Medical negligence claims and A & E targets

"Top-down" government targets have always been controversial. In 2008, the latest government target to come in for criticism is one which seeks to have every patient admitted to accident and emergency treated within 4 hours of admission. While this, in theory, might seem like a good idea, it has led to accusations that hospitals are keeping seriously ill and injured patients outside of A&E departments in order to delay their admission.

Although this, in itself, does not constitute clinical negligence, the fact that some hospitals feel under so much pressure to meet seemingly unmeetable targets, may help shed light on the conditions which are leading NHS trusts to regularly spend millions on the payouts of medical negligence compensation.

The practice, known as "patient stacking", usually involves patients who have been taken to A&E with problems such as broken arms or legs, respiratory problems or fits. An investigation by Sunday newspaper The Observer reveals that many hospitals are holding them in ambulances for lengthy periods, sometimes more than an hour, leading to many interested parties voicing concerns that valuable ambulance crews are being unnecessarily detained from attending emergency calls.

A spokesperson from union UNISON commented on the practice, "A fully equipped ambulance and a fully trained ambulance crew are effectively babysitting patients when they should be out there dealing with emergencies. Ambulances should not be used as mobile waiting rooms. They should be freed up to do their job."

"The problem is that A&E units aren't admitting patients who are in the back of ambulances if at all possible if it's going to compromise the four-hour target that they are set by the government to treat all patients in A&E. They are deliberately keeping patients outside waiting in ambulances."

What is clear is that if the problem is not tackled soon, it may eventually lead to a situation where some hospitals are left crippled with large payouts of medical negligence compensation.

Dr Jonathan Fielden from the British Medical Association added his voice to those expressing concern, "Undoubtedly some patients' care will have suffered as a result of these delays. The vast majority of patients coming into hospital by ambulance are in critical need of urgent care in hospital and therefore delay in getting to that critical care can worsen their outcome. That could include patients with heart attacks, certain types of strokes, breathing difficulties or trauma."

Medical negligence solicitors
The first priority of doctors and medical staff should be to their patients. If you feel other priorities have resulted in you receiving substandard or negligent medical care, then it may be worth investigating whether you are entitled to receive medical negligence compensation.

The no win, no fee solicitors on our panel firms are among the very best in the country and, win or lose, never charge a single penny in legal costs or fees. In some clinical negligence cases, it is necessary that you incur some medical costs, however, on winning the case

Furthermore, our no-cut commitment delivers all our winning claimants 100% compensation.

If you would like to find out more about how we can give your medical negligence claim the very best chance of success, fill out an online claim form, have an echat or request a callback.

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