AvMA chief executive Peter Walsh said:
“Thousands of people are gravely affected or even killed by avoidable hospital acquired infections every year. However, the continuing restriction of legal aid means that very few people can afford even to have their case investigated. Legal aid should be extended and consideration given to a special compensation scheme for those affected by these infections, to make compensation more accessible to all. This might also help control the total bill for compensating patients and avoid unnecessary legal costs”.
The charity is also calling for donations to a legal “fighting fund” it is establishing to pay for important test cases for which funding is not available from elsewhere.
Mr Walsh defended Ms Ash from accusations that she and others were damaging the NHS by suing for compensation. He said:
“The onus is on the NHS to avoid causing harm in the first place. The reason the pay out is so large is because of the actual loss of earnings suffered by Ms Ash, who was a high earner. We should look at ways of making access to justice easier for everyone. However, she has done society a service by exercising her perfectly reasonable right to obtain compensation and help focus attention on these important issues.”