The Dramas That Changed History | Letters

I would add to Mark Lawson’s list of programs that changed British society: my husband Peter Ransley’s 1980 BBC Play for Today, Minor Complications (From the Post Office Scandal to the Nuclear Attack: 13 TV Shows That Are Shaking Britain, January 9). Peter dramatized the true story of Stella Burnett’s suffering as a result of medical negligence in a London hospital and her almost impossible fight for truth and justice.

It was in the days before helplines, and we were inundated with calls from distressed people with similar stories and no one was there to help. It took a letter to the Guardian to find Arnold Simanowitz, who – with a small grant from Greater London City Council – courageously gave up his law practice to found Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA). For 40 years, it has been the leading voice for patients on patient safety and justice.

Every year since its inception, AvMA has provided advice and support to thousands of people affected by preventable harm in healthcare. It has also managed to push patient safety up the agenda in Britain and has brought about huge changes in the way legal and healthcare systems deal with clinical negligence.
Cynthia Ransley
London

Interesting that the government has finally been forced to acknowledge the Post Office scandal by the public reaction to the recent ITV dramatization.

Could the BBC perhaps show Cathy Come Home again to tackle the crisis of unaffordable rents and no-fault evictions?
Paul Clarke
Horsham, West Sussex