Covid’s curb on service ‘will trigger law suits’

By Edie Bourne

Large numbers of doctors who worked through the pandemic fear they will face a regulatory or even criminal investigation if patients are harmed due to delayed referrals or non-Covid-19 services being unavailable or limited. 

These concerns are held by more than two in five (43%) of doctors, according to a survey for the defence body the Medical Prot­ection Society (MPS).

The defence body has now called on the Government to commit adequate resources and support to clear the backlog of referrals and delayed follow-ups in secondary care ‘to avoid a potential patient safety crisis and a tsunami of future claims and investigations’.

MPS medical director Dr Rob Hendry said: ‘It will take some time for all services to be up and running normally. Covid-19 will continue to bring pressures and complications, compounded by the upcoming winter, and this is on top of the referral backlog.