Disgraceful 'legitimisation' of NHS cover-ups of medical errors

See Telegraph report. "Peter Walsh, chief executive of AvMA, said: “It is nothing short of a national disgrace that the Government have pushed through these controversial measures."

(AvMA is the patient safety charity Action against Medical Accidents. See http://www.avma.org.uk/)

The routine cover-ups/whitewashes/blatant lies of the NHS and the medical profession, with regard to medical mistakes and negligence, and the terrible futility of the NHS Complaints Procedures, are, of course, the main reasons for the shamefully high incidence of serious patient safety incidents and horrifying hospital scandals.

UK Patient died of dehydration after being refused water

The Telegraph reports that 22 year old hospital patient, Kane Gorny's "requests for water were refused and nurses called in security guards to restrain him when he became angry."

I do hope that this horrifying neglect will not become just another instance of appalling hospital negligence in which no-one is found responsible and no-one is punished for what should surely be regarded as corporate manslaughter.

NHS tolerance of sheer carelessness over patient care leads to high incidence of medical errors/negligence and unnecessary suffering for patients

The Sunday Telegraph reports on "a catalogue of medical mistakes".

The reported blunders are just the tip of the iceberg. Most 'untoward incidents' are covered up or never reported and it is rare for those responsible actually to be held accountable in any meaningful way. When there is a lack of accountability and sanctions there is of course little incentive for the carelessness and negligence to be reduced.

NHS tolerance of sheer carelessness over patient care leads to high incidence of medical errors/negligence, unnecessary suffering for patients and high costs in compensation claims.

Remember those sentences we are encouraged to associate with doctors and with the NHS?

1. First do no harm.
2. The NHS is the envy of the world.

Neither has ever been true.

One million patients a year are put at risk by hospital blunders and near misses, official figures have revealed.

One million patients at risk in NHS, official figures find
article in the Telegraph

Extracts:

"However experts warned many more are being swept under the carpet as healthcare staff and managers fail to report incidents.

Data on the number of incidents relating to patient safety, the type and the level of harm occurring in each NHS organisation in England and Wales has been published for the first time."

"Anna Walker, Chief Executive of the Healthcare Commission, said: "We know that a significant gap exists between the number of incidents that are reported by the NHS and the number that happen in reality. We welcome the publication of information from individual NHS trusts and increases in reporting because they bring us closer to the true picture of safety and allow a critical and honest assessment of where improvements need to be made. This is a vital part of improving the safety of patients.""

To the best of my knowledge none of the massive amount of medical negligence I have myself experienced has ever been reported by staff, and my own attempts to report it and get anything done have been stonewalled and no action taken to improve the system or the health professionals' behaviour or performance. I was even threatened with libel action if I continued to complain about the appalling treatment I had received...)o: