Public somnambulism: A general lack of awareness of the consequences of increasing medical negligence litigation

Abstract

There appears to be a general lack of awareness of the potential consequences of the increasing costs of covering high-risk medical specialties for medical negligence. Many may feel that the consequences are restricted to the practitioners themselves and their patients. In reality, the sequelae will extend beyond the private sector into the state sector, utilising scarce resources that were previously funded privately. It is unlikely that the medical profession will be able to resolve the problem in isolation. Private patients, private providers, public patients, public providers, politicians and policy pundits need to become involved in the debate.