Abdel Hakim Belhadj, a Libyan military commander, is taken legal action against former foreign secretary, Jack Straw. Legal papers have been served on the Labour MP following reports that he had personally permitted the illegal rendition of Belhadj, signing the documents that allowed him to be sent back to his homeland in 2004. Belhadj claims…
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Report shows hospitals overcharging for short-stay patients
A watchdog said that money is being wasted by hospitals in England as they are wrongly overcharging the health service for treating short-stay patients. Graeme Swain, a specialist medical negligence solicitor at Swain & Co., says, “The Audit Commission highlighted the fact that hospitals could be earning more than 5 times as much by recording…
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Rise in cancer in women
Cancer Research UK has announced that the number of lung cancer cases in women in the UK has risen once again. In 2008 there were more than 18,000 diagnosis of lung cancer, which compares to a figure of 8,000 in 1975. The dramatic increase in the number of women contracting lung cancer has been blamed…
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Huntington’s disease “protects” against cancer
New research has emerged today from the Lancet Oncology which shows that patients with Huntingdon’s disease appear to have protection against cancer. The study undertaken in Sweden analysed data from 1969 up to 2008 which showed that out of the 1510 patients examined, 91 of those developed cancer. This represents a 53% reduction to those…
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Children needing adopting face delays
Ofsted have said that the most significant cause of delay for children needing adoption is the length of time taken to complete court proceedings. The Right on Time report has revealed that it takes an average of 14 months to complete care proceedings. These report findings have been based on a survey of 9 local…
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Durham Prison is ‘Too lax on drugs’ say Chief Inspector of Prisons
A survey carried out at Durham Prison has revealed that inmates failed random drug tests; 1 in 8 said they developed a drug problem after being sent to prison; a third admitted it was easy to get hold of drugs; and 1 in 5 thought that their drug problem would still exist after release. This…
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NHS reforms are likely to lead to more litigation
The reforms are proposing handing responsibility to local authorities for public health, including reducing obesity, managing mental health services and sexual health. Warnings have also been issued that local authorities will face legal difficulties. With budget cuts on the NHS and rising consumer expectations, it has been warned that there will be more tension, more…
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Swain & Co. concerned over risks in cosmetic surgery
Here at Swain & Co. we are concerned about the news of chin procedures becoming the fastest growing trend in cosmetic surgery in the US. Here in the UK, trends tend to mimic those of the US. With every ‘trend’ comes the ability for unscrupulous ‘surgeons’ to conduct procedures that may not meet regulations, regulations…
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Wounded soldiers receiving poor treatment
New figures have shown that in the past three years, 13 soldiers have launched compensation claims against the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine at Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth hospital, for medical negligence. The site cares for heroes airlifted from the front line, winning numerous awards for its work. Experts are suggesting that the complaints are arising…
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Children set to lose legal aid
The government has said it will oppose 8 of the 11 amendments made by peers to the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders bill when it returns to Commons today. On Friday afternoon the government published a response to the Lords’ amendments signalling the intention to restore cuts to legal aid for children. JustRights…
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