Notts school gives advice to nurses

The centre for health at Nottingham Law School is running a series of seminars and workshops designed to teach medical staff how to reduce the risk of negligence in the operating theatre.

The courses, aimed at theatre nurses and operating department assistants, come as claims for compensation in medical and nursing negligence cases reach a record high. The Department of Health estimates that u125 million was paid out during 1993/94.

Programme organiser John Tingle, director of the Centre for Health Law, says it is vital for theatre nurses to be aware of their legal acc-ountability.

"Patients today have high expectations of health care services and greater awareness of how to take legal action when mistakes occur," says Tingle.