THE GUILTY ARE WELL PROTECTED IN N. IRELAND

"The system for investigating deaths in Northern Ireland's hospitals has failures, according to a report by the province's Human Rights Commission. The report, written by Tony McGleenan, professor of law at the University of Ulster and a practising barrister, criticises the absence of an automatic requirement for an investigation into a death in hospital. "The system of death certification can conceal the presence of individual or systemic errors which have contributed to the death," the report says.

A total of 14 462 people died in Northern Ireland in 2003, of whom 7464 died in hospitals, 3042 in nursing homes, and 58 in psychiatric hospitals.

The Human Rights Commission, which is charged with ensuring that human rights are fully protected in law, asked Professor McGleenan to examine hospital deaths in the context of Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The chief commissioner, Professor Brice Dickson, said the commission has received a number of complaints from people concerning alleged medical negligence in hospitals in Northern Ireland and that the report was one method by which the commission was trying to address people's concerns.

According to Professor McGleenan the key question he set out to answer was "whether there is currently in place an effective system of ensuring that life is protected in hospital systems." In concluding that there is not he criticises the practice whereby a coroner retains wide discretion as to whether a postmortem examination should be carried out when a hospital death is reported to him. He is also critical of coroners combining investigative and judicial roles when holding an inquest".

More here.

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For greatest efficiency, lowest cost and maximum choice, ALL hospitals and health insurance schemes should be privately owned and run -- with government-paid vouchers for the very poor and minimal regulation.

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