The most worrying part of this whole ordeal is that there was more than one serious breach in the levels of care that you would have expected the paramedic to have abided by.
Bolton, UK (PRWEB UK) 20 August 2013
Paramedic Ian Pratt is facing allegations of failing to recognise the vital indicators of the patient in question's condition and choosing not to seek further medical advice to aid the decisions he made towards her care before her death, according to The Telegraph (1).
Unsuccessfully diagnosing the symptoms of Patient A’s heart attack, Mr. Pratt wrongly admitted her to Colchester General Hospital, rather than the specialist coronary centre in Basildon (1). According to The Telegraph, it wasn’t until he had arrived at the hospital that medical staff advised the paramedic that he needed to transport the patient to the primary percutaneous coronary intervention centre 40 miles away (1).
Suzanne Yates, executive at Asons medical negligence solicitors said:
“Generally speaking, Paramedic negligence is very rare and as a firm of medical negligence solicitors we see very few cases filed for this type of substandard care. It is, however, an extremely serious situation that has occurred.”
As reported by The Telegraph article, during the journey to the hospital, it is alleged that Mr Pratt, who was employed by the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust, exercised a level of paramedic negligence as he failed to efficiently monitor her worsening condition and follow the correct procedures for a patient in her circumstances (1).
As said by The Telegraph, The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), who are managing the disciplinary hearing, heard how he did not assess her airway, place her in the recovery position or notify the PPCI centre about her deteriorating state--leading to the circumstances in which she died an hour after her arrival (1).
Suzanne Yates continued to say:
“The most worrying part of this whole ordeal is that there was more than one serious breach in the levels of care that you would have expected the paramedic to have abided by. This leads me to believe that Mr Pratt must have had major gaps in his knowledge of dealing with cardiac related emergency conditions, potentially putting more people at risk. Such failings in care shouldn’t be tolerated and I’m glad that the trust have taken notice and took appropriate action to try to prevent this from happening to any other patients.”
Being provided with substandard care by a medical professional is a form of clinical negligence, a growing concern in the UK. With a sharp rise in medical negligence claims in recent years (2), more and more people are becoming less tolerant of being victim to the failings in care provided by medical professionals (2).
Anyone who feels they may have been victim to such negligence may be eligible to make a claim for compensation for the unnecessary suffering and potential loss of earnings that has been inflicted by poor care. To find out more information, or to make a claim, visit http://www.asons.co.uk or phone 01204 521 133 to speak to a medical negligence solicitor.
(1) The Telegraph, Paramedic took heart attack patient to wrong hospital, 08/08/2013
telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/10230797/Paramedic-took-heart-attack-patient-to-wrong-hospital.html
(2) The Telegraph, NHS negligence claims rise by 20 per cent in just one year, 02/06/2013
telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/10093091/NHS-negligence-claims-rise-by-20-per-cent-in-just-one-year.html
ENDS
About Asons Solicitors:
Asons Solicitors is a Bolton-based law practice that specialises in personal injury and industrial disease claims. Founded by brothers Imran Akram and Kamran Akram, Asons Solicitors has developed to become a young and dynamic law firm that delivers practical solutions to clients in times of difficulty. Their continued focus on their staff has seen them awarded with the Investors in People “Gold Award”; which is reflected in the professional and personable approach they take in working with clients. They strive to grow and to develop, and their supportiveness and attention to detail ensures that their clients use them time and again.
For further information contact:
Email: info(at)asons(dot)co.uk
Website: http://www.asons.co.uk