September 22nd, 2009
As many as one in six NHS patients is becoming the victim of a misdiagnosis, new research has warned.
A study from Imperial College London found that 15 per cent of people were being diagnosed with the wrong illness because doctors were too quick to assess patients, or were unwilling to seek second opinions when unsure.
Profesor Graham Neale, spokesperson for the institution, said that although the majority of errors were rectified within two days, thousands of people could still be at risk.
Peter Walsh, the chief executive of Action Against Medical Accidents, agreed, commenting: "We would like to see it become a legal requirement for all missed diagnoses to be reported."
Earlier this week, the Manchester Evening News reported that a man had died after being sent home from hospital three times, despite the fact that he had been suffering from a swollen blood vessel in his brain which later ruptured.
Tags: Blood Vessel, Brain, Chief Executive, Doctors, Imperial College London, Manchester Evening News, Medical Accidents, Missed Diagnoses, News Reported That, Nhs Patients, Peter Walsh, Risk, Spokesperson, Three Times
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August 7th, 2009
A man who suffered long-lasting injuries after he was hit head-on by another vehicle is to receive £3.3 million in compensation.
Sean Milligan, 44, had been driving in Lanarkshire in May 2004 when Mark Lynch came in the other direction on the wrong side of the road.
Mr Milligan sustained injuries to his brain which mean that he is now unable to care for himself and suffers from bouts of anger. He also has difficulty balancing and walking, the BBC attests.
He took legal action against Mr Lynch and the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) has now agreed to the payout.
Making the ruling, Lord Woolman at the Court of Session in Edinburgh said Mr Milligan’s compensation should be particularly high due to his pain and suffering.
The MIB aims to reduce the level and impact of uninsured driving and handles 30,000 claims every year for accidents which involve uninsured vehicles.
Tags: 3m, Accidents, Anger, Bbc, Bouts, Brain, Drunk Driver, Edinburgh, Hit Man, Lanarkshire, Mib, Milligan, Motor Insurers Bureau, Woolman, Wrong Side Of The Road
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July 29th, 2009
A woman who was left brain damaged due to errors at her birth has been awarded compensation to cover her long-term care.
Lucy Jones, now 24, was born at the former Princess Margaret Hospital in Swindon in February 1984, the Swindon Advertiser reports.
Although her mother was suffering problems, staff did not make the decision to carry out a Caesarean until 04:15 GMT, by which time Lucy had been starved of oxygen.
A subsequent investigation found that the operation could have been performed by 01:30 GMT in order to make the situation safer for the baby.
Lucy’s family took legal action against the Avon, Gloucester & Wiltshire Strategic Health Authority, which has now admitted liability and agreed to pay a seven-figure sum that should pay for Lucy’s care needs for the rest of her life.
According to Scope, approximately one in four children is born with cerebral palsy in the UK.
Tags: Advertiser Reports, Amp, Avon, Brain, Cerebral Palsy, Figure Sum, Former Princess Margaret Hospital, Gloucester, Gmt, Long Term Care, Lucy Jones, Negligence, Oxygen, Princess Margaret Hospital, Scope, Strategic Health Authority, Subsequent Investigation, Swindon Advertiser, Woman
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July 8th, 2009
A woman who was trampled by cows while walking her dogs along a public footpath has been awarded £250,000 compensation.
Shirley McKaskie, now 50, was walking to meet her partner at a nearby pub in Greystone Gill near Penrith when the incident occurred in 2003.
She was trampled and tossed around by the 40-strong herd of Simmental-cross cows, many of which had calves at the time.
Ms McKaskie was left with serious head injuries and is now brain damaged. She also broke several bones and has to use a wheelchair.
In a new development, Judge Howarth ruled that the victim had had to deviate slightly from the footpath due to an obstruction of nettles, but that she was still within her rights and should not have been put in danger.
The farmer, John Cameron, said he is to launch an appeal.
The Health and Safety Executive states that between April 1996 and March 2006, 46 incidents involving cattle and members of the public were investigated across Britain. Seven resulted in death.
Tags: Bones, Brain, Calves, Cattle, Cows, Dogs, Farmer John, Greystone, Head Injuries, Health And Safety, Health And Safety Executive, Herd, John Cameron, Nettles, Penrith, Public Footpath, Time Ms, Wheelchair, Woman
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July 6th, 2009
A woman whose twins were born brain damaged after poor treatment on an army base has secured compensation after a 13-year legal battle.
Lynne Steele, 41, was staying in Germany where her then husband was on active service in 1991.
After suffering pains in her stomach, the pregnant woman feared she was going into early labour and went to see the on-site medic, Dr Ian Anderson.
However, he refused to see her and attempted to give a diagnosis over the phone.
When Ms Steele did go into premature labour four hours later, she had passed the point where the birth could be delayed and her twins were born brain damaged and permanently disabled.
Although the Ministry of Defence (MoD) denied liability, arguing that the boys would have been disabled wherever they were born, Ms Steele disagreed and took the organisation to court.
In a new development, it was ruled this week that the MoD was negligent and that Shane and Dean should receive £1.65 million and £1.9 million respectively in compensation to cover their long-term care.
Last year, it was reported that the MoD had a shortage of 2,065 medical staff across the services and had employed 184 private medical staff on British bases since 2004 to meet the demand.
Tags: Active Service, Army Base, Brain, Dean, Diagnosis, Dr Ian, Early Labour, Germany, Long Term Care, Medical Staff, Ministry Of Defence, Pregnant Woman, Premature Labour, Shane, Stomach, Twins
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