Jeremy Hunt launches new Charity to monitor patient safety
It will be called Patient Safety Watch, and the former health secretary will chair it and plans to invest hundreds of thousands of pounds in it over several years. It will commission research from leading universities on the scale of patient harm, with the aim to create an agreed methodology that will allow trends in the level of harm in healthcare to be tracked over time.
Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA) of which Gotelee are members welcomed today’s announcement. They stated that “As the UK’s leading patient safety charity we advise thousands of patients and families every year whose lives have been torn apart by completely avoidable harm that can have a devastating long-term impact on those affected.
We commend Mr Hunt for his work highlighting this vital issue although note “the remit of the new charity is to be a narrow one which is about establishing credible data around patient safety issues.”
Hugh Williams, AvMA Deputy Chief Executive, said: “More data will be valuable, but we need more action now to protect patients based on what we already know. This includes greater openness, a stronger commitment to involving patients and families in patient safety, and making sure lessons are learnt and changes are made when mistakes have been made.”
At Gotelee Solicitors our team has years of experience in advising clients and their families who have suffered as a result of medical mistakes or diagnosis. All too often it appears that previous mistakes have not been learnt from.
If we can help you contact Sian Mullane by emailing [email protected]
