Medical Negligence Mortality Rates In The UK Among Highest In The Western World
The debate over medical malpractice and medical negligence claims in the UK have taken another twist as Professor Brian Jarman of Imperial College, London, has published figures that show the NHS has some of the highest mortality rates of any Western country. NHS patients are considerably more likely to die than those in the USA and many other countries. Pneumonia and blood poisoning are among the worst problems.
Medical negligence claims have been in the headlines, following a call for fewer claims to be brought against doctors and healthcare professionals. Supporters of medical negligence litigation argue that the compensation paid to victims is just because it enables them to recover from injuries and illness that were caused by the action or inaction of a doctor or healthcare professional. The money is used in order to cover lost earnings and other expenses faced by the patient.
Professor Sir Brian Jarman is emeritus professor at Imperial College, London. For the past ten years he has been collecting data on mortality rates in seven countries, including the UK and US as well as five unnamed countries. Using this data, he has created an index of mortality figures. The Index has a base rate of 100, which represents an expected level of mortality. Figures above 100 mean a higher than expected mortality rate while figures below 100 represent fewer deaths than expected.
According Prof. Jarman’s results, collected and calculated for the past ten years, England had the highest death rates and highest Index of the seven countries. Although figures have improved over recent years, in 2012 NHS patients were still 45% more likely to die than patients in the USA. Patients aged over 65 fared worse and a number of factors were highlighted as being potential causes.
The NHS is unique in many ways, being tax funded and free to use at the point of service. This means that patients do not have to worry about the cost of treatment when they do fall ill, but high mortality rates and high medical negligence claim figures could point to potential problems that need addressing in order to provide NHS patients with a safe and reliable service.
About The Author
Mike Topper is the litigation manager at Stocks Legal Personal Injury Solicitors. Mike is highly experienced in all types of personal injury cases. He is highly focussed on client care and getting the maximum compensation that is available for his clients and their families. He rightly sees personal injury claims as a real must for the English legal System as without a proper compensation structure, many injury people can be left with no support or ongoing medical treatment.
If you have any questions arising from this article to can contact Mike by calling 0800 988 9055 or by sending him an email by clicking here.
