Physical Wellness

NHS Goof Ups Cost Lives: Report

By Peter R | Update Date: Oct 29, 2014 05:24 PM EDT

The National Health Service in UK has drawn severe criticism after a report from Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman pointed out 126 instances of negligence last year.

The report said that the instances involve young and old, having caused deaths in some cases. The report this time has been more detailed than previous years and squarely points fingers at NHS staff for either not doing enough to care for patients. The report comes amidst persistent demands from NHS for increased funding to improve healthcare provided to patients.

Daily Mail reported some of the cases which ombudsman Dame Julie Mellor pointed out in her report. In one case, a day-old baby died following a blood transfusion at Barts Health Trust in London as the transfusion sucked blood out. In another instance, a woman was left infertile after her remaining fallopian tube was removed when medication could have helped. The case of an elderly woman, who died two weeks after she fell out of her hospital bed, has raised questions of negligence even when providing minimal care.

The report also pointed out nearly two dozen instances of bungled cancer treatments. In one case, a patient who was put on end-of-life treatment by NHS staff is said to be on the way to recovery after he approached a private hospital for treatment.  

"These investigations illustrate the devastating impact that failings in the NHS can have on the lives of individuals and their families - they cover from the very young to the very old, and they cover all types of health care, hospitals, GPs, and dentistry," The Telegraph quoted Dame Julie.

 "This catalogue of poor care shows an NHS heading in the wrong direction. Hospitals are full to bursting - struggling to admit or discharge patients - and these reports make clear there isn't enough staff to cope," the health minister Jamie Reed, said according to Sky News.

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