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In May 2013, a British Medical Journal (BMJ) study revealed that patients undergoing planned surgery were more likely to suffer fatal clinical negligence during the weekend than at the beginning of the week.
Naturally, many individuals, medical authorities, and organisations – such as the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) – declared that these findings were unacceptable and that people should receive the same level of care from medical professionals throughout the week.
Reportedly, the lack of experienced doctors on duty in hospitals during Saturdays and Sundays impacted the safety of patients undergoing elective surgical procedures.
Furthermore, the lack of consultants available during emergency cases at the weekends meant that those patients were more likely to die than if they had been admitted earlier in the week.
The team which undertook the study – led by a clinical reader in epidemiology and public health at Imperial College London – stated that the risk of a poor outcome to medical treatment increased every day after Monday.
A spokesperson for the research team explained, “Compared with Monday, the adjusted odds of death [taking into account case mix] for all elective surgical procedures was 44% higher, and 82% higher, if the procedures were carried out on Friday or at the weekend respectively.”
The study also found that the chances of patients dying or suffering other clinical negligence-related injuries were higher if having a lung removed, an operation to improve blood-flow to the heart, or surgery for an abdominal aortic aneurysm.
The skill with which operations are undertaken, and the first 48 hours following surgery, are very important to an individual’s recovery, so a lower quality of care during certain days of the week is unacceptable.
Fewer experienced staff could mean that a patient does not receive the care they require to successfully recover from their surgery or the initial injuries caused by their accident or illness.
If you or a member of your family have suffered clinical negligence – which resulted in personal injury or illness – you could be eligible to claim compensation for your pain, suffering, and lost earnings.
12th August 2019
In 2018, official figures showed the waiting list for an NHS operation was over 4.3 million patients long. To put this into context, if we were to print this off, assuming an average of 50 patients per page, and laid end to end, the list would be 23 kilometres long (or 14 miles) – enough to stretch from our office in Brighton to Worthing (via the A27).
9th August 2019
You may be surprised (and somewhat perturbed) to hear the true scale of healthcare ‘adverse events’ in the UK – these are defined as “instances which indicate or may indicate that a patient has received poor quality care”. Continue reading »
4th July 2019
In two recent articles we looked at the law and procedures of Coronial Inquests in some detail. Our first article, ‘What happens at an Inquest (and other frequently asked questions)’ gave an overview of the Inquest procedure. During the course of this blog we asked, and provided answers to, questions such as, ‘When is an Inquest required?’, ‘What is the purpose of an Inquest?’, ‘What will happen at an Inquest?’ and a number of other common issues that face those involved in the Inquest procedure. Continue reading »
26th June 2019
The death of a loved one is probably the most traumatic, harrowing experience any human being will experience in their lifetime. Not only is there a period of unimaginable grief, suffering and uncontrollable feelings of sadness and loss to go through, but in addition there are a wealth of practicalities that have to be dealt with – a funeral to be arranged, finances to be sorted out, fellow grieving relatives who need supporting and potentially, sales of property and effects to be dealt with. Continue reading »
24th May 2019
No amount of money can compensate for the loss of a loved one due to someone else’s negligence, but it can at least soften the financial blow. In one case, the widow and four children of a man who was struck down by a hit-and-run driver achieved a seven-figure settlement of their claim. Continue reading »
