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Medical negligence, youclaim.co.uk

Nursing survey might explain medical negligence compensation claims

In the first quarter of 2009, damning reports appeared in the media regarding standards of care in two separate UK hospitals. Patients, and families of those who suffered as a result of poor care, naturally felt they needed some redress and many were suggesting they would file for medical negligence compensation as is their right.

As debate raged about the poor service provided by the NHS, a Channel 4 programme aired featuring candid interviews with NHS nurses discussing a number of the problematic working challenges they face in today's health service; for instance, cost cutting, low staffing levels, long working hours, and the use of many inexperienced agency nurses.

An online survey was carried out by YouGov as supporting data for the programme. Some 1096 UK nurses and midwives responded to the questionnaire raised between 13th February and 3rd March 2009. Some of the key findings of the survey are detailed below.

Patient care

  • 42% of nurses and midwives questioned said they had either been in or witnessed situations where patients had been put in unnecessary danger

  • Over half (57%) of the A&E nurses interviewed said they had witnessed situations where patients' lives had been put in unnecessary danger

  • Almost half (53%) said they had seen colleagues perform medical tasks that they were not qualified to perform

  • 44% of the nurses and midwives polled said they don't always stick to the rules

  • Over a third (37%) thought that patient care in the NHS had become worse in the past five years

Impact of understaffing and long hours
  • Half (51%) of all the nurses and midwives questioned said they were exhausted most of the time

  • 29% said long hours and exhaustion prevented them from doing their jobs properly

  • 83% of the midwives said they had been in situations where they had too many patients to look after properly

  • 70% said understaffing prevented them from doing their jobs properly

  • One third (33%) said they would leave nursing and midwifery if they could

Behaviour of nurses
  • 43% said they had seen other nurses shout at patients (13% admitted they had themselves shouted at patients)

  • 44% of nurses and midwives polled admitted to calling in sick when not really ill

  • 40% admitted to browsing the internet when they should have been working

  • 36% admitted to going to work with a hangover and being unable to concentrate on the job properly

To view the complete survey go to the Channel 4 website and click on the YouGov Survey link.

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