Junior doctors strike set for July

Junior doctors across England have announced that they are to be taking further strike action for a period of 5 days in July.

The British Medical Association have confirmed that the strikes will run from 13 July 2023 and 18 July 2023. This is thought to be the longest single period of industrial action they have taken since development of the NHS and comes following ongoing disputes over pay with the medical associations and the Government.

It has been said that Government can avert action by putting forward a credible pay offer.

What does this mean for patients?

It has been reported that the strike action will result in hundreds of thousand of appointments and operations being cancelled. With waiting lists and times increasing at a significant rate, the strike action is going to cause further delays in treatment for a significant number of people across the country.

Further, there will be less doctors able to deal with emergency appointments, potentially causing a higher degree of harm to patients.

Healthcare professionals have a duty of care to their patients and a responsibility to provide prompt and effective treatment. If you consider that you have suffered as a result of the strikes throughout the NHS, you may be entitled to compensation.

Who can bring about a claim?

The patient who has been affected may be able to bring about a claim. However, it can also sadly be the case that the patient has passed as a result of any lack in treatment and/or delays as a result of the strike action. In such instances, the executor of the estate or the next of kin/dependents may be able to bring about a claim.

Our specialist team will be able to discuss whether you have a right to bring about a claim, so if yourself or a loved one has been affected do not hesitate to contact us.

How much would my claim be worth?

It is often difficult to value clinical negligence claims at their outset given the complexities involved however we will pursue two forms of compensation for you:

• General damages – An award of money for the pain and suffering you have endured as a result of the negligence.
• Special damages – an award for all of your out-of-pocket expenses such as travel expenses, medication costs, loss of earnings, treatment costs both past and future. This list is not exhaustive and is very case-specific.

Why choose Oakwood Solicitors?

We have a dedicated team of Solicitors and paralegals who have many years’ experience between them in running cases of this nature. They are highly trained to deal with all aspects of clinical and medical negligence.

Oakwood Solicitors Ltd wishes to ensure that clients are not overwhelmed by legal jargon or medical terms that they don’t understand and aims to allow the claims procedure to be as transparent as possible.

Further reading

Medical misdiagnosis or delay – Oakwood Solicitors

WHAT TO DO NEXT

If you have been affected by lack of treatment or late/delays in diagnosis as a result of the strikes throughout the NHS, or require any advice about legal proceedings, call us on 0113 200 9720 for a free initial consultation.