Medical negligence conference calls for change
Due to the rising number of medical negligence claims in Ireland, a major conference on professional negligence issues was held in Dublin this week.
The meeting ‘Clinical Negligence and Access to Justice’ looked at calls for introducing a legal ‘duty of candour’ in Irish hospitals and medical centres.
This would mean that any organisation providing healthcare would be legally required to be open and honest with patients or their next of kin when any errors or personal injury is caused to the patient.
The conference was organised by Action Against Medical Accidents and supported by Patient Focus, when alarming figures showed that 160,000 patients are harmed every year in Irish services.
Such a reform could help to reduce compensation claims. Peter Walsh, Chief Executive of AvMA, commented, “It is vital that there is an informed debate in Ireland about improving access to justice for injured patients and creating a more open learning culture to improve patient safety. This charity has a wealth of experience from its work on these issues in the UK which we are committed to sharing with our Irish colleagues.
“Today's conference will hopefully kick-start work in Ireland on a legal Duty of Candour when things go wrong in healthcare and fairer ways of compensating injured patients and their families," he said.Updated on 06/05/2010