Could old and incorrect signage in and around hospitals potentially result in liability for injury compensation claims?
The answer is "yes" if comments from the Scotland Patients Association are anything to go by. The organisation says that inaccurate road signs are confusing and could result in patients who are in peril being directed to the wrong departments, thus placing their lives at risk.
The comments come following revelations that several signs across Glasgow have been pointing hospital-bound traffic to departments that have been closed for nearly two months.
The patients of defunct departments patients have been directed various places including A&E departments at Glasgow's Royal Hospital for Sick Children (RHSC), the Western Infirmary and Victoria Infirmary.
Scottish Tory health spokesman Jackson Carlaw said that the handling of the matter by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and Glasgow City Council was unacceptable and raised serious "issues of patient safety".
However, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde issued a statement claiming that responsibility for upkeep of the signs rested with the local authority. "We are liaising with Glasgow City Council in order to remove those signs that are no longer relevant," confirmed the statement.
Furthermore, the council said it would remove the "redundant" signs.
It can only be hoped that the bungle has not resulted in any unnecessary injury or suffering. Fortunately, there are, so far, no reports of injury compensation claims arising from the error.
If you have sustained injury as a result of the negligence of another party and would like to consider your right to an injury compensation claim for medical treatment, care, rehabilitation and lost earnings click here for more from Thompsons , Scotland's leading personal injury solicitor firm.
