Hospital concerns

Dec 27 2010 Huddersfield Daily Examiner

GOING into hospital is traumatic at the best of times.

Even when everything goes according to plan, it is a time that people would rather forget.

But, sadly, for all too many people a visit to hospital leaves them with lasting problems.

Today’s survey which reveals just how many claims of negligence have been levelled against hospitals staff in Huddersfield and Calderdale makes for sobering reading.

The Trust which runs the hospitals in this area has received about 200 negligence claims in the last five years. That has led it to pay out almost £5m in compensation to patients, with dozens more cases still to be resolved.

On the plus side, 200 cases over five years is a tiny figure compared to the many thousands of patients who have been seen and treated well at the hospitals.

Yet every single one of those negligence cases is a cause of concern and we would hope that the powers that be thoroughly investigate each and every one to prevent a recurrence.