Pictured above: Jeanette Whyman, partner and head of
clinical negligence and personal injury at Wright Hassall
A Warwickshire law firm has won the right to administer clinical
negligence actions on a legal aid basis.
Legal Services Commission (LSC) funding, formerly known as legal
aid, is only awarded to firms that demonstrate a wealth of
experience and expertise in the area of clinical negligence
law.
And Leamington-based Wright Hassall has been named as one of a
select few legal firms to provide the service until the
government's proposed withdrawal of legal aid in 2015.
Jeanette Whyman, partner and head of clinical negligence and
personal injury at Wright Hassall, said: "It is vitally important
to provide legal help to anyone who has suffered due to poor or
inadequate treatment.
"Recent reports on treatment and care show the NHS still has a
long way to go before patient safety reaches the expected
standards.
"If someone has suffered due to lack of care, this can have far
reaching consequences both financially and emotionally and that
person should have all the appropriate support needed to seek
redress."
But while this is good news for anyone seeking to bring a claim
for poor treatment, it is important to recognise that the
distribution of aid by this process could be a thing of the past
come 2015.
"The removal of legal aid will not adversely affect Wright
Hassall because we can offer funding on other bases which will
ensure there is no cost to the client," Jeanette said.
"However other firms who are reliant on LSC funding to pursue
clinical negligence actions will feel the effects, should this
proposal go through."
For more information about Wright Hassall, please visit their
website here: www.wrighthassall.co.uk