400 plus "lives shortened"

Goonerhater

So somewhere between 400--600 lives "may have been shortened" by the needless administration of pain killing drugs". Sorry but WTF "lives shortened" if that was by a knife etc its murder or manslaughter !

The above should be fecking bigger news than what Sugar tweeted etc.

McBobbin

This was just one doctor as well... Perhaps she wasn't trying to kill them outright... But if you ask me it's not much different to Shipman. I'll bet it's widespread as well to go straight to these powerful analgesics when there's no medical case. It's going to go a huge scandal I'm sure of it.

Addickted

Imagine if it was at a private hospital.

Huskaris

It seems like enquiries are called for when someone in authority sneezes these days, but this actually deserves one.

Missed It

I've seen a few instances of this sort of thing with friends and family. The way he elderly are treated (or not) by the NHS sometimes is an utter disgrace. But nobody will do anything about it because everybody is covering their arse and nobody dare take on the politics of attacking the sainted, untouchable NHS for its actions. Just like Stafford, they'll strike a few sacrificial victims off the register, pay out some compensation and pretend everything is OK again.

rananegra

I think there's no way of knowing without going through each and every case just what went on, and that should happen.
Agree there ought to be an inquiry. My partner said to me this morning that the pain relief, in his case morphine, is what killed her father, though in his case his life was shortened by days, possibly hours and there isn't any complaint as he was too ill to get to a hospice.

There is definitely a cultural problem with being open in the NHS when things like this happen. If you act like you've got something to hide then people will think you do. The way whistle blowers get treated is terrible.

hoof_it_up_to_benty

This is a case of murder as painkillers have been used needlessly - prosecutions need to follow.