Specialist Calls For Improvements After New Worries Emerge

A medical negligence expert at Irwin Mitchell is urging the NHS and government to provide answers over concerns that many healthcare assistants in hospitals are not qualified to provide basic care.

In an interview with The Times, Dickon Weir-Hughes of the Nursing and Midwifery Council has claimed a lack of standardisation means many wards are facing a “ghastly national disaster”.

He added that, at present, there is the possibility that nurses struck off for failing to meet patient safety standards could be taking posts as assistants in hospitals.

Irwin Mitchell’s specialist clinical negligence team represents people who have suffered serious injuries as a result of errors in treatment or the failure of NHS staff to follow safety standards.

Mandy Luckman, a Partner and expert at the national law firm’s Birmingham office, said: “It is a major concern that the skills of staff tasked with providing basic care are seemingly not being put under the microscope.

“On too many occasions we have seen the terrible consequences that can emerge when patients do not receive the best possible support in their care, and it is vital that systems are put in place to ensure anyone involved with looking after those in hospital meet certain criteria.

“People need reassurances that they will receive the best possible care when in hospital and we hope that the NHS can consider this issue in depth, with a view to improving and maintaining the highest standards.”