wider Reading Books on Medical Negligence & Medical Malpractice...
Thursday, 12 January 2012
Monday, 9 January 2012
What happens to doctors when successful medical negligence claims are made against them?
Just as in all areas of life, people make errors when it comes to medicine. These mistakes, though, unlike in other walks of life, can have horrible and long lasting effects in the patients it impacts. We are all familiar with those stories about people getting the wrong limb amputated, or about experimental drugs being given out, that cause surprising and significant health issues; and we are all aware of how serious these cases are. For this reason, litigation rights are vital for patients.
When a person suffers as a result of a sub-standard medical procedure, often the only choice, to cover the damages, is to file for compensation. This kind of claim is called a claim of medical malpractice, but despite the negative valence of the name, this procedure need not be damaging to the doctor concerned. If an honest mistake was involved, or something else that is not really blameworthy, then the doctor can carry on to practice throughout, and straight after the court proceedings.
More serious claims, however, deal with the name of medical negligence, and these really are damaging to the medical professionals they concern. The repercussions for the doctor are, clearly, a function of situational factors. How serious the error and the seriousness of the effects on the patient are both looked at very carefully.
If, for instance, a doctor's insistence on the use of an experimental drug, as opposed to a more standard one, results outcomes in the patient's recovery being badly delayed, then the doctor may just be suspended for a while. This can be damaging enough, however, for it can seriously affect the possibilities of that doctor getting a job elsewhere in the future.
The more serious cases, however, such as a doctor's drinking meaning that a patient is severely disabled for the rest of their life, the charge of suspension seems a little below the mark. Rather, the doctor will most likely be fired, prosecuted, and even sent to prison in especially serious cases.
Go here for Medical Negligence Claim Reading
When a person suffers as a result of a sub-standard medical procedure, often the only choice, to cover the damages, is to file for compensation. This kind of claim is called a claim of medical malpractice, but despite the negative valence of the name, this procedure need not be damaging to the doctor concerned. If an honest mistake was involved, or something else that is not really blameworthy, then the doctor can carry on to practice throughout, and straight after the court proceedings.
More serious claims, however, deal with the name of medical negligence, and these really are damaging to the medical professionals they concern. The repercussions for the doctor are, clearly, a function of situational factors. How serious the error and the seriousness of the effects on the patient are both looked at very carefully.
If, for instance, a doctor's insistence on the use of an experimental drug, as opposed to a more standard one, results outcomes in the patient's recovery being badly delayed, then the doctor may just be suspended for a while. This can be damaging enough, however, for it can seriously affect the possibilities of that doctor getting a job elsewhere in the future.
The more serious cases, however, such as a doctor's drinking meaning that a patient is severely disabled for the rest of their life, the charge of suspension seems a little below the mark. Rather, the doctor will most likely be fired, prosecuted, and even sent to prison in especially serious cases.
Go here for Medical Negligence Claim Reading
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