Doctors forced to report all blunders and mistakes
Doctors in hospitals will no longer be able to cover up blunders and mistakes due to new laws which came into force last week. The reporting system brought into place by the Care Quality Commission means that anonymous reports of mistakes must be submitted to a central database, and repercussions for non-compliance range from fines to prosecution. However, the new change does not require Doctors to share the information with victims or bereaved relatives, a decision which has angered many patient groups. There has been opposition to full legal disclosure of mistakes by Doctors who fear that they would be targeted more heavily if the information was to be made freely available.
It is hoped by many medical negligence lawyers that this development will prevent alterations of handwritten medical records which until now have proved problematic for victims in pursuit of compensation. The figures paid out in compensation last year are thought to be low in comparison with the number of hospital accidents recorded. It is thought this is because people are not fully aware that their cases could be successful if pursued.
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