New Research Raises Concerns Of Regional Variation In Treatment

Fresh concerns that patients are being put at risk as a result of regional variations in standards of care across key NHS services must be investigated and tackled as soon as possible, according to specialist medical negligence lawyers.

The NHS Atlas of Variation published by NHS England and Public Health England has reviewed performance across a number of areas, which found a significant variation in cancer diagnosis and stroke treatment.

Other issues highlighted in included problems with diabetes monitoring and differences in mental health support across various regions.

Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, national medical director of NHS England, said the research highlighted “some inconvenient truths” about variation in care.

Specialist medical negligence lawyers at Irwin Mitchell represent patients and the families of those who have suffered as a result of errors and problems during care, including those adversely affected by delays in treatment.

Expert Opinion

“It is simply unacceptable that any patients face a ‘postcode lottery’ in terms of the quality of care they can expect from the NHS – the standard of support on offer should not depend on where a person lives. <br/> <br/>“Sadly, we have seen numerous cases where people have suffered injury or even worse as a result of problems in care which should have been avoided. <br/> <br/>“With this in mind, we would urge the NHS and health authorities to carefully assess this analysis and determine what can be done to improve services across the board. <br/> <br/>“The safety of patients should always come first and no one should be placed at risk.” Angela Kirtley - Partner