Save A Life Or Family AVMA

History of AvMA

AvMA was originally established in 1982 as 'Action for the Victims of Medical Accidents' following public reaction to the television play 'Minor Complications', by AvMA's founder, Peter Ransley.
The name was changed in 2003 to 'Action against Medical Accidents'. Since its inception, AvMA has provided advice and support to over 100,000 people affected by medical accidents, and succeeded in bringing about massive changes to the way that the legal system deals with clinical negligence and in moving patient safety higher up the agenda in the UK.
The legal reforms of Lord Woolf and the creation of agencies such as the National Patient Safety Agency and Commission for Health Audit and Inspection followed years of AvMA raising these issues and campaigning.
AvMA is also responsible for making clinical negligence a specialism within legal practice, and continues to accredit solicitors for its specialist panel and promote good practice through comprehensive services to claimant solicitors.
In 2000, AvMA's first chief executive, Arnold Simanowitz, was awarded the OBE in recognition of his achievements with AvMA. Arnold retired at the end of 2002 and Peter Walsh became AvMA's new chief executive.
In 2003 the charity was relaunched under the new name Action against Medical Accidents, and with a new logo and strapline reflecting its mission - ''for patient safety and justice''.