A Cambridge-based solicitor has vowed to speak up for patients who are harmed by avoidable failures in NHS care, in his new leading role at a nationwide campaign group.
Guy Forster has been elected as vice president of APIL (Association of Personal Injury Lawyers) a not-for-profit organisation which represents injured people and bereaved families.
“There is too little understanding of the human cost of personal injury, and that each claimant represents an avoidable injury which will have had a lasting impact on that person’s life. At APIL, we speak up for these victims of negligence,” said Guy.
As a partner and head of the medical negligence team at Irwin Mitchell’s Cambridge office, Guy sees first-hand the impact of patient safety failures.
“Most harmed patients just want someone to explain what has gone wrong and why it happened. They want an apology, and the reassurance that things have changed. For some patients, compensation and rehabilitation are necessary for them to be able to rebuild their lives,” he went on.
“There has been a lot of focus from successive governments on the monetary cost of compensating injured patients when it should be on preventing the life-changing injuries and suffering from happening in the first place”.
Guy has substantial experience in handling birth injury cases, involving children who have cerebral palsy as a result of delays in delivery or inadequate neonatal care. He also represents mothers who have suffered injury during delivery, those who have sustained brain and spinal injury, as well as bereaved families.
He branded the system for funding legal representation at inquests where a patient has died in NHS care a “national scandal”.
As it stands, most bereaved families do not have the benefit of funded legal representation at inquest and legal aid is virtually never available, even though State-funded organisations, including hospitals, the police, and other public bodies, will have legal representation funded by the public purse.
“Much could be done to improve matters for injured patients and people bereaved by NHS failures - a key area is funded representation at inquest,” said Guy.
“It is a national scandal that trusts and health professionals will have representation funded by the State whereas only a small percentage of families will be able to have access to legal representation to support them at what is an incredibly difficult time.
“It is vital that we speak up for the victims of negligence, who are often very vulnerable people whose lives have been turned upside down,” he said.