MG Legal Solicitors 
Longridge: 01772 783314 Garstang: 01995 602129 Lancaster: 01524 581306 Lytham: 01253 202452  
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A recent Care Quality Commission review of the company who ran the Whorlton Hall Care Facility in County Durham, has highlighted a number of failings at the facility. A number of serious findings were reported including a lack of proper risk management, over-use of restraint and increased rates of self-harm by patients. This is the same unit that was secretly filmed by the BBC for an episode of their Panorama programme, which showed some particularly distressing footage. Other criticism of the firm, Cygnet Health Care, included lack of clear lines of accountability between management and services. 
 
Whilst the Whorlton Hall unit, a privately owned but NHS funded unit, has since closed down, the company remains in operation at various other sites. The CQC report does also state that steps are being taken by Cygnet to rectify the issues, only a further review will confirm if this has taken place or not. This is a clear reminder that at times we must put ourselves in the hands of professionals, whom we trust to do the right thing and to act in our best interests. 
 
In many care facilities, it is often the case that patients do not have full mental capacity, either due to mental health conditions or longer term issues such as dementia. In these facilities, it is highly important that an adequate level of properly qualified or trained staff are present. Supervision levels are, quite often, set at 1:1 meaning one member of staff is required to care for one patient. Unfortunately, this is regularly a standard that fails to be met and so if a patient without their own capacity to make decisions is left unattended, they can often, unintentionally, suffer injuries through trying to do something as simple as getting a cup of tea or, in the case of people with mental illness, self-harm. 

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As a firm with significant experience in such matters, MG Legal, your local medical negligence solicitor, has seen a multitude of negligence claims against hospitals, GP’s and private healthcare providers arising from all manner of failings. From a lack of staffing numbers in a dementia ward to unnecessary operations and lack of aftercare to patients, unfortunately, we have seen a wide variety of failures to provide proper care. If, at any point, a failure to provide proper care falls below the threshold of a reasonably competent medical practitioner, the Case of Bolam v Friern Hospital Management applies, the practitioner or hospital can be said to be negligent and you have a right to compensation for any injuries, or worsening or any injuries already sustained, which can be shown to have arisen from the negligence. 
 
Here at MG Legal, your local medical negligence solicitor, we appreciate that following an incidence of medical negligence, it can be difficult to discuss the case and so we do our very best to provide a professional and reassuring service to make the process as simple as possible, whilst ensuring that you remain fully advised and aware of the process at each stage, enabling you to make decisions and to provide us with instruction having all possible information, including evidence of medical experts, available to you. 
 
MG Legal, your local medical negligence solicitor, look to take all instructions on the basis of a Conditional Fee Agreement (no win, no fee agreement) to ensure that you are able to have full and proper legal representation throughout your case.  
 
There are no charges for our investigative work and if we accept your case, the costs incurred will be billed to the fault party on conclusion of the claim. Should you believe that you have been the victim of medical negligence, please contact our offices in Garstang, Lancaster or Longridge by phone, email, contact form (on our website) or by dropping in to the office and we will look to assess your case fully, to provide you an advice on the merits of your claim at the earliest opportunity. 
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