Action Against Medical Accidents

Action Against Medical Accidents is a charity campaign in the United Kingdom for patient safety and justice improvement, as well as to reduce medical error.

History

It was established in 1982 as 'Action for the Victims of Medical Accidents' following public reaction to the television play 'Minor Complications', by AvMA's founder, Peter Ransley. The name was changed in 2003 to 'Action against Medical Accidents'

The first chief executive, Arnold Simanowitz, was awarded an OBE in 2000.

The organisation has vociferously supported Will Powell's campaign for NHS managers and doctors to have a formal 'duty of candour' when dealing with complaints about negligent or poor standards of care in NHS hospitals.

Peter Walsh, Chief Executive said there were "green shoots" of change in the way NHS deals with whistleblowers and patient care scandals in January 2014. The nursing directors report into care at Alder Hey Children's Hospital was the "frankest" report into poor patient care he had ever seen.^[1]

Campaigns

In January 2014 David Behan, chief executive of the Care Quality Commission, threw his weight behind a wide definition for the statutory duty of candour which was recommended by the Francis Report.^[2] The Government originally intended the duty to be limited to cases of “severe harm” – when a patient had been killed or left permanently disabled, as a wider reporting requirement could inundate organisations with unnecessary bureaucracy. The CQC estimates there are about 11,000 incidents of severe harm per year, and up to 100,000 incidents of serious harm, although there may be significant under reporting of both. The charity has been campaigning for a wide definition^[3] and Behan made it clear that he was supporting them.

References

External links

• Official website