FAO sqad

[bednobs]

wow - our first FAO!
Anyway, for my job interview tomorrow i am reviewing some of the stuff that came out of the mid staffs enquiry. One thing that really inteested me was a consultant who said that PALS and formal complaints services were slowing down the whole process of complaints in the NHS, and that most people would just rather sit down with the surgeon/medic consultant have a cup of tea, have them explain what went wrong and say sorry. While this may be trrue (?) would the surgical consultants prefer this do you think? Do you think that's a good way to deal with complaints and concerns?would you prefer to handle things in that way? I ask because you are the only consultant i "know"

[Hopkirk]

No doubt the lawyers would not allow the surgeon to apologise over a cup of tea.

There would be plenty of hidden tape recordings being produced to back up court cases.

[Sqad]

LOL....right....in my career I have only been sued once (and i shouldn't have been) and the times that i should have been, I wasn't.

It is essential that the surgeon sits down with the patient and or the patients relatives and explain exactly the situation and then ask for questions and i do think that that would indeed solve many problems. However the instructions that doctors get from their Defense Unions is not to admit anything and to contact them (MDU) as soon as a complaint is made. We in the UK are in a compensation mode and the "inflicted" is looking for monetary compensation in whatever way is necessary and his has been the case now for about 40 years in my opinion.

I do not think that people are at all interested in sitting face to face with the Clinician and would prefer to seek the advice of a solicitor.

People tend not to trust doctors and take the attitude that there will be a "cover up"....doctors covering their own backs .."there for the grace of God go I" In fact the opposite is true, prosecution medical expert witnesses are only too glad to "stick the knife in"

I think that consultants would like a "cup of tea chat resolution" but we all know that it wouldn't be the end.

[Rosetta]

Im afraid we live in a litigious society and an honest mea culpa is not enough, but a gateway to loads of dosh.

[warrenrichards]

This is obviously just another attempt at distinguishing accountability. Most NHS staff are crap at their job. Fact.

[warrenrichards]

Extinguish, I meant.