Would criminalising healthcare professionals for wilful neglect improve patient care?

Medical staff are used to working in an environment of uncertainty; where we can only influence outcomes, not control them. To try and place retrospective legal penalties on the thought process or 'motivation' of an individual at a particular moment will more often than not, create unjust persecution and imprisonment of a person who was legitimately trying their best for their patients.

The majority of doctors go into medicine with a desire to help others and though mistakes or adverse outcomes can and do occur this does not necessarily reflect malicious intent on the part of the professional, and legal persecution would end the career of an otherwise altruistic doctor who could contribute great good to society with a chance to reflect and learn from mistakes.

There is already a body in place to monitor and address badly performing doctors and I believe the way forward is to encourage openess from all staff members within the trust to raise concerns about working conditions and colleagues early that issues may be addressed before preventable problems arise.