In 2022, my world shattered.
My mother was admitted to the hospital after suffering severe side effects from her first session of chemotherapy. Rather than stabilising, her condition worsened. I was there, watching her health decline and desperately trying to understand what was happening. It wasn’t until after her death that I learned the truth: she had developed sepsis—an aggressive, life-threatening infection. No one had told me. No one informed the family. The medical staff had simply assumed someone else had.
And then came the final blow—cardiac arrest. It was sudden, cruel, and, I believe, avoidable. She died not in peace, but in confusion, surrounded by missed opportunities and unanswered questions.
Yet the death certificate told a different story: lung cancer. No mention of the sepsis. No mention of the decisions made behind closed doors—like denying her a place in the ICU because someone had decided her quality of life was too low to fight for. But here’s the painful irony: my mam was fitter than I was. She had life left to live, if only she had been given the chance.
This isn’t just my story. It reveals deep, systemic problems—gaps in communication, failures in accountability, and a healthcare system that sometimes forgets the human beings at its heart. And when families seek justice, another hurdle stands in the way: the strict three-year time limit for filing medical negligence claims in the UK.
Three years. That’s all you’re given to grieve, uncover the truth, seek legal advice, and summon the emotional strength to act. But grief doesn’t follow a schedule. Shock doesn’t abide by deadlines. And too often, by the time families realize what went wrong, it’s already too late to act.
That’s why I’m calling for a vital change: extend the limitation period from three years to five.
This isn’t about blaming the NHS—it’s about making it better. Every year, over 11,000 clinical negligence claims are made, but how many more go unheard because families were simply out of time? How many people never get the chance to be heard?
By extending the limitation period, we can give families the time they need to uncover the truth and seek justice. And just as importantly, we send a message to the healthcare system: that accountability matters, and that lives like my mam’s should never be dismissed or forgotten.
Please, stand with me. Sign this petition to demand a five-year limit on medical negligence claims. Help families like mine. Help protect patients of the future. Let my mam’s story lead to change—not just for her, but for everyone who deserves better.