Lucy Letby: police and CPS handling of case raises new concerns about convictions – The Guardian

‘When the public inquiry into the crimes of the former nurse Lucy Letby opened in Liverpool last month its chair, Lady Justice Thirlwall, dismissed concerns about the safety of the convictions as “noise”. The judge cautioned that questions being raised were increasing the distress of parents whose children had died or been harmed.’

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The Guardian, 10th October 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Failings before woman killed in home by student – BBC News

‘A safeguarding review concluded that opportunities had been missed and made a number of recommendations, while Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board apologised and accepted the recommendations.’

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BBC News, 7th October 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Lucy Letby: Experts tell BBC about medical evidence concerns – BBC News

Posted October 1st, 2024 in children, evidence, expert witnesses, hospitals, medical treatment, murder, news, nurses by tracey

‘Senior doctors and scientists have told the BBC they have concerns about how crucial evidence was presented to the jury at Lucy Letby’s trials.’

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BBC News, 1st October 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Mother wins decade-long battle for more than £10m over botched operation on child at NHS hospital – The Independent

‘A mother has won a 12-year battle for compensation against an NHS hospital after successfully claiming her child suffered brain damage as a result of a botched surgery.’

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The Independent, 25th September 2024

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Hospital where baby died from infected feed had ‘entirely unsafe system’ – The Guardian

Posted September 24th, 2024 in children, food, food hygiene, hospitals, inquests, news by tracey

‘An NHS trust that gave four newborn babies contaminated feed has admitted that it was operating “an entirely unsafe system” at the time they became infected.

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The Guardian, 24th September 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Half of NHS maternity units slammed by CQC as inadequate or ‘requires improvement’ – The Independent

Posted September 19th, 2024 in birth, hospitals, news, ombudsmen, pregnancy, quality assurance, statistics by sally

‘Nearly half of NHS maternity units in England have been rated as inadequate or requiring improvement, according to the findings of inspections by the healthcare watchdog.’

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The Independent, 19th September 2024

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Outsourcing and the Human Rights Act 1998 – the consequences – Mental Capacity Law and Policy

‘Without straying into politics, Sammut v Next Steps Mental Healthcare Ltd [2024] EWHC 2265 (KB) is a case which demonstrates the consequences of the fact that much state-funded care – including coercive mental health care – is now delivered privately. It concerns a man, Paul Sammut, who had what was described as a chronic, enduring and treatment resistant schizophrenia. For large parts of his adult life, he was detained under s.3 Mental Health Act 1983.’

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Mental Capacity Law and Policy, 16th September 2024

Source: www.mentalcapacitylawandpolicy.org.uk

Great Ormond Street Hospital launches urgent review over concerns about former surgeon – The Independent

Posted September 10th, 2024 in children, doctors, hospitals, news, professional conduct, standards by tracey

‘Great Ormond Street Hospital has begun an urgent review into hundreds of cases of children seen by one of its former consultant orthopaedic surgeons after concerns were raised about his practice, according to reports.’

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The Independent, 9th September 2024

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Lucy Letby – latest: Inquiry to begin into baby murders at NHS hospital as appeal attempt launched – The Independent

Posted September 10th, 2024 in appeals, children, hospitals, inquiries, murder, news, nurses by tracey

‘A public inquiry begins on Tuesday into the events surrounding the crimes of child serial killer nurse Lucy Letby.’

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The Independent, 10th September 2024

Source: www.independent.co.uk

What is the mental health public inquiry and what could it change? – BBC News

Posted September 9th, 2024 in hospitals, inquiries, mental health, news by tracey

‘Mental health patients are among the most vulnerable in society, but services in England have been under huge strain for at least a decade, with sometimes fatal consequences. A public inquiry backed by the government will focus on deaths in Essex as a starting point, but what is it and what does it hope to achieve?. Solicitors representing a growing number of families who have lost loved ones say the Lampard Inquiry, which starts on 9 September, is as important as those around the Post Office and infected blood scandals.’

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BBC News, 9th September 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Coroner issues anaesthetic warning after death – BBC News

Posted September 3rd, 2024 in hospitals, inquests, medical treatment, news by tracey

‘A coroner has raised concerns about how local anaesthetic is administered after a woman was given too much during an operation and later died.’

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BBC News, 3rd September 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Lucy Letby: Questions grow in debate on killer’s convictions – BBC News

Posted August 29th, 2024 in children, evidence, expert witnesses, hospitals, murder, news, nurses by sally

‘Lucy Letby has become arguably the most notorious serial killer of modern times.’

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BBC News, 29th August 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

NHS clinical negligence agreement “encourages apologies” – Legal Futures

‘A successor agreement to the Covid-19 clinical negligence protocol has been launched , which encourages the NHS to provide a “meaningful letter of apology” where liability is admitted and identify any patient safety lessons.’

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Legal Futures, 28th August 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Lucy Letby inquiry should be postponed or changed, experts say – The Guardian

Posted August 28th, 2024 in appeals, birth, hospitals, inquiries, murder, news, nurses by tracey

‘A group including some of the UK’s leading neonatal experts and professors of statistics is calling on the government to postpone or change the terms of a public inquiry over concerns about the conviction of the neonatal nurse Lucy Letby.’

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The Guardian, 27th August 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Mother died after neglect by hospital – coroner – BBC News

Posted August 13th, 2024 in birth, hospitals, inquests, medical treatment, negligence, news by tracey

‘The death of a mother at the hospital where she gave birth to her fifth baby was “avoidable and contributed to by neglect”, a coroner has ruled.’

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BBC News, 12th August 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

3 Essential Clinical Negligence Updates – Law Pod UK

‘For those looking to keep on top of their CPD over the summer, in Episode 204 Emma-Louise Fenelon interviews John Whitting KC and Robert Mills about recent developments in clinical negligence.’

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Law Pod UK, 5th August 2024

Source: audioboom.com

ICO hits NHS Trust and police force with enforcement notices over hundreds of unanswered FOI requests – Local Government Lawyer

Posted July 30th, 2024 in enforcement notices, freedom of information, hospitals, news, police by sally

‘The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has issued enforcement notices against Devon and Cornwall Police and Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust over hundreds of unanswered freedom of information (FOI) requests.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 29th July 2024

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Provisional damages in clinical negligence claims: Practical steps to consider – St John’s Chambers

Posted July 29th, 2024 in chambers articles, damages, doctors, hospitals, negligence, news by sally

‘Provisional damages are often bought off as part of the overall settlement agreement but as Lauren Karmel and Jimmy Barber remind us it is important to consider whether this is appropriate. They offer some guidance in provisional damages in clinical negligence claims and practical steps to consider in the latest edition of AvMA’s Lawyers Services Newsletter.’

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St John's Chambers, 3rd July 2024

Source: www.stjohnschambers.co.uk

Still No(,) More Bolam Please: McCulloch and others v Forth Valley Health Board – Modern Law Review

Posted July 29th, 2024 in doctors, hospitals, medical treatment, negligence, news by sally

‘McCulloch v Forth Valley Health Board concerned an allegation of negligence, in failing to consider treating pericarditis with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs as a reasonable alternative treatment and not discussing this option with the patient. Montgomery v Lanarkshire Health Board held that a medical professional must disclose to a patient material risks and any reasonable alternative treatments. The materiality of a risk is to be decided by reference to a reasonable person in the patient’s position, or where the medical professional should be reasonably aware that the particular patient is likely to attach significance to that risk. However, Montgomery did not define the legal standard relating to the assessment of whether an alternative treatment is reasonable. McCulloch held the correct legal test to be applied as to whether an alternative treatment is reasonable is the professional-practice test in Bolam v Friern Hospital Management Committee. There are practical, doctrinal and normative reasons to question whether Bolam is the correct legal test in respect of the assessment of reasonable alternative treatments. Additionally, the conceptualisation of Bolam in McCulloch is overly deferential. McCulloch fails to fully consider Montgomery’s emphasis that autonomy-respecting principles are the values that risk disclosure practices are sensitive to.’

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Modern Law Review, 4th July 2024

Source: onlinelibrary.wiley.com

“A Prolonged Period of Dying”: On best interests and miracles: Re XY [2024] EWCOP 37 – Law & Religion UK

Posted July 29th, 2024 in Court of Protection, families, hospitals, Islam, medical treatment, news by sally

‘In Re XY [2024] EWCOP 37 Mr Justice Hayden was called on to consider the best interests of a patient at the end of his life. XY, a 66-year-old man, was admitted to the hospital in December 2023 with pneumonia, and whilst there he suffered a cardiac arrest. Had that happened at home he would likely have died, but the medical staff at the hospital were able to resuscitate him. Over the subsequent days, however, he suffered from significant multi-organ failure and entered a prolonged disorder of consciousness.’

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Law & Religion UK, 29th July 2024

Source: lawandreligionuk.com