A charity has published a study that claims millions of pounds is being spent on personal injury compensation after NHS doctors fail to spot blood clots in patients.
Lifeblood the Thrombosis Charity, which was founded in early 2002 to raise public awareness of thrombosis (a condition that causes a thrombus or blood clot to develop in people), analysed data released by the NHS Litigation Authority to produce a new study.
The Lifeblood study reveals that, during the past five years, the NHS paid out approximately £112 million in personal injury compensation to patients who were not correctly diagnosed as suffering from thrombosis. According to the figures released by the NHS Litigation Authority, £21 million in damages was paid to patients or their families in 2005. The amount of compensation paid last year rose to a little over £26 million. Lifeblood argues that if current trends continue, the NHS can expect to pay at least another £112 million over the next five years.
Personal injury claims involving misdiagnoses are relatively common in the UK. Although many if not most NHS doctors perform their duties with diligence and professionalism, some fail to provide sufficient care to patients at all times. On occasions, this lapse in treatment can result in a correct diagnosis being missed and where blood clots are concerned, any such misdiagnosis can prove fatal for the patient.
Official figures reveal that around 25,000 patients in the UK die each year as a result of blood clots. In 2008, Sir Liam Donaldson, a former chief medical officer, advised that every patient in every British hospital ought to be checked for thrombosis. Unfortunately, it would seem that the NHS is failing in its duty of care to some patients, with current estimates suggesting that as many as 10,000 lives could be saved per annum.
As the coalition Government is being urged to change its stance on NHS reform, which could prompt many thousands of job losses, the NHS Litigation Authority believes that a simple screening procedure for all patients could save both money and lives. According to Lifeblood, however, at least 31 per cent of all in-patients were not checked for blood clots between October and December 2010.
The NHS could avoid personal injury claims pertaining to thrombosis if more comprehensive screening is implemented. While this may come at a cost initially, the potential savings in terms of litigation avoidance could save the service millions of pounds each year.
Original article: First4Lawyers
Source: Legal & Medical Magazine
