Relevance of the Concepts of Blame and Retribution in the Chief Essay

Relevance of the Concepts of Blame and Retribution in the Chief Medical Officers Approach to Mistakes of Doctors - Essay Example In addition, medical profession has defined its standards of accountability through a formal code of Ethics. Legal challenges and court decisions can seriously affect a doctor's professional future. Adrian Bowe, 31, from Dearhem near Maryport won 3 million in damages - the reason - He suffered a massive stroke in April 2000 completely paralyzing him because his GP failed to refer him to a specialist for medical treatment. He needs professional medical care for the rest of his life and will not be able to work again. Mr.Bowe first went to the doctor complaining dizziness and blurred vision. The doctor incorrectly diagnosed a migraine and his diagnosis remained unchanged despite Mr.Bowe making further visits. A year after the consultation Mr.Bowe's mother Patricia found him collapsed at his home. Subsequent tests revealed a massive stroke. The Irish Medical Board reported six fatal adverse reaction reports in Ireland of the patients who were treated with the inflammatory blocker Humira, with a note that the deaths could have been also the result of underlying infections. Edward Wilson filed a lawsuit against the Beverly Health Care center, West Virginia which was responsible for his wife Carol's death in Jan 2004. He alleged that she died from sepsis due to multiple urinary tract infections she had developed due to poor infection control methods, during assisted toileting. The Daily post reported that Merseyside hospitals paid more than 5 million to patients for medical litigation compensations. In 2004-2005 alone, there were 470 cases of adverse medical events including 204 clinical negligence cases. Alarmingly, it is said that the number of cases which give rise to compensation are few and for between the actual negligence reports in NHS hospitals. These episodes of medical compensations apart from helping the victims, highlights the errors and negligence occurring in treatment situations and need to raise the medical care standards. The death of Nardia, 32, in Feb 2002 after a hysterectomy at Mater hospital has brought the senior surgeon under scrutiny although he was not excluded or cancelled from the Queensland Medical Board. Shahzadi Shahida Sultana, 35, Pakistan died after a 10 inch forceps was left out in her abdomen during a caesarean section. Two doctors were suspended after her relatives lodged a complaint against five women doctors in 2005. Astra Zeneca was forced to withdraw its alternative to the drug warfarin, after serious hepatotoxic reports in patients. The US food and Drug Administration refused to approve the treatment even after regulators approved the drug as a blood-thinner for patients who undergo hip or knee replacement in 2004. Hundreds of British patients had strokes and heart attacks after taking the arthritis drug retocoxib. They have launched a mass compensation claim in the British courts against the manufacturer, Merck. Merck had withdrawn the drug worldwide on 30 Sept 2004 after reported heart attacks and strokes on prolonged use of the