25 January 2017
It is fortunately extremely rare for hospital staff to mix up patients, fail to carry out vital checks on patients before undergoing surgery or make mistakes during a hospital drugs round.
Unfortunately, when such instances do occur, the consequences can be very serious indeed for the patient concerned. Simon Ramshaw, a solicitor within our Clinical Negligence Department, was concerned to read of the case reported, relating to the staff nurse Jonathan Simon Thompson who formerly worked at the Hull & East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust.
In many years of practice in clinical negligence claims, whilst Simon has come across this happening before, it must be emphasised that this happens only on very rare occasions.
The Nursing & Midwifery Council originally ruled that Mr Thompson’s fitness to practice was impaired “by reason of lack of competence” and imposed a suspension on Mr Thompson but the panel has now ruled that Mr Thompson should be struck off, acting as a nurse, from 27th February 2017.
The Nursing & Midwifery Council found a series of allegations against Mr Thompson proven, before suspending his work as a nurse in October 2013.
His work was on hospital wards and was with patients about to undergo surgery was monitored for more than 5 months in 2013 but he was judged capable of working without supervision.
Mr Ramshaw commented that whilst such issues are very rare, when something does go wrong, Williamsons Solicitors are on hand to advise, in relation to a potential clinical negligence claim.
The team at Williamsons consists of a number of nationally accredited solicitors, working with a dedicated team to help those that have suffered with such issues through the difficult legal process.
More on the story can be seen here.
