2021 is a celebratory year for Oldham law firm Pearson Solicitors and Financial Advisers as it is 21 years since the firm developed a medical negligence team, one of the first specialist teams outside Manchester, reports Medical Negligence solicitor John Pollitt, who founded the team.
Helping people get the compensation they need to get their lives back on track after medical incidents is the primary aim of the Medical Negligence team, which represented thousands of clients.
From compensation cases worth more than £6 million, through to pharmacy mix-ups, each case the Pearson Solicitors Medical Negligence team takes on is dealt with by specialists. This department has grown from a team of one to having ten people working exclusively on medical negligence claims.
We set up the team to give local people a voice and a chance to get some answers following medical mistakes. In the intervening 21 years, the legal world has changed somewhat and we are now representing clients from all over the UK.
Patients are entitled to an explanation for any adverse outcome and we offer clear and comprehensive advice from the outset.
We aim to give a sense of justice, but recognise that the primary motivation for bringing a clinical negligence claim is to improve patient safety and we work collaboratively with healthcare providers.
Quite a lot has changed in the 21 years since the department was set up. Passing trade, while still relevant, has mostly been replaced by online searches for medical negligence claims, which have allowed us to represent clients from all over the country.
The team firmly believes that holding the medical profession to scrutiny has improved standards of care over the years. Cases do not always proceed to court as NHS Resolution is committed, where appropriate, to an early admission of liability and there is much more mediation and alternative dispute resolution to avert claims going to formal court proceedings.
This is not about punishing anyone who makes a mistake, but learning from such errors. Improved aspects of patient care, such as the NICE guidelines which cover recognition, diagnosis and early management for all patient treatments, are one of many benefits.
The work is demanding and challenging, but always fulfilling and we believe the team has made a real difference to the lives of many people.
The team is now headed by solicitor Jacqueline White, who is ready to embrace the challenges of the next 21 years and the changing legal landscape.
Says Jacqueline “We now have clients throughout the UK as we can meet via video conferences and cases are often settled out of court. Things are very different in 2021.
“Clients do shop around for advice but our recommendations and reputation, as well as our passion for improvements in patient care, mean we are trusted by hundreds of patients and their families every year.”
Jacqueline, alongside John Pollitt, Matthew Cox, Daniel Phelps, Gemma Miller and Lois Goddard, deals solely in medical negligence claims. The team is assisted by Susan Shears, Denise Curzon and Yvonne Batty.
For advice on all medical negligence claims, the Pearson team are here to help. They are at the end of a telephone for a quick chat and free initial advice to see if you have a case going forward. Call 0161 785 3500 or email enquiries@pearsonlegal.co.uk