The BBC reports that one in five child deaths in England could be prevented.
According to The Lancet around 5,000 children die each year, with 15 to 17year-olds having the highest proportion of preventable deaths from suicide, accidents, abuse and neglect.
The University of Warwick researchers concluded that more could be done to cut future deaths by tackling child poverty and spotting serious illnesses sooner.
This is extremely worrying news and it is hard to accept that more cannot be done in 21st century Britain to reduce preventable child deaths.
Whilst the BBC’s article highlights a number of factors which make up these statistics, It is a fact that a large proportion of medical negligence claims involve children and these are often the cases attracting the biggest pay-outs. Such cases are usually due to injuries sustained at birth, but can also include cases of misdiagnosis which can lead to severe and catastrophic brain injury.
One of our specialist medical negligence lawyers, Oliver Thorne comments:
‘These figures are of concern. In my line of work, in the last 3 years, a high percentage of the cases I have dealt with have involved children. Sadly 3 cases in the last 18 months alone have involved babies who have died unnecessarily. The statistics reflect our own experiences and are deeply worrying.’
A link to the BBC’s article can be found here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-29062640
Oliver is an experienced medical negligence lawyer. Should you wish to contact Oliver to discuss a potential claim without charge or obligation then please call 0333 888 0412 or email him direct at [email protected]