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Grieving families of patients who died after contracting coronavirus are exploring the possibility of bringing the NHS to court, as unions warn that threats of litigation are increasing pressure on already stressed doctors.
At least 17 families whose loved ones died during the Covid-19 pandemic are considering legal action, according to the charity Action Against Medical Accidents (AvMA).
It occurs when Sunday reported Sunday that NHS chiefs are so concerned about future legal action that they have issued a guide for staff to ensure they are protected.
Meanwhile, the heads of the Medical Defense Union (MDU) warned that Covid-19 and the threat of legal action added stress to “highly pressured and unpleasant working conditions.”
The union is now calling on healthcare professionals to receive immunity from claims related to Covid-19.
At least 17 families whose loved ones died during the Covid-19 pandemic are considering legal action, according to the charity Action Against Medical Accidents (AvMA). In the picture: an ambulance outside a hospital (library image)
It is also supporting an expert group call to the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) for a support package to protect the health and well-being of medical professionals during and after the pandemic.
Dr Udvitha Nandasoma, MDU’s acting advisory services chief, said: ‘The Covid-19 pandemic has magnified highly pressured and stressful working conditions for health professionals to an unprecedented level.
‘Many physicians will face increased workloads or operate in unknown practice fields.
Added to that are the added pressures of treating seriously ill patients and the idea of personal risks to themselves and their families.
‘This creates an environment of extreme stress and anxiety for NHS frontline staff, recognized in the Adequate Care for Caregivers report.
‘In addition to the suggested safeguards, healthcare professionals must also receive protection from the stress of facing compensation claims that may result from the extraordinary efforts they are taking.
“Such claims can arise many years after the public memory of the sacrifices being made is forgotten and will be a burden on NHS staff time, morale, and resources.”
Charity AvMA, who has been offering support and counseling to grieving family members of health care patients for more than 30 years, says 17 families have contacted her regarding the coronavirus.
The executive director of the Croydon-based charity Peter Walsh said that not all potential cases are directly related to Covid-19 deaths.
He said: ‘Most are indirectly linked and could imply that something goes wrong with the treatment in which Covid-19 has been involved or a trust has made changes due to the virus.
“There is a minority of cases directly related to Covid-19.”
Walsh said the charity provided support and advice and did not take any legal action itself.
But he said the charity could direct aggrieved families to specialist attorneys if necessary.
He added that the charity was still in the early stages of reviewing the 17 cases and did not know if they would be brought to court.
The Sun reports that the NHS Litigation Authority, the body handling all compensation cases, is currently facing claims of £ 83.4 billion, with a Average claim payment of £ 50,000.
Concerns arose when Matt Hancock announced last week that the government would pay £ 60,000 to NHS staff who died from the virus, while insisting that families could still take legal action.
Across the UK, 28,446 people died from Covid-19.
According to reports, more than 90 NHS staff members have so far died from the virus.
Concerns arise when Matt Hancock (pictured) announced last week that the government would pay £ 60,000 to NHS staff who died from the virus, while insisting that families can still take legal action.
According to reports, more than 90 NHS staff members have so far died from the virus. Pictured are those NHS workers who have died since the outbreak.
One of them was Ken Lambatan, 34, a nurse who works at a Clinical Research Center at St George’s Hospital in London.
His death was announced shortly before the nation observed a minute of silence for health workers like Mr. Lambatan, who lose their lives to the deadly disease.
Jacqueline Totterdell, Executive Director of St George’s Hospital, and Professor Jenny Higham, Director of St George’s, University of London, paid tribute to her colleague and described him as a “true gem”.
Hospital cleaning lady Eileen Landers died at the place where she had worked for the past 16 years: Queen’s Hospital in Burton-upon-Trent, on Sunday, Derby University Hospitals and the Burton NHS Foundation Trust (UHDB) said ).
She was the third person in the trust to die after contracting the disease.
It follows the death of 55-year-old consultant Amged El-Hawrani on March 28 and A&E consultant Manjeet Singh Riyat, 52, at Royal Derby Hospital, where he worked, on April 20.
El-Hawrani was the first NHS front-line worker to die after contracting the virus, NHS England said.
Earlier this month, two older health workers who were still caring for patients between the ages of 70 and 80 died of the coronavirus the same day.
Ken Lambatan (left), 34, a nurse working at a Clinical Research Center at St George’s Hospital in London, who died after hiring Covid-19. Pictured right: Thomas Harvey, 57, who worked for the NHS for more than 20 years at Goodmayes Hospital in East London, died in March after contracting the virus.
Great-grandmother Margaret Tapley worked as an auxiliary nurse at the age of 84 and was hailed as “a legend in the room.”
Sophie Fagan, 78, had served on the NHS for more than five decades, starting as a nurse before becoming a hospital care coordinator.
Meanwhile, Thomas Harvey, 57, who worked for the NHS for more than 20 years at Goodmayes Hospital in East London, died in March after contracting the virus.
The seven-year-old father is said to have died “breathless” at the family home in East London.
Her son later criticized the government for the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) for his father.
MailOnline contacted NHS England for comment, but was referred to the Department of Health and Social Care, which has not yet commented.
