Reviews Revealed To Newspaper Highlights More Patient Safety Concerns

By Rob Dixon

Medical law experts representing the families of people who have suffered as a result of care failings at Tameside General Hospital in Manchester have called once again for action to be taken to improve standards at the site, following fresh concerns about patient safety.

The Guardian reports that it has seen two previously unpublished reviews commissioned into standards at the hospital, with concerns being raised in relation to issues including some patients being left for up to four days in order to be assessed by doctors.

Issues including a shortage of available beds in accident and emergency, concerns over staff shortages and guaranteeing full rotas of staff have also been raised in the documents, according to the national newspaper.

Irwin Mitchell’s medical negligence lawyers represent people affected by problems at Tameside Hospital in recent years, including the family of mother-of-two Susan Tatum who died several hours after being discharged from the hospital.

An inquest into Mrs Tatum’s death found a failure to carry out basic investigations and a lack of communication between staff contributed towards her death.

Sarah Sharples, a medical lawyer at Irwin Mitchell’s Manchester office who represents Susan’s husband David Tatum, said: “The fresh concerns raised in relation to Tameside General Hospital are clearly an enormous concern and it is vital that steps are taken to fully investigate and tackle issues at the hospital once and for all.

“Susan’s family were, and still are, devastated by her death. Tameside Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has now admitted that Susan should have been kept in hospital and that had she been, she would still be here today.

“The latest concerns raised about shortages of beds in A&E are clearly worrying considering Susan’s story and it is absolutely vital that the NHS learns lessons and improves the support offered to patients in this regard as quickly as possible.

“The fundamental aim must be to ensure that no one else suffers in the same way by being inappropriately sent home from A&E departments when they are seriously ill.”

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