Chista Kermani
I have been fortunate in having the opportunity to pursue two careers; the first as a doctor practicing in hospital medicine, and the second as a lawyer acting on behalf of patients who have suffered harm as a result of medical treatment. Although I have not had direct experience of a family member or friend being affected in this way, I have had occasion to complain to a hospital for the very poor standard of care which my daughter received some years ago. Fortunately, the correct diagnosis was made before she suffered any long-term damage, but I was sufficiently concerned about the treatment that she received to pursue the internal complaints procedure, in the hope that lessons could be learnt from our experience, both in relation to diagnostic and communication skills.
In my letter I also ensured that praise was given where the treatment provided was good. I believe that it is important to recognise the remarkable service provided by dedicated and hard-working medical staff, who provide an excellent standard of care for the vast majority of patients that they treat. However, we must strive to reduce the number of incidences when this quality of care falls below that which we are entitled to receive, both for the benefit of patients and doctors, and I look forward to the opportunity of working with health professionals to achieve this.