A transparent approach may be needed for UK public healthcare
A new survey of UK health professionals working within the NHS finds that patients’ best interests are not always the top factor affecting medical decision-making
A new survey of medical professionals from JMW Solicitors, conducted by YouGov, aims to understand the factors affecting medical decision-making and how the same healthcare workers deal with mistakes. The survey finds that the top factors driving medical decision-making are:
- Staffing levels (31 per cent)
- Availability of services such as testing and referrals (20 per cent)
- Equipment (16 per cent)
- Beds (12 per cent)
The survey also identifies that the fear of being sued is among these deciding factors, but not a main consideration at only 10 per cent.
“Most patients would expect their best interests to be paramount when decisions are being made about their care and it is extremely worrying that it is not always the case. The factors that impact on decision-making, such as staffing levels, need to be addressed to improve patient care and safety,” said Nicola Wainwright, Clinical Negligence Partner, JMW Solicitors.
Poorly managed emergency care facilities
The same survey also found ‘blame culture’ to be a serious issue affecting staff ability to learn from their mistakes – where litigation is often the only way that bereaved family members can get answers from hospitals, because the UK National Health Service is unable to be as transparent and open about accepting that mistakes can and will happen.
Public hospitals are often the primary facilities for emergency care in any destination. While the implications of Brexit will likely have a deciding impact on international patients’ access to emergency healthcare in the UK (with many now needing to source international private medical insurance before making a trip), the knock-on effect that a poorly managed public health system can have on the rest of a country’s healthcare infrastructure is not to be underestimated.