Category: Health
40,000 patients affected by cervical screening error
Some 40,000 patients are affected by the recent cervical screening error that has led to thousands of letters not being sent out.
Of the 40,000 affected, some 4,000 were in relation to test results that never went out. Up to 200 of those reportedly showed abnormal results where women will have likely needed swift intervention if cancer has been identified.
The number of patients affected is staggering, and this isn’t the first time a simple error has led to a significant blunder of this nature. We’re representing victims of the NHS breast screening scandal where letters for screening didn’t go out due to an IT error.
Risperdal compensation deal agreed ahead of trial
A Risperdal compensation deal has been agreed ahead of a trial. This is said to be one of many potentially multi-million-pound settlements over the drug.
Some users who have been taking Risperdal medication have suffered severe side-effects. The use of the drug has also been involved in off-label marketing; i.e. using the drug for alternative reasons than what regulators have approved the drug for.
Off-label marketing can be a real problem for consumers. When pharmaceutical giants see slow sales in particular products, they can be tempted to repackage them and sell them for different uses. Sometimes this isn’t a bad thing, but when the drug isn’t approved for certain uses, and where certain side-effects are prominent in off-label uses, people can suffer.
Roche Diabetes Care test strip errors leads to recall
Roche Diabetes Care test strip errors has led to a recall of a number of home-use and point-of-care glucose monitoring systems.
The Roche Diabetes Care test strip errors are for the following systems: Accu-Chek Aviva; Accu-Chek Performa; and Accu-Chek Inform II.
There is a risk of a strip error message that may lead to either falsely high or falsely low blood glucose results reported.
A troubling testimony in the Gosport War Memorial Hospital deaths
A troubling testimony in the Gosport War Memorial Hospital deaths has been recounted in the recent independent inquiry that deemed some 450 deaths at the hospital were linked to an unsafe opioid-use policy.
Families who have been fighting for an inquiry for years have finally received the news that they say they knew all along: that their loved-ones died in the hospital prematurely.
At the centre of the Gosport War Memorial Hospital deaths scandal is Dr Jane Barton; the GP stationed there who claims that she was only ever doing the best for her patients. One particularly troubling testimony from 2001 that was recounted in the independent report paints a different story entirely.
J & J and its supplier challenge evidence in talcum powder cancer case
J & J and its supplier are set to still challenge evidence in a talcum powder cancer case where a verdict has already been reached to the tune of $117m in damages in the Claimant’s favour.
Reportedly, pharmaceutical giant J & J and its supplier of the talcum powder that’s at the centre of the cancer cases against them are trying to argue that the Claimant failed to prove that his mesothelioma was caused by the talc product.
The $117m damages award in this monumental legal battle is one of many verdicts that have paved the way for J & J paying millions to victims who claim their cancer was caused by its talcum powder product.
Johnson & Johnson talcum powder and cancer link investigations to begin in the UK
The latest Johnson & Johnson talcum powder cancer trial in the US has concluded with the victim awarded $40m in damages.
The Claimant alleged that his mesothelioma – an aggressive and incurable cancer – was caused by long-term use of J & J talc. In light of key expert evidence that indicated there can be trace amounts of asbestos contained in talcum powder, he has won his case.
There are currently thousands of similar lawsuits in the US, and our Group Action Lawyers are ready to investigate UK cases also.
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Warnings over bodybuilding products bought online being unsafe and mislabelled
The internet has opened up the easiest way of accessing practically any kind of market, and many people – particularly young men – are turning to the internet in search of products they can use to help increase their muscle mass and improve their frame.
But, experts are warning consumers to be careful about products they buy online after studies into bodybuilding products found alarming results about the real ingredients contained within them.
The results of the study have indicated that many online bodybuilding products may be unsafe, or at least mislabelled.
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All hormonal contraception like ‘the pill’ can still increase breast cancer risks
It has been reportedly known for a while that forms of hormonal contraception like ‘the pill’ have been linked with increased risks of women developing breast cancer. However, despite hopes of improvements, a new study involving millions of women over a period of years has reaffirmed the apparent risks associated with contraception and cancer.
Studies have found that the increased risks of breast cancer can remain until five years after hormonal contraception has been stopped as well.
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Lab error leads to thousands of cervical screening tests being reviewed
A laboratory run by Pathology First, working on behalf of Basildon and Thurrock NHS Foundation Trust, are having to redo thousands of cervical screening tests for cancer after an error was discovered.
The samples affected, which were taken between April 2016 and September 2017 for women aged between 24 and 29 who had smear tests, as well as a number of women in their 60’s, are being re-screened independently.
The results held by the lab were classed as negative, but having had some 2,500 samples re-screened, 17 women have reportedly been invited for further assessments.
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Aquilon nebulisers – CE mark withdrawn and supply ceased, but many have remained on the market
Despite withdrawal of the CE safety marking for Aquilon series of nebulisers, manufactured by AFP Medical, the nebulisers have still been placed on the market. A number of devices may have been sold despite the withdrawal of the CE marking, which means the safety of the product cannot be guaranteed.
CE safety certification is vital for consumer and supplier confidence in a product, and when it comes to medical products, such approval – or withdrawal, as is the case here – can be even more important.
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UK government investigating the scale of harm caused by vaginal mesh implants
Our legal team have been assisting people in various situations involving harm caused by vaginal mesh implants.
The UK government review update is welcome news.
Years after the UK’s Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) investigated issues and decided against recalls and bans, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has suggested the surgery should be banned, and New Zealand have become the first country in the world to put an outright ban in place.
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Regulators demands HomeoLab change manufacturing process for teething products over inconsistent levels of deadly nightshade
Regulators sent a stern letter to HomeoLab listing the problems it discovered during a recent inspection at the homeopathic pharmaceutical manufacturer’s labs. It noted the company’s “significant violations” in the way it manufacturers infant products, which included the inconsistent use of the deadly poison belladonna; commonly known as deadly nightshade.
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