Patient Safety at The NHS…
Posted on 18. Jun, 2010 by admin in General
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.