As you may have noticed 2007–2008 marks AvMA's 25th anniversary; there have been a number of events to commemorate this, raise awareness of the issues we deal with and raise some much needed funds for the charity. The highlight of these events was AvMA's 25th anniversary Gala Celebration, which was held on 2 November 2007 in the spectacular surroundings of the Science Museum in London. A total of 470 people attended the event, which saw the announcement of six awards for people who have made an outstanding contribution to patient safety and/or justice during AvMA's lifetime. Two additional ‘lifetime achievement’ awards were presented to Peter Ransley, AvMA's Honorary President, whose play ‘Minor Complications’ led to the formation of AvMA, and to Arnold Simanowitz OBE, also a founder of AvMA and its Chief Executive until 2003. The other award winners were: Sarah Leigh as a Claimant Solicitor; Adrian Whitfield QC as a Barrister; Michaela Willis as a Patient/Campaigner; Dr Brain Kendall as a Medical Expert; Charles Vincent for overall contribution to Patient Safety and Bertie Leigh (Sarah's brother!) as a Defence Solicitor. One sign of how much things have changed over 25 years was that the evening was attended not only by those from AvMA's support base of Claimant solicitors, barristers, fellow patient organizations, but also by officials from the NHS and even Defence solicitors who even got an award. The fact that AvMA's achievements and importance is recognized by such a diverse range of stakeholders is testament to its success. However, it seems fitting to take this opportunity to remind readers of the kinds of contribution that various people have made in different capacities to putting patient safety on the map and improving justice in medical disputes. The award winners are briefly described below but it goes without saying, hopefully, that the selection of ‘winners’ was not only difficult for the independent panels of judges charged with the task, but that they are only really symbolic of the contributions made by so many in their different fields:
Sarah Leigh was co-founder of the greatly respected law firm Leigh Day. Now retired, Sarah was known for working successfully and with great humanity with individual clients and is also known for having helped change the whole way that clinical negligence litigation is conducted. She contributed to Lord Woolf's review and was a founder member and secretary of the Clinical Disputes Forum, which brings together stakeholders from all constituencies and developed the pre-action protocol.
Bertie Leigh is the brother of Sarah Leigh, meaning the family have scored a remarkable double this evening — from different sides of the clinical disputes world! He is a partner with the law firm Hempsons where he has a long history of acting for health authorities, trusts and the MDU on all aspects of healthcare. Known for his intellectual rigour, Bertie has never shied away from debating important issues around the conduct of clinical negligence litigation with members of the ‘opposing’ side including AvMA meetings, and has played an active role with the Association of Litigation and Risk Managers.
Adrian Whitfield QC is a specialist in medical law practising at 3 Serjeants' Inn. He is regarded as the ‘top man’ by many Defence as well as Claimant solicitors. Adrian has been instructed in many landmark cases for more than 20 years and has written and lectured extensively. He is known for his empathy both with fellow lawyers, and individual clients and families, and has been generous in sharing his knowledge and insight with others and working for change, for instance by contributing to the Clinical Disputes Forum or speaking at AvMA conferences. In many ways he epitomizes what is ‘good’ in a lawyer. He has advanced justice and helped change the very way people think and changed hearts and minds in this specialist field.
Dr Brian Kendall is a brilliant doctor and a medical expert of longstanding who was prepared to give objective evidence for Claimants (as well as Defendants) before this became more accepted among the medical profession. He is fair, thoughtful, kind and, above all else, seemingly always right! His views are completely respected by medical and legal practitioners on both sides. Justice has been bolstered by having such a respectable and eminent neuroradiologist as Brian Kendall prepared to give honest and independent views at all times.
Professor Charles Vincent of Imperial College, London, is a well-known and often quoted academic whose work many feel put patient safety on the map. He has worked tirelessly for more than 20 years in seeking to determine the psychological and cultural issues underlying adverse events in medical practice and has published extensively. Last year he published a key book entitled Patient Safety. His previous work Clinical Risk Management – Enhancing Patient Safety is in its second edition and is the bible for clinical risk managers. Charles has also spent time as a trustee of AvMA.
Michaela Willis MBE is Chief Executive of another charity — the National Bereavement Partnership and is herself a bereaved parent as a result of substandard treatment of her child at the Bristol Royal Infirmary. She was chair of the Bristol Heart Children's Action Group which supported parents and she made extensive contributions to Sir Ian Kennedy's report on Bristol which has been so influential. She was also a founder member of the National Committee relating to Organ Retention. Michaela has shown remarkable personal strength, skill and determination to bring people together and stimulate change. A practising chiropodist, Michaela is also a non-executive director of a PCT and has served as a trustee of AvMA.
AvMA would like to thank everyone who has helped improve patient safety and justice and who have supported the charity over this time. Things have undoubtedly improved but so much remains to be done. We dedicated the Gala Celebration to the thousands of people who have died needlessly due to medical accidents over our 25 years and the hundreds of thousands who have been harmed. We will continue, re-invigorated, in our mission to help improve patient safety and justice for people who have been affected by medical accidents.
Forthcoming Events
Essential Medicine for Lawyers
23 January 2008, Woburn House, London
The Mental Capacity Act
24 January 2008 (pm), Doughty Street Chambers, London
Clinical Negligence: Law, Practice & Procedure
7–8 February 2008, Copthorne Hotel, Birmingham
Spinal Surgery
27 February 2008, Euston Hilton, London
The Annual Complaints & Redress Conference
26 March 2008, Woburn House, London
Annual Clinical Negligence Conference
27–28 June 2008, Hilton Metropole, Brighton
For full details of these events, please go to www.avma.org.uk, e-mail conferences@avma.org.uk, or call 020 8688 9555.
