Responding to a report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman into complaints about cancer care, Dr Udvitha Nandasoma, Medical Defence Union (MDU) head of advisory services, said:
"The report by England's NHS ombudsman of outcomes for cancer patients is yet more evidence of the unsustainable pressure on NHS staff. Our members working in the NHS are doing their utmost to deliver exceptional patient care in the most difficult and pressured of circumstances. The current pressures all too often mean patients suffer poor outcomes and an already exhausted workforce is further pressurised and demoralised.
"A coordinated approach to stop this deterioration is needed. I would urge the ombudsman and other investigatory bodies to reflect on what they can do to support the morale of doctors. There needs to be a concerted effort to address a culture of fear that can too often prevail in healthcare, with doctors concerned they will be held individually to account for the inevitable results of the current pressures on the service."
This page was correct at publication on 11/03/2024. Any guidance is intended as general guidance for members only. If you are a member and need specific advice relating to your own circumstances, please contact one of our advisers.