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Nurse awarded £420,000 for chronic back problem
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Posted By Eddie Newall
The 'groundbreaking' High Court decision to award a £420,000 compensation payout for a chronic back problem not resulting from a single accident, could now lead to more legal cases against negligent trusts.
See:
http://www.tuc.org.uk/h_and_s/tuc-5687-f0.cfm#u6
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Posted By Bryn Maidment
don't forget the costs - Insurers paid out over £800k in total!
OUCHHH!!!
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Posted By Jim Walker
So the hidden (unisured) costs being x5 to X36 on top, adds up to a lot of money.
Will we see NHS taking back injuries seriously? - will pigs get pilot's licences!
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Posted By Robert K Lewis
As a passing thought, where were all the other NHS Trusts who had almost certainly employed this nurse over the years? After all a chronic problem such as this almost certainly started during her student days. In that sense therefore Newham may well have been carrying the can for all the others - who knows. I think we would have been better served if the lawyers had brought all her previous employers/trusts into the action. The judge may then have been perhaps inclined to have made a larger award!!!
Bob
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Posted By Bryn Maidment
Agree with that sentiment!
My Trust have steadily invested heavily in equipment and training over 6 years. We have seen a corresponding reduction in the whole range of MH related incidents. However, we still have injuries. Probably two reasons
a) staff still don't play their part by adhering to the safe methods they've been taught and
b) despite all the equipment, training etc MH of patients remains an inherently high risk activity and due to a number of issues it is still possible for staff to have injurious incidents.
It does frighten me to see other patient focused organisations, hospitals etc that have little or no formal MH training for staff. Those that do, still run the risk of paying for previous employers neglect over many years.
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Posted By Jim Walker
Brynn,
Its nice to learn that some NHS trusts are trying.
The one my wife works for have a MH policy running to about 10 lines. She has worked for them (under one name or another) for 20 years and has had zero MH training.
One of her colleagues was off with a bad back and was acused of malingering. I helped the RCN rep. put forward a case outlining the Trust's responsibilities and the benefits of control measures, at the resultant disiplinary meeting. She told me later that 3 of the four members of the panel (managers I presume) had no idea what she was talking about when she mentioned the MH regs.
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Posted By Robert K Lewis
Bryn
Sorry to say it in this context but you have trodden on one of my corns - The idea that you need to have a specific policy for everything, simply because there is a set of regs attached.
I have a policy statement with a wide ranging set of committments including the at least achieving, if not exceeding statutory requirements. I have an audited system identifying the legislation relating to our business, this is supported by a wide ranging management system which includes specific elements on Risk Assessment, Management of Change and Assessment & Improvment. I don't have a specific policy for say CDM much to the chagrin of many Planning Supervisors who believe I must.
I am unable to see the benefit of such policies. Unless you can of course convince me otherwise.
Bob
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Posted By David Mains
Isn't it rather ironic that the Trust involved were held up as an example of staff rehabilitation and retention in a case study by the TUC only a few months ago?
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Nurse awarded £420,000 for chronic back problem
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