Record numbers waiting for hospital treatment

Disruption, caused by the impact of the Covid pandemic, has put the NHS under some of the most intense pressure it has ever seen. The huge backlog, primarily caused by the shutdown of non-Covid services in the first wave, doesn’t look to improve any time soon.

Worse before it gets better

The Health Secretary Sajid Javid has admitted these figures could get worse  as increasing numbers of patients regain their confidence in coming forward for treatment. One figure suggests by this time next year 15 million people could be on the NHS waiting list.

A & E departments faced one of their busiest months ever in July this year with over 70,000 people attending in just one day. While the NHS battles to deal with huge numbers of patients its resources are being stretched to the limits.

The impact of delayed treatment

Cancer charities have already expressed concern that delays in treatment and surgery could result in thousands of additional deaths linked to the pandemic.  Cancer Research UK has said  the drop-off in cancer screening during the pandemic will likely lead to years of ‘lost life’ for those with delayed diagnosis.

A hospital trust in the Midlands recently admitted it has been forced to postpone some operations due to a combination of staff shortage and an increase in Covid patients.  In Nottingham one hospital had to make the difficult decision to pause chemotherapy for some of its patients as a lack of specialist nurses put systems under even more pressure.

As winter approaches more patients face the possibility of having their surgery cancelled as the backlog is aggravated by the oncoming flu season.  It is not known how the knock-on effect of further delays will impact the health and quality of life of patients.

Our Medical Negligence Team

Does this sound familiar? If you or a loved one have endured a delay in medical diagnosis or treatment, which has affected your quality of life, you may qualify for compensation.  If you think you have been impacted by the current NHS crisis you may be unsure what to do about it.

At Alsters Kelley we have a friendly, approachable and experienced Medical Negligence Team. They would be only too happy to speak to you about a potential claim. Our initial consultation is FREE, so you don’t have to worry about the cost of finding out whether you have a case to answer.

You’ll have access to a specialised team to guide you through the process and we act on a No Win, No Fee basis. So, you’ll pay nothing if we lose.

Call Haidee Vedy, Senior Solicitor on 01926 356030 or email haidee.vedy@alsterskelley.com