The case of the serial killer nurse, Lucy Letby, demonstrates repeated failures in hospitals to listen to doctors. It also brings to light the toxic culture that exists in the UK healthcare system where doctors are being silenced from having a voice or raising concerns.
According to BMJ Open, one in three medical students plan to quit the NHS within two years of graduating, either to practise abroad or abandon medicine altogether. Meanwhile, work stress, high workload, and understaffing are the primary factors driving health professionals out of the NHS. Furthermore, research from the Laura Hyde Foundation shows there has been a 62% increase in suicide among UK nurses due to burnout since 2020.
Today to support and protect UK healthcare professionals and the patients under their care, The Medical League, one of the world's most inclusive and trusted providers of medico-legal services and digital solutions for appraisal, revalidation and e-learning launches.
Created by NHS Emergency Medicine Consultant, Dr. Joe Benson, The Medical League has been established to protect and support all healthcare professionals with an inclusive needs-based approach, providing medico-legal advice from a trusted team of legal experts who understand the practice of all healthcare professionals.
Dr. Joe Benson, NHS Consultant and CEO, The Medical League said : "Working as an NHS doctor and a legal representative, I've seen first-hand how medical professionals are grossly misrepresented and under-supported. I've observed that in a lot of the cases they are often silenced instead of supported. I want to change that and that's why I've created The Medical League to combat the toxic culture proliferating the NHS.
"Bullying and harassment in healthcare is one of the key factors contributing to healthcare professionals being forced to leave their job, constituting unfair dismissal. Healthcare professionals are increasingly feeling helpless when facing poor working conditions and this is the reason behind why so many are taking strike action resulting in nationwide shortages of doctors, dentists, nurses and allied healthcare professionals.
"It's essential that the toxic culture is combatted at both a national and local level by enabling better medico-legal compliance outcomes to protect their employment and fundamentally the quality of patient care."
"The Medical League exists to give medical professionals peace of mind - whether a doctor, GP, nurse, dentist or allied healthcare professional - with medico-legal advice and representation from a trusted team of barristers and legal professionals that understand their practice. We also offer hassle free, user friendly, secure and compliant digital solutions for appraisal, revalidation and e-learning services through a self-service portal."
