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The Independent
03-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
MP likens Government to flat-earthers over refusal to compensate Waspi women
Sir Keir Starmer's Government has been likened to flat-earthers by one of its own MPs, over its refusal to compensate women affected by state pension age changes. Labour's Rebecca Long Bailey said the arguments against compensation for the 1950s-born women are 'bizarre' and akin to those made by people who believe the Earth is flat. The Government last December ruled out a compensation package for women born in the 1950s, whose state pension age was raised so it would be equal with men. This is despite Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves being among the senior ministers to support the Waspi campaign when Labour was in opposition. A report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) had recommended the UK Government pay compensation to women born in the 1950s whose state pension age was raised so it would be equal with men. The watchdog also said the women should be paid up to £2,950 each, a package with a potential total cost of £10.5 billion to the public purse, as poor communication meant they had lost out on the chance to plan their retirement finances. The Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) group is currently seeking a judicial review to force the Government to reconsider its decision to rule out a compensation package. Work and pensions minister Torsten Bell, who is also a Treasury minister, said the Government does not agree with the Ombudsman's approach 'to injustice or to remedy'. Speaking in the Commons, Ms Long Bailey argued that 'cost does not need to be and should not be a barrier to justice', as she urged the Government to introduce a wealth tax to fund a compensation scheme. The MP for Salford said: 'I don't want (Mr Bell) to go down in history as the man who denied justice for the 1950s women, I honestly don't. I want to see action on this, and I want him to go down as the person who finally, finally managed to award them justice. 'But at the moment, he's got to understand that the arguments being put forward by the Government are absurd, to say the least. In fact, they're akin to somebody arguing that the world is flat, in denying the Ombudsman's report.' Earlier in her contribution, the former Labour leadership candidate, who had called the debate, disputed the Government's assertion that the women knew the change was coming. She said: 'Whilst the Government agreed with the finding of maladministration and apologised, no redress would be forthcoming. 'And contrary to the Ombudsman, they actually felt that the majority of women did know about changes to their pension age, based on Department for Work and Pensions research, and that sending the women letters would not have been effective, which I'm sure most people would agree is bizarre. 'It's pretty effective when a bill addressed to you coming through your door comes through, it's pretty effective when it's a hospital appointment, it's pretty effective on the very rare but joyous occasion that HMRC gives you a tax rebate cheque. 'So, I ask, honestly, would 1950s-born women have actively refused to open letters with their name on from the DWP? It makes no sense.' Ms Long Bailey went on to say: 'In terms of options to make sure that schemes could be financially sustainable, Waspi have calculated that HM Treasury have saved a whopping £181 billion alone by increasing the state pension age. 'Well, there's other options, there's the option of applying a 1% to 2% wealth tax on assets over £10 million, raising up to £22 billion a year. Equalise capital gains tax with income tax rates, raising £15.2 billion a year. Apply national insurance to investment income, raising £8.6 billion a year. 'End stealth subsidies on banks, and you get up to £55 billion over the next five years, and even Gordon Brown has advocated for this. So cost does not need to be, and should not be, a barrier to justice.' During the debate, Independent MP for Hayes and Harlington, John McDonnell joked that the Government would soon be proscribing the Waspi group. On Wednesday, MPs supported legislation to proscribe the Palestine Action group as a terrorist organisation. Mr McDonnell said: 'I pay tribute to the campaign. A lot of those ladies have been patronised over the years, it was a terrific campaign. In fact, it was so terrific under this Government at the moment, they would probably be proscribed.' Responding to the debate, Mr Bell said: 'We agree that letters should have been sent sooner. We have apologised, and we will learn the lessons from that. 'However, as honourable members and campaigners on this issue are well aware, we do not agree with the Ombudsman's approach to injustice or to remedy.' He added: 'An important consideration when making this decision was that evidence showed that sending people unsolicited letters is unlikely (to) affect what they knew, which is why letters are sent, but they are sent as part of wider communication campaigns. 'This evidence was not properly considered by the Ombudsman. 'Another consideration was that the great majority of 1950s-born women were aware that the state pension age was changing, if not their specific state pension age.'
BBC News
02-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Spennymoor grandad 'dismissed as old man' amid stroke delay
The family of a great-grandfather who died after a spinal stroke, which went undiagnosed for nine days, say he was dismissed as an "old man with mobility problems."George Fawcett, 86, from Spennymoor, County Durham, died after he was admitted to the University Hospital of North Durham in May family complained to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) who said an earlier diagnosis could have helped Mr Fawcett live longer, potentially giving him more time with family.A spokesperson for County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust apologised and said "spinal strokes are rare and complex to diagnose". Mr Fawcett, a former ambulance driver in the RAF, had chest pain, weakness in his legs and arms, and a rapid decline in mobility leading to paralysis when he was admitted to great-grandfather-of-two was not immediately referred to the neurology department when an MRI scan was ordered, but instead wrongly referred to the orthopaedics department, the report was sent back to neurology where doctors suspected he might have had a spinal Fawcett should have referred to a stroke unit within 24 hours but he was not seen by a stroke consultant until four days later, the PHSO was another three days before he was moved to a specialist unit at another hospital, run by a different trust, where clinicians diagnosed him with a spinal stroke. He died two days later. 'No-one listened' Daughter Sandra Todd said the care her father received "felt very fractured". She said despite raising concerns to the hospital "no-one would listen" and they did not realise Mr Fawcett had a stroke as early as he did until the investigation. "My dad had some underlying health problems and had had a stroke 14 years earlier, but before he went to hospital he was independent, mobile, playing bowls several times a week, going shopping independently, and seeing his friends," she said."But the doctors at the hospital just seemed to dismiss him as an old man with mobility problems. They didn't see what was really happening. "Given his history of having a stroke before and his symptoms at the time, it was devastating to find out that they completely missed the signs." While the ombudsman found Mr Fawcett's death to be unavoidable, they concluded there were serious failings and his care fell below the standard PHSO investigation concluded his stroke should have been diagnosed earlier than it was. Had this happened, he would have been moved to a specialist stroke centre ombudsman also found he was denied a dignified death as he developed pressure sores that were not treated properly at the University Hospital of North has recommended an action plan to the trust to prevent this happening again and for it to pay the family a financial remedy, which the trust has agreed to comply with. 'Committed to change' A spokesperson for County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust said: "We extend our deepest sympathies to Mr Fawcett's family for their loss and the distress they have experienced. "We are very sorry that the care he received did not meet the standards we aim to provide."Following a full investigation, we have developed and shared a detailed action plan with our teams to support learning and prevent recurrence."We are also strengthening clinical awareness of atypical stroke presentations and continuing to improve our approach to pressure ulcer prevention and wound care."We are committed to listening, learning and making the necessary changes to improve the care we provide." It comes as England's health ombudsman has warned of concerns about the diagnosis and care of stroke patients after the number of its investigations rose by 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2025, the PHSO saw a 25% rise in complaints and a 65% rise in the number of investigations related to ombudsman said it had seen repeated failings in diagnosis, nursing care, communication and treatment. Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
The Guardian
26-06-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Patients dying of sepsis because medics too slow to spot it, warns NHS watchdog
Sepsis is causing thousands of deaths a year, a charity has said, as the NHS's safety watchdog warned that doctors and nurses are too often slow to identify and treat it. 'The recognition of sepsis remains an urgent and persistent safety risk', despite previous reports highlighting the large number of deaths it causes when diagnosed too late, according to the Health Services Safety Investigations Body. Too often, relatives were ignored when they raised concerns about the condition of a loved one who later died of sepsis, the HSSIB said on Thursday. It urged NHS trusts and staff in England to learn from mistakes which the UK Sepsis Trust estimates play a key role in as many as 10,000 avoidable deaths every year UK-wide. Sepsis develops when an infection goes untreated and the body's immune response starts to target its own tissues and organs. Doctors refer to that process as 'organ dysfunction'. It causes more deaths than lung cancer and is the second biggest killer in England after heart disease, NHS England says. However, it is very hard to diagnose as many of its symptoms – such as confusion, breathlessness and blotchy skin – are also found with other conditions and there is no single sign or diagnostic test to identify it. The report from HSSIB is the latest in a series from bodies including the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) and Care Quality Commission to reveal the large number of patients who die every year after NHS staff take too long to diagnose it. 'There have been initiatives to improve the recognition and timely treatment of sepsis over the last 20 years, yet it has persisted as a safety risk,' HSSIB said. It published reports of three cases involving patients – named only as Barbara, Ged and Lorna – for whom a delay in spotting sepsis had severe consequences. Two of the patients died and the third had to have her leg amputated below the knee after starting on antibiotics too late. The three incidents 'show a consistent pattern of issues around the early recognition and treatment of sepsis', said Melanie Ottewill, HSSIB's senior safety investigator. 'The experiences of Barbara, Ged and Lorna show the devastating consequences of sepsis. They also highlight the imperative of listening to families when they express concerns about their loved one and tell us about changes in how they are.' Lorna was admitted to hospital in England on 5 July last year with severe abdominal pain and a high heart rate. It took 30 hours before a doctor identified her sepsis and gave her antibiotics. However, her condition deteriorated and she died the next day. 'Lorna's family expressed concerns that they were unable to advocate for her wellbeing and that their concerns about how unwell she was were not always heard,' HSSIB said. Dr Ron Daniels, the founder and chief medical officer of the UK Sepsis Trust, said that since the success of hospitals in England in 2016-19 at identifying and promptly treating sepsis, the NHS's performance 'has slipped backwards considerably'. That is because a financial incentive offered to hospitals, to screen anyone who might have sepsis and give them antibiotics within an hour – the approach recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence – ended. 'The quality of care has returned to its pre-2016 level – that is, a postcode lottery in patients' chances of their sepsis being spotted. I'm appalled,' Daniels said. 'We estimate that of the 48,000 people a year who die of sepsis, at least 10,000 more lives could be saved if the NHS prioritised sepsis as an urgent clinical issue.' Rebecca Hilsenrath, chief executive of the PHSO, said: 'These reports highlight what we have been saying about sepsis for over a decade. Lessons are not being learned, recommendations from reports are not being implemented and mistakes are putting people at risk.' The NHS's culture needs to be one that is 'open, accepts mistakes and learns from them' in order to reduce the huge toll of avoidable death, she added.
The Independent
23-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Waspi group: Safeguard will ‘prevent risk of financial ruin' in compensation bid
Waspi campaigners say they have secured a vital legal safeguard in their bid for a High Court challenge. The Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) group is seeking a judicial review to force the Government to reconsider its decision to rule out a compensation package for women affected by the way changes to the state pension age were communicated. On Monday, Waspi said a limit has been placed on the campaign's liability for Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) defence costs. Waspi said the DWP had agreed to a costs capping order, protecting each side in the event they lose. The campaigners previously said they had received an update to say that their case is arguable, setting them on course for a court hearing. A previous report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) suggested compensation ranging between £1,000 and £2,950 could be appropriate for each of those affected. But in December 2024, the Government said that, while it accepted the ombudsman's finding of maladministration and apologised for there being a delay in writing to 1950s-born women, a blanket compensation scheme, which could cost taxpayers up to £10.5 billion, cannot be justified. Campaigners submitted arguments in February for a legal case challenging the decision not to compensate women. Waspi said the capping agreement limits its liability for Government legal costs to £60,000. But campaigners are continuing to ask supporters to contribute to its legal 'fighting fund,' saying they must raise enough to cover not only the capped costs, but those of the legal team fighting the case. Angela Madden, chairwoman of Waspi, said: 'Without this safeguard, we faced a real risk of financial ruin – of effectively being silenced by the threat of Government legal bills running into hundreds of thousands of pounds. 'We now have the certainty we need to press on – but the costs of fighting this case remain very real.' She added: 'This is the fight of our lives.' A DWP spokesperson said: 'We do not comment on live litigation. 'We have apologised for there being a 28-month delay in writing to 1950s-born women. 'However, we do not agree with the ombudsman's approach to injustice or remedy and that is why we have decided not to pay compensation.'
The Guardian
15-06-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
My father died in a care home and all I got was denials and excuses
The situation at The Firs care home in Nottinghamshire, which was shut down in April, is dreadful for patients, families and staff ('How did it get to this?' What happens when care in a residential home breaks down, 7 June). But the Care Quality Commission (CQC) is not the only body to blame for failings like this. It can't investigate individual complaints – this is mostly down to the local government and social care ombudsman (LGSCO), but also the parliamentary and health service ombudsman (PHSO). It depends on who funds the care; in theory the same care home could be dealing with two ombudsman staff unaware of each other. Both are equally damned on Trustpilot with overwhelmingly negative reviews. My dad died two days after he had been moved to a home for palliative care. So much went wrong on that awful day, with staff who didn't care and with no involvement with any senior staff. I complained to the manager and then the company headquarters. I received many denials and excuses, one of which was so clearly untrue that I thought I'd caught them out. I told the PHSO everything. I waited for eight months, only to have every ridiculous excuse parroted back to me as a reason for not investigating. I don't believe the LGSCO would have been any better. The care home company knew I had complained and had time to prepare for an investigation, which never came. All I did by complaining was show what it could get away with. Other homes in the same organisation have been graded as inadequate or requiring improvement, with poor staffing levels and attitudes to patients especially marked. So criticise the CQC, but don't spare either and address supplied Your article made me cry. My parents (90 and 92) have, since February, suffered deterioration in their health such that both now need full-time care. Three of the four local-authority-provided 'rehab' places have so far been utterly woeful. The home that my father is currently living in is disastrous for a person in his position. My sister and I are desperately trying to sort an alternative for him, but it takes time and every day he is there is a day too long. And as for whistleblowing, we tried that when a carer was verbally abusive to my mother. The difficulties we are having moving her because of her record of 'very difficult behaviour' are not and address supplied
