Letter: Fixing blame for medical mishaps
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Fixing blame for medical mishaps
Sir: It is difficult to understand why Polly Toynbee's sympathy lies with the NHS rather than with the victims of medical accidents ("Litigation is the wrong medicine", 12 June).
In her crusade to save the NHS from "ambulance-chasing legal leeches" she seems to have lost sight of where the wrong actually lies. The victims about whom she writes have all suffered severe distress as a result of the failure of the health service to provide an acceptable standard of care.
The vast majority of the 20,000 victims who have sought help from us have not done so because they were seeking someone to blame but simply to get relief from their distress. If, however, they have suffered mental and physical distress and economic loss through the fault of someone, should they refrain from seeking compensation solely because the fault lies with the NHS, which is short of funds or because if there had been no advance in medicine they would not have been entitled to that care anyway?
Nobody, least of all this organisation, wishes the NHS to be deprived of much-needed resources, but Polly Toynbee and others who disparage attempts by this one sector of injured people to obtain their justified redress should remember that, notwithstanding the problems of the NHS, it is the victim of a medical accident who deserves our sympathy and support.
ARNOLD SIMANOWITZ
Chief Executive
Action for Victims of
Medical Accidents
London SE23
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments