Journal Article Raises Concerns

Efforts need to be made to address the concerns raised about the care on offer to patients who need ventilation at home, a clinical negligence expert at Irwin Mitchell has urged.

An article in the British Medical Journal has suggested that the support on offer to many people with such requirements is below par, as hospitals often have to organise care packages without full assessments of the suitability of staff.

It added that problems had originally been highlighted in 2002, but little has been done to address the issue, reports the Press Association.

The experts suggest that specialist units, of which only a few exist, would be best suited to provide the right standards of care.

Guy Forster, an Associate Solicitor and clinical negligence claims expert at Irwin Mitchell’s Birmingham office, said it was vital that the concerns raised by those in the medical field are addressed.

He said: “So many of the cases we deal with are related to issues of substandard care which could and should have been addressed by experts within the NHS and other healthcare organisations.

“What is particularly concerning is that problems in this area are thought to have been flagged nearly a decade ago. This of course raises a massive question as to why nothing has yet been done to improve standards and the training of standards.

“Patient safety must always be a priority for the NHS and I hope that action can be taken which will ensure people received improve levels of care, as well as timely and necessary treatment.”