Lawyer Concerned By BBC Report

A leading medical negligence expert has urged authorities to learn from the revelation that an agency nurse was filmed mistakenly switching off a patient’s life support machine.

Mandy Luckman of Irwin Mitchell responded after a report set to be shown on BBC’s Inside Out programme tonight revealed that Violetta Aylward turned off a ventilator in error, which in turn left 37-year-old Jamie Merrett with serious brain damage.

The incident was caught on camera as Mr Merrett, a tetraplegic, had decided to set one up in his home due to concerns over the quality of care he was receiving. It has also been suggested that authorities did not act on emails he sent to them in relation to the issue.

Discussing the case, negligence lawyer Mandy Luckman said: “The details which have emerged in relation to this incident are very worrying.

“Patient safety must always be a priority for anyone working for or on behalf of the NHS. Lessons must be learnt from this terrible incident, which has gone on to have a life-changing impact on the victim.

“I urge authorities to provide every assurance that procedures and protocols are now in place to ensure that many other people are protected from avoidable errors like this one.”