NI ombudsman suggests letting hospitals apologise

The British government should consider Australian-style reforms to enable hospitals to apologise for mistakes without fear of litigation, Northern Ireland’s Ombudsman Tom Frawley said today.

Following the publication of his office’s annual report on complaints it has investigated over the years, Mr Frawley said there tended to be a culture of no admission in the health service because medical professionals feared to do so could result in legal action.