Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA) is a UK charity for patient safety and justice. It works with people who have been affected by medical accidents. It is based in Surrey .
15-464: AVMA may refer to: Action Against Medical Accidents , the UK charity for patient safety and justice American Veterinary Medical Association , a not-for-profit association representing more than 99,500 U.S. veterinarians MTV Australia Awards (previously AVMAs), Australia's first awards show to celebrate both local and international acts Topics referred to by
30-589: A formal 'duty of candour' when dealing with complaints about negligence or poor standards of care in NHS hospitals. In January 2014 David Behan , chief executive of the Care Quality Commission (CQC), threw his weight behind a wide definition for the statutory duty of candour which was recommended by the Francis Report . The Government originally intended the duty to be limited to cases of “severe harm” – when
45-401: 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 Action Against Medical Accidents has been campaigning for
60-467: A professional, contractual or statutory duty, which is imposed on all NHS and non-NHS providers of services to NHS patients in the UK to 'provide to the service user and any other relevant person all necessary support and all relevant information' in the event that a 'reportable patient safety incident' occurs. A 'reportable patient safety incident' is one which could have or did result in moderate or severe harm or death. The statutory duty of candour
75-419: A public authority 'not to seek to win [a] litigation at all costs but to assist the court in reaching the correct result and thereby to improve standards in public administration'. Lord Donaldson MR in R v Lancashire County Council ex p. Huddleston stated that public servants should be willing 'to explain fully what has occurred and why'. There is also a duty of candour referred to in various contexts as
90-419: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Action Against Medical Accidents The charity provides free, independent advice and support to people affected by medical accidents (in particular, lapses in patient safety) through a helpline, written casework, and inquest support services. It also works in partnership with patients, health professionals,
105-540: Is extensively quoted in Sir Robert Francis QC's report, and most of AvMA's suggestions were taken up in his recommendations. Most notably, AvMA's arguments for a statutory duty of candor were supported by Sir Robert. In 2023, the Chief Executive is Paul Whiteing. Duty of Candour: In January 2014, David Behan , chief executive of the Care Quality Commission , threw his weight behind a wide definition for
120-580: Is provided for in Regulation 20 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. Organisations which fail to comply with the statutory duty may be fined . Other organisations outside the public sector may also choose to adopt a "duty of candour policy", for example the Scout Association , July 2024. Campaigner Will Powell led a campaign for NHS managers and doctors to have
135-411: Is vital that patients or their families are dealt with fairly and honestly and can get the support, answers and outcomes they are entitled to expect. AvMA campaigns to remove barriers to access injustice. Research Projects : In 2023, AvMA is an advisory body on several projects with universities and the NHS. Duty of candour In UK public law , the duty of candour is the duty imposed on
150-611: The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) and the Commission for Health Audit and Inspection (now the Care Quality Commission ) followed years of AvMA raising these issues and campaigning. AvMA is also responsible for making clinical negligence a specialism within legal practice, and continues to accredit solicitors for its specialist panel and promote good practice through comprehensive services to claimant solicitors. In 2000, AvMA's first chief executive, Arnold Simanowitz,
165-538: The NHS, government departments, and lawyers to improve patient safety and justice for people affected by medical accidents. AvMA is a registered charity in England & Wales (No: 299123) and Scotland (No: 2239250/ SCO 39683). AvMA was originally 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
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#1732852323664180-405: The same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title AVMA . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=AVMA&oldid=1078226544 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
195-613: The statutory duty of candour which was recommended by the Francis Report . The statutory duty of candour now applies to all health care organisations in England that are registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Duty of Candour regulations were introduced in Scotland in 2018 and became law in Wales in April 2023. Access to Justice: When something goes wrong and causes harm, it
210-507: Was awarded the OBE in recognition of his achievements with AvMA. In 2003 Peter Walsh was appointed was appointed as Chief Executive and the charity was relaunched under the new name Action Against Medical Accidents. AvMA helped many families affected by the Stafford Hospital scandal , campaigned for the public inquiry, which eventually happened, and was a core participant in the inquiry. AvMA
225-422: Was changed in 2003 to ‘Action against Medical Accidents’. Since its inception, AvMA has provided advice and support to over 100,000 people affected by medical accidents and succeeded in bringing about significant changes to the way that the legal system deals with clinical negligence and in moving patient safety higher up the agenda in the UK. The legal reforms of Lord Woolf and the creation of agencies such as
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