Inquiry called for over-prescribing drugs
An inquiry has been called for over-prescribing drugs which is said to be a growing problem here in the UK where we may be at risk of following in the footsteps of our American cousins who are said to be in somewhat of an “epidemic” for certain prescription drugs like opioids.
Experts are reportedly calling for a “Chilcot style” enquiry off the back of doctors apparently issuing too many prescription drugs that are leading to deaths.
Tens of thousands of people are thought to die each year as a result of an over-prescription of drugs as doctors may be relying too heavily on their use to treat patients.
Ambulance misfuelling incidents putting lives at risk
Ambulance ‘misfuelling’ incidents are said to be putting lives at risk, with campaigners saying misfuelling incidents are threatening patient safety.
According to reports gleaned from a Telegraph Freedom of Information request, there have been more than 750 incidents of “misfuelling” with ambulances since 2012, which can put ambulances out of action for weeks at a time in some cases.
As a result of the issue, some NHS Trusts are said to be trialling alerts to prevent misfuelling incidents occurring.
Hundreds may have died in NHS breast cancer screening scandal
The Injury Lawyers are investigating the breaking news that hundreds of women may have died in an NHS breast cancer screening scandal.
Women aged between 68 and 71 who were supposed to have received a letter inviting them for lifesaving breast cancer screening never received their invitations because of an IT glitch that happened in 2009.
The glitch was discovered in January this year, and the government believes that as many as 270 people have died as a result of not having breast cancer screening, and these deaths may be linked to the glitch.
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NHS may be heading for a summer crisis after the recent winter dilemma
According to experts, the NHS may be heading for a summer crisis after the recent winter crisis that has seen the healthcare sector stretched to dangerous levels.
The British Medical Association (BMA) has reportedly claimed that the performance of the NHS in the coming summer months is set to be as bad as it was over winter, where the NHS was faced with increasingly high levels of admissions.
If the NHS is set for a summer crisis, patients’ health – and lives – may well be at risk.
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Overworked care home staff linked to increased patient abuse
Overworked care home staff problems have been linked to increased levels of patient abuse, according to recent studies into abuse taking place, and staff feeling “burnout” in the job.
According to the results of the studies, neglect and abuse can be more common in care homes where staff are struggling to cope with increasing demands.
With staff from almost 100 care homes – around 15,000 employees in total – responding to requests for data, only one care home apparently reported not seeing or partaking in abuse whatsoever. This data, when cross-referenced with data on how staff are coping in their roles, shows a concerning – but perhaps rather obvious – trend.
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NHS crisis worsens as patient care reportedly deteriorates…
The NHS crisis worsens, according to the latest information from the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), which is a huge worry for increasing medical negligence claims. It’s thought that more than two-thirds of staff believe patient safety has declined over the past year since the last time key questions about the state of the NHS were asked.
Around 1,500 NHS employees were asked the same questions they’d been questioned about last year on the conditions they’re working in and the quality of care available, and some 80% are reportedly worried about the ability to keep patients safe, with 84% citing demoralised staff as a result of increased pressure on the NHS.
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GP practices reportedly being “paid” to NOT refer patients to hospitals
According to media sources, GP practices in five areas of the country are offered agreements where they can be paid from the savings amounted from not referring patients to hospitals.
This incredibly controversial “profit share” system could allow GPs to cash in from not referring patients to hospitals, which leads to serious concerns over the quality of care and advice that may be given.
If doctors have the power to put profit before people, it may only be a matter of time before a patient is not referred to a hospital and suffers as a result.
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Drone accidents and liability – where do we stand?
In the same way there are a lot of unanswered questions over the liability and indemnity for autonomous vehicles, the same questions are also plaguing the growing use of drones.
You can buy outdoor drones and use them with barely any restrictions, but let’s face it; they can be dangerous and are known to come down unexpectedly or end up out of control.
With companies like Amazon wanting to use them for delivering parcels, we can safely say that the insurance and liability ought to rest with them; but what about the drones being used for personal use causing someone some serious damages?
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First pedestrian killed by a self-driving car
Given there are clearly a number of outstanding safety issues and concerns over autonomous and self-drive cars, we have done a number of blogs about them in recent weeks and months.
Although there have been several accidents involving self-drive cars so far, we now have the first incident of a pedestrian killed by a self-drive car as well.
A self-drive Uber SUV that was in autonomous mode reportedly struck a 49-year-old woman earlier this week, fatally injuring her. The incident has once against called in to question the safety of self-drive vehicles that our own government are pushing to be on our roads in the next few years.
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Self-driving vehicles and legal claims for compensation
In the next few years, the government wants autonomous vehicles – including self-driving lorries – on Britain’s roads. The problem is what happens when there is an accident, as well as how accidents can be stopped when a vehicle is essentially being controlled by a potentially fallible computer.
There have already been a number of incidents and fatalities with self-drive vehicles involved, so how can we be assured that they’re completely safe on our roads? If something does go wrong, how do we nail who is liable between a “driver” who may still be in the seat, and the manufacturer.
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