Derriford hospital backlog
It is reported that Derriford Hospital in Plymouth has over 100,000 patients awaiting follow-up appointments. No less than 36,000 patients are in breach of their ‘see-by date’. 5,000 have been classified as ‘high risk’ or ‘time critical’.
Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust has been fined more than £1-million for failing to meet follow-up targets. Derriford Hospital is planning to write letters of apology to patients caught in the backlog including those who have been waiting for more than a year.
Medical Negligence specialist, Oliver Thorne, who is based in our Barnstaple office, has said:
“This is a worrying report, especially for those ‘high risk’ patients and cancer sufferers where time is often of the essence. Living in North Devon, we rely on the county’s bigger hospitals like Derriford Hospital and the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital to provide us with specialist medical services, so today’s news is very concerning, not only for those living in Plymouth but across the county.”
Oliver is a highly experienced medical negligence lawyer and has dealt with many clinical negligence claims against Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust and other Trusts around the country.
