Doctors, nurses and managers to face five years in jail if they neglect patients

[dipsydoodle]

Last edited Sat Nov 16, 2013, 06:32 AM - Edit history (1)

Doctors, nurses and NHS managers will face up to five years in jail if they are found to have wilfully neglected or mistreated patients under a new law aimed at stopping a repeat of the Mid Staffordshire hospital scandal.

The threat of criminal sanctions for NHS staff will be announced next week by Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary, following a series of reviews into patient safety.

In a move likely to alarm medical groups, the government will create a new offence of "wilful neglect or mistreatment" for hospital workers whose standards of care have fallen short in the most extreme cases.

Hunt, who has been very critical of the NHS, is expected to set out a range of measures to improve standards of care on Tuesday, which could include moves to boost transparency and the complaints processes.

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/nov/16/doctors-face-jail-if-patients-mistreated

Doctors and nurses may face jail for neglect.

Doctors and nurses found guilty of "wilful neglect" of patients could face jail, the government is proposing.

Wilful neglect will be made a criminal offence under NHS changes to be unveiled next week following the Mid Staffordshire and other care scandals.

The offence will be modelled on one punishable by up to five years in prison under the Mental Capacity Act.

Doctors' leaders said the threat of criminal sanctions could create a climate of fear in the NHS.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24967230

[non sociopath skin]

1. Brilliant. A culture of fear. Just what the caring services need!

Bet staff in private hospitals get a Get Out Of Jail Free card, though.

The Skin

[LeftishBrit]

2. The crime of manslaughter already exists. Why do we need a special version of it for the NHS?

The biggest problem with Mid Staffordshire was not that penalties for negligence weren't severe enough, but that there were pressures to conceal and cover up negligence. These pressures may be even greater if there is the fear of being treated as criminals if something goes wrong.

We can look across the pond for some of the potential dangers. American doctors and nurses and hospital administrators do not live in particular fear of criminal sanctions, but they do live in fear of ruinous lawsuits. As a result, there is in many places the culture of 'CYA' (Cover Your Ass), and lots of things are done or avoided, not in the patients' real interests, but in the interest of avoiding being sued.

Also, this is likely to deter people from working in the NHS.

'Doctors' leaders said the threat of criminal sanctions could create a climate of fear in the NHS.'

I suspect that's exactly what Hunt et al want. In the NHS, and in public services in general.