Balancing the Scales of Safety: The Criminal Laws Impact on Patient Safety and Error Reduction

The chance of death from medical error within the hospital setting is 33,000 times greater than dying in an aircraft crash. Despite patient safety being central to healthcare delivery across the world, medical errors and patient harm remain prevalent. This review evaluates the role of criminal law in regulating healthcare across England and Wales using prior legal case studies and focusing on the offence of Gross Negligence Manslaughter (GNM). It further examines the extent to which the law promotes patient safety to fatal errors in healthcare.
Source: The British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery - Category: ENT & OMF Authors: Tags: Review Source Type: research