Archive for 'General'
Patient Safety at The NHS…
Posted on 18. Jun, 2010 by admin.
The NHS takes patient safety extremely seriously, and will immediately look into any cases whereby the patient thinks their safety, or their rights have been compromised. Therefore, if, for instance, you believe an NHS practitioner, or social services employee has been guilty of professional misconduct, you can complain to their professional or regulatory body. So what does ‘professional misconduct’ actually mean? Well, if you feel you’ve experienced, or know or someone who has experienced a sexual relationship with an NHS practitioner, then you have a right to complain. If you have had experience of a practitioner claiming they’re competent to practise when in fact you believe they are not, then you have a right to complain. If you believe that a practitioner has falsely claimed that they’re qualified to practise, then, again, you should complain without hesitation. Perhaps you feel your practitioner has breached confidentiality, or that they’ve manipulated yours or someone else’s patient medical records, then you should complain.
The purpose of professional regulators is to protect and promote the safety of the public. They do this by monitoring behaviour, education and setting standards of medical ethics that health professionals must meet. They deal with concerns about professionals who are unfit to practise due to poor health, misconduct or poor performance.
Regulators register health professionals who are fit to practise in the UK, and can remove a professional from the register and stop them from practising if it’s in the interests of public safety. If, for whatever reason, you feel it necessary to complain about a section of the NHS, then the company itself would urge you to make your complaint known – they guarantee to get to the bottom of the problem, however large or small the issue. Should you be concerned about treatment received from the National Health Service, speak to The Medical Protection Society today.
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Holiday Accidents and Travel
Posted on 02. Nov, 2009 by admin.
One of the problem areas of holidaying abroad is that travel is required. Since the UK is an island this means crossing international air-space or waters (or under them), where the law is even more complex and confusing than it is in the UK. This is because there could be a number of companies from many countries involved, and this, coupled with international law, which is different from UK law and normally takes precedence for certain aspects of a claim, leads to a dogs dinner of legislation and high solicitors’ costs.
Because of these complications it is necessary to take out the best insurance possible. Check that you are covered in international zones and in the geographical regions you are visiting. Speedy claiming is always important, and for injuries internationally inflicted it is important to note that the maximum time period to instigate a claim is two years and not three years as in the UK.
They say worse things happen at sea, and for a (personal injury) PI claim this may well be true. The major problem is that international conventions and agreements take precedence over British law. This means that at the very least that you should use a solicitor experienced in international law for holiday claims.
In contrast, and in terms of claim success, an aeroplane is a better place to have an accident, since airlines are under a strict liability to pay compensation. In general this means that they will not contest your claim, unless it is considered excessive. It is a bit like being caught by a speed-camera. There is no defence. Although the court can drop the fine if the feel circumstances dictate it, you are still guilty. One problem is that claims for psychiatric damage are not allowed. Even if you end up institutionalised after some particularly hairy flying. The reasons for these rules are probably due to airline lobbying, since it is unlikely that you will have a minor accident on an aeroplane. They are nearly all major and indeed most are, of course, fatal. It also probable that psychiatric illness acquired on an aeroplane will stem from a predisposition of many people to panic during a turbulent flight.