DAUK’s call for action to improve patient safety following coroners’ findings into the deaths of two children has made headlines in medical news media.
Doctors Association UK (DAUK) has written to health secretary James Murray urging the introduction of clear national standards to ensure patients referred to hospital by a GP are assessed by a doctor.
DAUK GP co-leads Dr Sarah Jacques and Dr Steve Taylor wrote to Mr Murray following coroners’ reports into the deaths of nine-year-old Dylan Cope and eight-year-old Ethan Hanson.
They were both urgently referred to hospital by their GPs with suspected appendicitis but, according to the coroners’ findings, were not assessed by a doctor after arriving at hospital.
The letter has been featured by The BMJ, Pulse and Doctors.net.uk
In it, Dr Jacques and Dr Taylor called on the government to introduce national standards requiring patients urgently referred to hospital by a GP to be assessed by a doctor.
The letter also asks to ensure that no patient with undifferentiated symptoms is assessed or discharged without doctor oversight.
DAUK has invited Mr Murray and Department of Health officials to discuss the proposals.
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