Action against Medical Accidents is the UK charity for patient safety and justice. It provides free independent advice and support to people affected by medical accidents through a specialist helpline, written casework and inquest support services. It also works in partnership with health professionals, the NHS, government departments, lawyers and, most of all patients, to improve patient safety and justice for people affected by medical accidents. AvMA is a registered charity in England & Wales and in Scotland.
History
AvMA was originally established in 1982 as ‘Action for the Victims of Medical Accidents’ following public reaction to the television play ‘Minor Complications’, by AvMA’s founder, Peter Ransley. The name was changed in 2003 to ‘Action against Medical Accidents’. Since its inception, AvMA has provided advice and support to over 100,000 people affected by medical accidents, and succeeded in bringing about massive changes to the way that the legal system deals with clinical negligence and in moving patient safety higher up the agenda in the UK. The legal reforms of Lord Woolf and the creation of agencies such as the National Patient Safety Agency and Commission for Health Audit and Inspection followed years of AvMA raising these issues and campaigning. AvMA is also responsible for making clinical negligence a specialism within legal practice, and continues to accredit solicitors for its specialist panel and promote good practice through comprehensive services to claimant solicitors. In 2000, AvMA’s first chief executive, Arnold Simanowitz, was awarded the OBE in recognition of his achievements with AvMA. In 2003 the current chief executive, Peter Walsh was appointed and the charity was relaunched under the new name Action against Medical Accidents. AvMA helped scores of families affected by the Stafford Hospital scandal, campaigned for the public inquiry which eventually happened, and were a core participant in the inquiry. AvMA are extensively quoted in Sir Robert Francis QC’s report and most of AvMA’s suggestions were taken up in his recommendations. Most notably, AvMA’s arguments for a statutory duty of candour were supported by Sir Robert.
Campaigns
Duty of Candour: In January 2014 David Behan, chief executive of the Care Quality Commission, threw his weight behind a wide definition for the statutory duty of candour which was recommended by the Francis Report. The statutory duty of candour now applies to all health care organisations in England which are registered with the Care Quality Commission, and is under consideration in Wales and Scotland. Access to Justice: When something goes wrong and causes harm, it is vital that patients or their families are dealt with fairly and honestly and can get the support, answers and outcomes they are entitled to expect. AvMA campaigns to remove barriers to access to justice.
