One of the country’s biggest hospital trusts has lodged a complaint about solicitors allegedly pressuring vulnerable patients into signing legal documents.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, whose hospitals include Leeds General Infirmary and St James’s, is understood to have raised the issue with the Solicitors Regulation Authority. The trust declined to disclose if it has reported any named individuals or firms to the regulator.

The trust’s safeguarding team said solicitors have walked on to wards, sometimes with people who claim to be a patient’s relative, and coerced them into signing documents.

Leedshospital

Leeds General Infirmary and St James’s have been alerted to alleged incidents of patients being pressured to sign documents

The trust has not revealed where the alleged incidents took place.

Helen Christodoulides, deputy chief nurse at the trust, commented: ‘We have robust and well embedded safeguarding processes within the trust. Through these we were alerted to two unrelated incidents where ward staff were concerned that legal paperwork was being discussed with patients in our care deemed not to have capacity to take part in these discussions.

‘We’ve contacted the families of those affected and raised the issue with relevant staff. We have also raised this concern with appropriate external authorities and our partners.’

An SRA spokesperson said: 'Solicitors have an obligation not to take advantage of clients or others, and should not make approaches to potential clients without being invited. If the hospital trust or anyone else has evidence of solicitors doing this, we would urge them to report it to us.'

 

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