Medical negligence: The NHS postcode lottery exposed!

Medical negligence: The NHS postcode lottery exposed!

When we become ill, we expect that the medical care we receive will be of a high standard, and that those responsible for our treatment will do everything in their power to help us get over the illness. However, a report published in the Daily Mail shows how the level of care you receive depends on the area where you live.

The level of care you receive is shown through map diagrams. The map shows that the high spending areas of the NHS are found in regions which included Norfolk, Devon, Suffolk, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, Cambridgeshire, and Northumberland. The low spending areas included London, Durham and Derbyshire.

The report found that Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) varied in how much they spent per 1,000 members of the population. The figures showed that some regions spend more than £40,000 on cancer patients, whilst other regions spend less than £20,000. The report also showed how trusts cared for their cancer patients – with some keeping patients in hospital longer than others.

The treatment of mini-strokes (Transient Ischaemic Attacks or TIAs) varies significantly, with some areas treating 100 per cent of cases within 24 hours, whilst others treated virtually none. Joe Korner of the Stroke Association said:

“Up to 10,000 strokes could be prevented every year if we improved TIA services. It is disappointing that people in many areas of the country are not being treated for TIA quickly enough putting them at risk of having a major stroke.”

The results of NHS care received throughout the U.K shows areas where patients are at risk of being exposed to medical negligence from staff; causing them unnecessary suffering. The risk with medics not treating illnesses as quickly as possible is that some illnesses can worsen or become incurable if they are not treated immediately.

If you have been caused further suffering due to medics failing to carry out the necessary procedures in treating your illness, then you maybe able to make an injury compensation claim.