Medical Negligence Lawyers Support Calls To Ensure Patient Safety Is Upheld

Specialist lawyers at Irwin Mitchell are supporting calls from senior consultants at Royal Liverpool Hospital for urgent action and an independent investigation to protect patients after it was reported that around 10,000 vital follow-up appointments had not taken place over six years.

The Liverpool Echo has revealed that the doctors, who are based in the gastroenterology and hepatology department, have written to their own directors at the board of Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (LUHFT) to raise concerns over more than 9,000 patients at Aintree Hospital being “lost to follow-up.”  This is reportedly due to faulty IT, admin errors, high demand and poor governance.

The letter states that some of the patients were suffering from conditions with “malignant potential” but had not had “any surveillance of their condition for a number of years.”  This led to concerns that a number of the patients could come to “actual harm from a delayed diagnosis of cancer.”

The senior doctors said that concerns were first raised in 2018 regarding overdue follow up of patients and attempts were then made to try and address the problems, but concerns remained that the additional support put in place was insufficient.   

They added it would be a “dereliction of duty” if they didn’t highlight their concerns and that “without urgent and transparent action…actual harm will occur given the size and nature of the issues uncovered,” reports The Echo.

Expert medical negligence lawyers at Irwin Mitchell have represented and continue to represent patients affected by care issues at the Trust.

Expert Opinion

“We’re deeply concerned by these reports which understandably will cause a great deal of distress and worry among thousands of patients.

Patient safety should be the fundamental priority in all care and it’s vital that all steps possible are taken to uphold this.

No doubt many people will have further questions and concerns about their care. It’s important that patients and their families now receive the care and support they need to get through this worrying time.”
Margaret Ryan - Partner

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is investigating.

The hospital Trust said a “planned review into gastroenterology services” is being undertaken, and it will “continue to work through the findings to ensure patients receive the care they need as soon as possible.”

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