Latest news with #medicalcare
BBC News
a day ago
- Health
- BBC News
Care failures led to woman's hospital death, inquest finds
A grandmother died after complications from a routine procedure were made worse by failures in her medical care, an inquest has Stewart, 58, died at Leicester Royal Infirmary on 29 February 2024, after more than two years of serious health issues that followed a gynaecological inquest at Leicester Coroner's Court concluded her death was caused by recognised complications from the procedure, worsened by poor management of her blood-thinning coroner Dianne Hocking said there were failures to correctly stop, restart and monitor the medication, which contributed to Ms Stewart's death. She returned a narrative conclusion at the final day of the hearing on 10 Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (UHL), which runs the hospital, said it had "learned from this case" and since "made significant improvements" to its processes. Ms Stewart first went to her GP in September 2021, complaining of prolonged and irregular menstrual had a hysteroscopy later that year when tests suggested possible abnormalities in her uterus, said Lime Solicitors, which has been supporting the weeks after the procedure, she was admitted to hospital with symptoms of severe the following months, she developed further serious complications, including bowel ischaemia - a condition where blood flow to the intestines is led to emergency surgery when part of her colon was removed and a stoma was family said this had a major impact on her quality of life, causing ongoing pain, repeated infections, and difficulties with mobility and independence, said Lime February 2024, she was scheduled for reconstructive surgery to improve her condition but it was subsequently cancelled three days before it was due to happen. 'Heartbreaking' Concerns were raised during the inquest about how her blood-thinning medications were managed during this coroner said there was a failure to consult haematology specialists, despite the complexity of her a result, Ms Stewart developed clotting in the arteries supplying her legs and surgeons were forced to amputate her right leg above the knee, but her condition rapidly worsened and she died shortly Stewart's daughter, Amy Jarvis, said the family had been left devastated."It is heartbreaking to think how much my mum suffered for more than two-and-a-half years following what should have been a routine procedure," she said."She was a strong, intelligent woman who placed her trust in the professionals caring for her. Instead, she was let down repeatedly and we had to watch her health unravel bit by bit." 'Improve patient safety' According to Lime Solicitors, the coroner also raised concerns about the use of two separate electronic systems at the hospital, which risked important medical information being lost or overlooked.A letter of concern will be sent to the hospital trust encouraging improvements to be made, the law firm Furlong, medical director at the UHL, said: "On behalf of the trust, I would like to express my heartfelt condolences to the family of Bridget Stewart. "We acknowledge the coroner's findings and would like to assure Bridget's family that we have learned from this case and made significant improvements to our processes, including providing extensive training on anticoagulation management to all colleagues on our wards."Medical negligence solicitor Maryam Abdullah, who supported the family ahead of the inquest, said the case highlighted "missed steps" in Ms Stewart's said: "The delays and inconsistent application of critical medication protocols contributed directly to her deteriorating health and, ultimately, her death."We are working closely with Ms Stewart's family to pursue a civil claim. We hope the coroner's findings will serve as a catalyst for healthcare providers to rigorously review and improve their protocols to prevent similar failings in the future and improve patient safety."
CBC
a day ago
- Health
- CBC
Some Manitobans can now obtain medical services in hospital without a health card
Some Manitobans without health cards can now see doctors in hospitals, thanks to a change intended to ensure vulnerable patients receive better medical care. Hospital physicians can now bill the health-care system for certain patients without a health card, Doctors Manitoba said. The change applies to people who are eligible for coverage but don't have a personal health I.D. number, such as newborns, people experiencing homelessness, new residents to Canada and people who've recently been incarcerated. Doctors Manitoba president Nichelle Desilets said the move will reduce the administrative burdens on physicians and allow them to get reimbursed faster, all while ensuring more patients receive medical care. "I've seen dramatic, life-threatening situations develop due to folks not seeking care as early as they could have for this reason," she said. "The good faith billing option is really helpful. It definitely puts us more in line with other provinces." Tobi Jolly, community wellness director at Siloan Mission, said while people without health cards can usually access emergency medical services, they find it difficult to receive ongoing care or visit specialists. "We've had community members who have come in and been fearful of going to the hospital, because, 'They're going to ask for my health card,' " Jolly said, adding she hopes the new good faith billing process changes this. "It's really exciting for us to know that our community members will get the care they need at the hospital as well." Jolly said expanding good faith billings to clinics and other settings outside hospitals, including Siloam, would alleviate even more barriers to health care. Some Manitobans without health cards now have hospital visits covered 4 minutes ago Duration 2:09 Doctors Manitoba says hospital physicians can now bill the province's health-care system for certain patients who don't have a health card, including newcomers to Canada and people who are homeless, bringing relief to at least one organization that works with vulnerable patients.
New York Times
3 days ago
- Health
- New York Times
What Is a D.O.?
A few years ago, while searching for a new primary care doctor, a woman at the front desk of a local practice sent me the name of a well-regarded physician — with a caveat. He's a D.O., she almost whispered, which she assured me was 'basically the same' as an M.D. Was it? If so, why had she felt the need to bring it up? Even after several appointments, I felt no closer to understanding what my doctor's credential meant or whether it mattered to my care. So, for the past few weeks, I've been digging into this question: What is a doctor of osteopathic medicine? This is, I've discovered, a timely question. The number of D.O.s is growing quickly: More than a quarter of all medical students in the U.S. today are attending osteopathic schools. Today, there are more than 150,000 practitioners, quadruple the number three decades ago. In today's newsletter, I'll explain who they are — and what the changing face of medicine might mean for you. Why is the group surging? It's about supply and demand. The U.S. population is growing. Lots of people want to be doctors, and many more need medical care. But the number of spots at traditional medical schools has grown very slowly. The number at osteopathic schools, however, has ballooned in recent years. Fourteen campuses have opened in the last five years alone, creating thousands of training slots. The profession has gained traction in places, often rural, where M.D.s are in short supply. Osteopathic schools are often in 'medically underserved' areas like Kirksville, Mo.; Harrogate, Tenn.; and Detroit. Nearly 60 percent of D.O.s are primary care doctors — which pays less and is less popular among M.D.s. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
National Post
4 days ago
- Health
- National Post
Lawrence Krauss: Free medical care shouldn't mean no medical care
Article content I recognize that medical care is harder to maintain in smaller and more rural communities. But the situation in P.E.I. has reached dangerous levels. I wrote a year ago about the problems with staffing emergency rooms at hospitals in this province. Because of a shortage of doctors, those who staff these facilities have schedules that resemble those of early medical residents. But on-call requirements are often unacceptable to established physicians. As a result, it is extremely difficult to recruit senior physicians to the province to alleviate the current shortage. Article content We are moving away from P.E.I. this year, in part due to the medical shortage here. We are moving to a somewhat more urban environment on Vancouver Island, and are hoping that, because of the relatively large number of retired couples on the island, there may be a larger number of family doctors to accommodate them. Article content But, in our case there is another reason to live there. It is just a short ferry ride to Port Townsend, Wash. Having worked in the U.S. for my entire adult career, I have Medicare coverage, which covers about 80 per cent of the cost of medical procedures. In the case of catastrophic illness, the residual expense can be large, which is why individuals in the U.S. who can afford it purchase private health care. But in my case, I plan to be able to schedule routine procedures in Washington State if I need them and find they are not available at home. Article content Article content The irony of returning to the U.S. for medical care, when that was one of the factors that led to our leaving that country, is not lost on me. I believe in government-financed health care as a right for citizens. Clearly however, the system in Canada as it is currently set up isn't working. My wife once lived in Australia, which also has a government health plan. She was able to pay into an additional plan to access some physicians directly, if necessary. Clearly such a private option removes the burden from the public system and also allows doctors supplemental income. Something like that seems like a good option for Canada, especially in rural areas, which are currently underserved. Article content Finally, at a time when there is such concern about immigration, it is important to recognize that there are well-qualified physicians from around the world who would be happy to relocate to Canada if they were easily able to do so. Federal and provincial governments should consider fast-tracking permanent residence status for such sorely needed professionals. Article content When I left the U.S., I heard horror stories about Canadian health care. I tend to view these as apocryphal. For urgent cases, both from my own experience and those of friends, the country appears to allow individuals to generally get access to necessary expertise in a relatively timely way, without bankrupting them. But the cost to individuals, and the country, of not universally providing more routine preventative health care is great. Something needs to be done to fix a system that appears to be broken. Article content
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Emotional Ben Askren speaks from hospital bed: 'It was like I got to have my own funeral'
Ben Askren feels like he's attended his own funeral – but he hasn't. He's still alive. And not only that, he's now talking. In an emotional video posted to his social media account Wednesday, Askren provided a health update himself for the first time since he was hospitalized with a severe case of pneumonia that ultimately led to a lung transplant. Advertisement "I haven't given you an update in a while and figure you deserve one," Askren said. "Whenever this is all the way over. I just read through my wife's journal because I don't remember anything from May 28 to July 2. I have no recollection. No idea. No idea what happened. We'll kind of go through it all. I just kind of read through my wife's journal. It's like a movie. It's ridiculous." Askren, 40, said more details about his specific issues might be posted in the coming days. However, Askren revealed he died four times at some point during the recent sequence of events – and lost 50 pounds in 45 days. "I only died four times where the ticker stopped for about 20 seconds," Askren said. "That's not ideal. You guys know that. But I got a double lung transplant. I made it out to the other side of it, gaining quite a bit of strength, learning to use everything again. I was actually on the scale yesterday, 147 pounds. I haven't been 147 pounds since I was 15 years old. I lost 50 pounds in a 45-day period. So, man. That was a battle. Obviously, I don't remember most of it." Askren became most emotional when he spoke about the support and messages he's received. His hospitalization and near-death experience sent shockwaves through the wrestling and combat sports communities. Advertisement "The thing that was most impactful to me was all the love I felt from everybody," Askren said. "It was almost like I got to have my own funeral. Right? I still remember 30 years ago when Dave Schultz died and you listen to all these older people recollect how much they enjoyed him and how much they loved him. Obviously, he never got to hear that. ... So, the outpouring of love from the wrestling community was amazing. It felt so good. I'm more motivated than ever to give back and do what I can. I love you guys. I appreciate you guys. This has been tough, not only on me but my whole family, and my close community. I appreciate everything. I hope you guys appreciate the update. Like I said, sometime down the road maybe Amy and I can detail everything a little more." Prior to Wednesday's update, Askren's wife Amy had periodically updated the world on social media about her husband's condition. She initially revealed the news of a serious medical issue on June 7. As of June 17, he was sedated on a ventilator. News that Askren underwent a lung transplant came June 30. The news has drawn widespread reaction from the combat sports world, with numerous athletes, wrestlers, and the UFC publicly expressing thoughts and prayers for the former ONE and Bellator champion. The UFC's June 14 broadcast featured a segment wishing Askren well. A T-shirt fundraiser has been launched to help with Askren's medical bills, as well as his mission to help support high-level athletes. This past Saturday, after his win over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Jake Paul used his post-fight interview time to express support for Askren and raise awareness about his life-changing situation. Advertisement Askren retired from MMA in 2019 but returned for a one-off boxing bout vs. Paul in 2021. Widely considered one of the greatest amateur wrestlers in U.S. history, Askren remains heavily involved with the wrestling community and recently joined Hulk Hogan's Real American Freestyle. This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Ben Askren speaks in emotional hospital video after lung transplant
