Have you ever thought the two might be linked?

If you answered yes to these questions then you might be eligible for compensation if your employer failed to provide you with appropriate hearing protection.

Sunderland Shipbuilders have admitted to a breach of duty for non-compliance with legislation after failing to provide adequate protection to their employees, causing noise induced hearing loss and tinnitus. The company, which was founded by William Doxford in the 1800’s, was formally known as William Doxford & Sons Ltd. However, it has since undergone a series of name changes.

In 1961 it was renamed Doxford & Sunderland Shipbuilding & Engineering Company and in 1966 it changed again to become Doxford and Sunderland Ltd. Court Line
then took over the company in 1972 and renamed it Sunderland Shipbuilders. It was later privatised when it merged with the Austin & Pickersgill Shipbuilding Company in 1986 to form North East Shipbuilders, which ceased trading two years later in 1988.

The shipbuilding company has always been located at the Pallion Yard in Sunderland which underwent a refurbishment in the 1970’s providing a whole new ship building service. The company covered every aspect of ship building and ship repair, including working in engine rooms and control rooms to working on deck carrying out joinery or construction work. Whatever the job role within the company, exposure to high levels of noise was likely constant throughout the working day.

Sunderland Shipbuilders had a duty of care to their employees to provide them with a safe place to work and the necessary equipment to protect them. The company failed to provide any hearing protection and as a consequence employees’ have been diagnosed with noise induced hearing loss and/or tinnitus.

When a person is exposed to loud noise over a long period of time, symptoms of noise induced hearing loss also referred to as ‘NIHL’ will increase gradually. Over time, the sounds a person hears may become distorted or muffled and it may be difficult for the person to understand speech. Someone with NIHL may not even be aware of the loss, but it can be detected with a hearing test. Tinnitus is the medical name for the perception of noise in one ear, both ears or in their head. People with tinnitus can experience different types of sound. Most people describe it as a ringing sound but other sounds may include: buzzing, humming and whistling. Long or repeated exposure to sounds at or above 85 decibels can cause hearing loss/tinnitus.

If you believe you are suffering with noise induced hearing loss after working for Sunderland Shipbuilders , please do not hesitate to contact our experienced Industrial Disease Team. Hampson Hughes Solicitors has already brought successful claims against the company and can give you further advice about making a claim.

You can contact us on 0151 236 1222 or email us at ID@hh-law.co.uk. Our dedicated team will be on hand from 9:00am – 17:30pm to answer all your questions and to start you on the right track to claiming that compensation you deserve.

The study, led by chief medical officer Professor Sir Liam Donaldson, focuses on the common characteristics of the 6,179 doctors referred to the National Clinical Assessment Service (NCAS) between April 2001 and March 2012.

NCAS is a branch of the not-for-profit NHS Litigation Authority, and describes itself as helping to “improve patient safety by helping to resolve concerns about the professional practice of doctors, dentists and pharmacists in the UK and overseas”.

Doctors may be referred to NCAS following concerns raised over any aspect of the services that they provide. These concerns may range from poorly kept patient records to behavioural issues and misconduct.

Referrals to NCAS can be made by any healthcare authority within the NHS, and doctors may choose to self-refer if they feel that they have fallen into difficulty.

What were the results of the study?

The study was carried out as part of on-going research at the Institute of Global Health Innovation, Imperial College London.

The results:

• More than twice as many male doctors were referred to NCAS than female doctors
• Doctors aged 55 years or older were six times more likely to be referred to NCAS than doctors aged 35 years or younger
• Doctors working in the field of Psychiatry or in the field of Obstetrics & Gynaecology were more likely to be referred to NCAS

What conclusions could be made?

Although the analysis of the data provides valuable insight into trends and differences between subgroups, it does not provide an explanation as to why these trends and differences may be occurring.

Possible conclusions include the suggestion that older doctors are likely to favour their own working methods above updated best-practices. Also, senior hospital staff will tend to be presented with a greater volume of patients and a greater volume of difficult cases – these more difficult cases are prominent in the highlighted areas of psychiatry and obstetrics & gynaecology.

If you think you, or someone you know, has been affected by medical negligence and you would like expert advice, contact Hampson Hughes Solicitors Medical Negligence Team today on 0151 242 1025 or email medicalnegligence@hampsonhughes.com

An investigation led by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) revealed that the unnamed staff member’s work involved operating a CT scanner in continuous “fluoroscopy” mode, which allows for a real-time x-ray view of patients.

Boston Magistrates’ Court heard that the employee operated the scanner for bursts of up to 30 seconds over a three month period, and that while in use, precautions were not taken to prevent the radiologist from coming into direct contact with the x-ray beam.

During the investigation, evidence emerged that suggested senior managers at the hospital were aware that the scanner was regularly being operated in this manner. However, risk assessment had not been carried out and workers were not provided with safe working procedures.

United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, of Greetwell Road, Lincoln, was found guilty of breaching the Radiations Regulations 1999, and fined £30,000. The trust was also ordered to pay £15,128 in costs.

HSE inspector Judith McNulty-Green commented:

If you think you, or someone you know, has been affected by an injury in the workplace and would like expert advice on this type of case, contact Hampson Hughes Solicitors today on 0800 888 6888 or email claims@hampsonhughes.com

Designed to offer support to women following a hysterectomy, childbirth, or the menopause, the mesh implant is intended to provide long-term relief from symptoms including bleeding and chronic pain – while part of the implant is composed of absorbable animal material, the non-absorbable framework of the implant is considered permanent.

Allegations have emerged that the product could lead to serious and sometimes permanent injuries. In 2008, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a statement in which it revealed findings that complications with the product were becoming more frequent.

What Potentially Went Wrong?

Since the FDA’s approval of the mesh product in the late 90s, over 40 companies have entered the market place, offering over 100 variations on the design. AMS is considered to be within the top five of these 40 companies.

Critics have been quick to note that the FDA lists the mesh as a “Class II” product, meaning that less stringent inspections are required prior to the product being approved for commercial use – under Class II guidelines, a medical product will be approved for the widespread use in hospitals simply if its manufacturer is able to demonstrate a similarity between the design of their product and that of an existing approved product.

Other major manufacturers, including Ethicon and J&J, have already faced thousands of law suits regarding the failure of similar products.

What Should You Do If You Think You Have Been Affected?

If you think you, or someone you know, has been affected by the failure of a medical product and would like expert advice on this type of case, contact the Hampson Hughes Solicitors Medical Negligence Team today on 0151 242 1025 or email medicalnegligence@hampsonhughes.com

Timeline: Friday 24th May, 10:32AM

Fire crews in Holywell, North Wales, were called to the Greenfield Business Park to tackle a large fire at the Mainetti coat hanger recycling factory.

It is believed the blaze began in an adjacent storage facility, spreading quickly and causing pressurized containers to explode. Over 100 workers were evacuated and locals were advised to stay indoors.

One eyewitness, Elfyn Pierce Jones, commented:

Transport was disrupted while over 80 fire fighters brought the situation under control – Virgin Trains provided a rail replacement bus service between Chester and Rhyl.

Wildlife

Concerns over the effects of fire water run-off on wildlife were also raised; the Dee estuary, known for its cockle beds, is a protected wildlife zone. A spokesman for Natural Resources Wales responded:

Rest Centre

Flintshire Council set up a shelter at the Holywell Leisure Centre for residents temporarily displaced by the incident.

If you think you, or someone you know, has been affected by anything in or relating to this article and would like expert advice on this type of case, contact Hampson Hughes Solicitors today on 0800 888 6888 or email claims@hampsonhughes.com

In a prosecution brought by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Personal Hygiene Services (PHS) Ltd was found guilty of breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, when evidenced emerged suggesting that aerosol cans had been placed into an industrial shredder.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that the three employees were caught in the fireball explosion, and that nearby businesses were evacuated as a precaution while fire crews tackled the flames.

The incident occurred on the Burscough Industrial Estate, north of Liverpool, and it was reported that thick black smoke could be seen drifting towards Southport.

In a joint effort with the Environment Agency, HSE discovered that PHS Ltd had allowed as many as 150 highly flammable aerosols to be destroyed in the same manner.

PHS Ltd was ordered to pay £105,000 in fines and £45,000 in prosecution costs.
HSE Principal Inspector Neil Rothwell commented:

If you think you, or someone you know, has been affected by anything in or relating to this article and would like expert advice on this type of case, contact Hampson Hughes Solicitors today on 0800 888 6888 or email claims@hampsonhughes.com

The night was a huge success with over 90 attendees from a number of firms across Merseyside come together to enjoy an evening drinks and socialising.

A charity raffle was held on the night to raise money for the Committee’s nominated charity CHIC’s Cancer Support Group, and in total £102.70 was raised for this great cause.

The event was very kindly sponsored by 7 Harrington Street Chambers based in Liverpool and was enjoyed by all.

I suppose we should say we hope we never have cause to speak to you again because it would mean bad news! But if we did ever have any further problems in the future, or if anyone we know did, I can assure you we would have no hesitation whatsoever in contacting you directly or recommending you to others.

Concerns over the conduct of the member of staff came to light after the mother of a stillborn child found evidence of a potential cover up.

In 2009, an email was sent from the head of legal services at Morecambe Bay Trust, Ranu Rowan, to the then chief executive of the Trust, Ian Halsall. The purpose of the email was to ensure that Mr Halsall approved of the content within a letter which was due to be mailed to the South Cumbria coroner, Ian Smith, “in the hope it may nudge him away from holding an inquest, as we discussed”.

Mrs Brady has said that she is “appalled” and “disgusted” by the email.

David Wilkinson, the trust’s Director of Workforce & Organisational Development, commented:

If you think you, or someone you know, has been affected by anything in or relating to this article and would like expert advice on this type of case, contact the Hampson Hughes Solicitors Medical Negligence Team today on 0151 242 1025 or email medicalnegligence@hampsonhughes.com