Widow in plea to MP on law change

By hgreaves

A SUTTON widow will meet Health Minister, Ann Keen MP to lobby for changes in the law to safeguard NHS patients.

Mum-of-three Lisa Richards-Everton has campaigned for stricter hospital guidelines after her husband died following a drugs blunder at Heartlands Hospital two years ago.

Paul Richards was given a fatal overdose of the drug Amphotericin.

An online petition for change reached the 500 signatures required for it to be considered by Downing Street officials, but Lisa requested a one-to-one meeting with the Prime Minister to press home the issue.

She said: "I wrote to ask for a meeting with Gordon Brown, he wrote back to say he admired my determination to prevent further deaths, but due to diary commitments he was unable to see me.

"But he asked Ann Keen to take a meeting with me which has been arranged for January 26."

Lisa hopes to use the opportunity to further her campaign for change.

She said: "Nothing has changed since Paul's death.

"I am hoping to bring about changes in the law to prevent this happening to others on high risk drugs."

Peter Walsh, of Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA), an independent charity which promotes better patient safety, will accompany Lisa at the meeting.

The two nurses involved in administering Mr Richards's drugs are to appear before an investigative committee hearing in January to decide if further action will be taken against them.