Medical Lawyers Call For Action Following New Study

Care services for heart attack patients need to be carefully assessed and reviewed following new research which raises concerns over treatment in hospitals, according to medical negligence specialists at Irwin Mitchell.

New research from the National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death (NCEPOD) has suggested that 38 per cent of cardiac arrests in acutely ill patients could be avoided by improving standards, with particular concerns raised over a lack of support for junior doctors from senior staff.

The study suggested that assessments when patients arrive at hospital are not good enough, while further issues were in relation to picking up warning signs, acting on them and failures to communicate the issues.

Irwin Mitchell’s specialist Medical Law and Patients’ Rights team act for people who have suffered serious injury or illness as a result of care failings, including those where errors in treatment have had a significant impact on the safety of patients.

Mandy Luckman, a Partner and clinical negligence expert in the firm’s Birmingham office, said: “This NCEPOD study has raised significant concerns over patient safety when it comes to cardiac arrest treatment.

“We hope that the NHS and private care providers are able to use these findings as the starting point for a thorough examination of current operations across their hospitals, with the overall aim of improving the overall treatment that patients are receiving.

“Our experience means we are fully aware of the awful impact that errors or failings can have on both victims and their families, so it is absolutely vital that lessons can be learned quickly before the concerns raised affect anymore patients.

“Patient safety must always be a priority and we hope that the same problems will be avoided in the future.”