Davey calls for radiotherapy victims to be allowed to give evidence to new negligence committee

17.10.01

Kingston and Surbiton's Lib Dem MP, Edward Davey, is pressing for radiotherapy victims to be allowed to give evidence to a new medical negligence committee established by the Secretary of State for Health.

In response to Edward Davey's correspondence on behalf of Radiotherapy Action Group Exposure (RAGE), the Secretary of State for Health announced that he is establishing a new medical negligence committee. The committee, overseen by his Chief Medical Officer, has been charged with investigating medical negligence payments made by the NHS and it will also be allowed to consider the issue of "no fault compensation payments".

As an active supporter of RAGE, who have been campaigning for the NHS to be allowed to make no-fault compensation payments, Edward Davey has again written to the Department for Health asking for the group to be allowed to give both written and oral evidence to the committee.

Commenting on the latest developments with the RAGE campaign, Edward Davey said,

"The Government must listen to these ordinary people, severely damaged by health service mistakes.

"I am pleased this new committee is going to be allowed to look at the central issues of their case which certainly involves medical negligence.

"But if the committee is going to make recommendations on this matter then they must take evidence from patients who have been affected in this way."