In response to the countless meetings and volumes of correspondence Avma and our members have had with our MPs, ministers, and civil servants at the MOJ over the removal of clinical negligence from the scope of legal aid we have all had a similar response...
'Solicitors will offer clients CFAs and if not £6m will be available via exceptional funding.'
But by definition, experience, and by linking together information contained hidden deep within three very long documents we say this cannot be the answer
Firstly. How can anything that is exceptional provide for the funding of a whole category
Secondly exceptional funding has been around for a long time in theory, for exceptional personal injury claims, and inquests. The experience of our members is almost invariable, they apply but their clients do not get it.
Thirdly and perhaps most importantly is if you join up the dots and add up the figures the outcome for claimants is not good. They could (and in the case of brain damaged children would) end up worse of than with any other sort of funding because the government would take 25% of their damages to pay back to a supplementary legal aid scheme.
As we say you have to look hard and make connections. But in the green paper it is stated £6m is put aside for exceptional funding. In the consultation published in Nov 2010 a table shows £6m could be available from claimants damages if a SLAS were operated and in its response to the consultation pub June 21 2011 at para 33 page 250 the government sets out the proposal that any exceptional funding scheme for clin neg would be funded by a SLAS based on a 25% levy on all damages except future care and loss
Simples - keep legal aid in scope as it presently is or the most seriously injured will pay
In 1988 I was discharged from hospital with at least 5 fractures of my neck and 4 of my right shoulder. The hospital concealed this fact from me until a private CT scan revealed all in 2011. The hospital's Chief Exec has refused to give me an explanation as to why I wasn't told about these 'missed' fractures despite them being shown on numerous x-rays and scans taken at the same hospital during the past 20 years. An offer of Public Funding was made to my solicitor by the LSC recently for 'Investigative Help' into a possible claim of clinical negligence. The offer is I can have a certificate if I pay £2000 up front and £103 per month for the duration of the certificate. I can't work, I don't get any benefits, I am in debt and have to rely on my partner who works full time. My partners wage doesn't cover our monthly household bills so how the hell does the LSC expect me to pay £2000 up front then £103 per month??
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ReplyDeleteAmit and Charles. Your comments have been removed because you included links to commercial organisations that advertise for claims. We are pleased for anyone to join this debate and are sorry not to be able to include your comments, which in this case were interesting, but not if they contain such links
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