Gauteng – South Africa – 24th May, 2017: Gauteng’s health department has paid just over R1-billion in medical negligence claims in the past two-and-a-half years‚ mostly for babies born with brain damage at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital.

The full extent of medical negligence payments in the province was revealed on Tuesday by Gauteng health MEC Gwen Ramakgopa‚ in response to questions by Democratic Alliance MPL Jack Bloom. The worst cases included a R4-million payout for a child subjected to an incorrect arm and leg amputation at Yusuf Dadoo Hospital.

Singapore – 17th May, 2017: In a landmark decision, the Singapore Court of Appeal has adopted a new legal test to determine the standard of care in relation to the provision of medical advice.

Introduction

Until now, the position in Singapore was as set out in Khoo James and another v Gunapathy d/o Muniandy and another appeal [2002] 1 SLR(R) 1024 ("Gunapathy") which followed the principles established in the English decisions of Bolam v Friern Hospital Management Committee [1957] 1 WLR 582 and Bolitho v City and Hackney Health Authority [1998] AC 232. Put simply, the Bolam and Bolitho tests (as they are commonly known) provide that a doctor will meet the requisite standard of care if he has acted in accordance with the practices and opinions of a responsible body of medical practitioners skilled in that particular area (provided such practices and opinions are logically defensible).

Seattle, U.S. – 11th May, 2017: A couple who won a multi-million dollar lawsuit against Virginia Mason Medical Center for medical negligence has filed a second lawsuit against the hospital, this time for privacy breach.

In April 2017, Matthew and Sarah Hipps were awarded an $8.5 million verdict against Virginia Mason after a 2013 surgery performed an unauthorized physician left Matthew Hipps permanently disfigured.

Oregon, U.S. – 11th May, 2017: The Oregon Supreme Court ruled this week that patients can bring medical malpractice cases not only when they are injured but also when negligent care denies them a treatment with a potentially better outcome.

Physician groups warned the ruling could lead to more lawsuits, driving up the cost of medical liability insurance and increasing the practice of defensive medicine. Trial lawyers countered that the decision is likely to apply to only a handful of cases but would provide meaningful protections for patients.

Canada – 10th May, 2017: A doctor was left battered and bruised by a patient she was treating during a sickening hospital attack. The woman was repeatedly punched and kicked by the brute as she was doing her rounds at Paisley Royal Alexandra Hospital shortly before midnight on Monday.

It’s understood stunned staff in the hospital ward raced to save the doctor from the unprovoked beating before cops were called. The frightening attack is the latest in a series of abuse suffered by hard-working staff at the RAH.

Iowa, U.S – 4th May, 2017: Governor Terry Branstad has approved what he calls “very significant” changes to some of the rules for medical malpractice lawsuits.

A large crowd gathered around the desk in Branstad’s formal capitol office as he signed the bill into law. “This is something I’ve waited a long, long time to sign,” Branstad said, as a woman in the crowd responded: “Us, too,” and people started laughing.