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‘Scenes from hell’: Hospitals ran out of body bags and were close to collapse in pandemic, Covid inquiry told

Politicians chose not to equip the UK with enough intensive care units before the pandemic, the government’s chief medical officer has said, as a senior NHS doctor described scenes “from hell” on hospital wards.

NHS hospitals were dealing with the equivalent of daily “terrorist attacks” during the pandemic with wards so overwhelmed they ran out of body bags, former national clinical NHS advisor Professor Kevin Fong told the Covid-19 inquiry.

In a tearful account of the pandemic during Thursday’s hearing, he recalled seeing hospital wards with sick patients “raining from the sky”, with staff so overworked they were forced to wear nappies rather than go to the toilet.

The harrowing depiction of the pandemic came before Professor Sir Chris Whitty, chief medical officer for the government, admitted the number of intensive care unit (ICU) beds in the UK was too low compared to provision in other countries.

He said: “Taking ICU, in particular, the UK has a very low ICU capacity compared to most of our peer nations in high-income countries. Now that’s a choice, that’s a political choice. It’s a system configuration choice, but it is a choice. Therefore you have less reserve when a major emergency happens, even if it’s short of something of the scale of Covid.”

He talked about how systems could not be “scaled up” without trained workers, adding that beds and space can be purchased but that the limit to any system is having trained people.

Prof Whitty admitted the government made no plans for the mental health impact of the pandemic and said officials “didn’t get it across well enough” that people should continue to go to hospitals for serious illnesses other than Covid.

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Source: The Independent, 27 September 2024

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Pharmacy closures in England threaten plan to use them instead of GPs for some care

High street pharmacies are closing at such an alarming rate that it threatens the drive to use them instead of GPs to care for millions of people, the NHS’s patient champion warns today.

A total of 436 community pharmacies in England shut permanently last year and there were also 13,863 temporary closures, which stopped patients from obtaining health advice and medication.

What appears to be a growing trend of permanent closures is hitting rural areas, those with larger numbers of older people and deprived communities hardest, according to Healthwatch England.

Its findings, which were based on figures supplied by NHS bodies, prompted fears that closures are leaving some parts of England as “pharmacy deserts” where patients struggle to access care.

“Staff shortages, the key driver of permanent and temporary closures, call into doubt the potential of Pharmacy First, meaning people can’t get the advice, care and medications they need and when they need them”, said Louise Ansari, Healthwatch’s chief executive.

Pharmacy First is the government’s drive to reduce the strain on overworked GPs through pharmacists treating what it hopes will be millions of patients a year for seven minor ailments such as a sore throat, earache, infected insect bite or sinusitis.

“It’s clear that rising levels of closures are risking leaving some areas of the country as pharmacy deserts, with people having to travel much further to get access to vital services”, said Paul Rees, the chief executive of the National Pharmacy Association.

“Community pharmacies act as the front door to the NHS. If people lose access to them it will force more patients into the eight o’clock scramble at their GP surgery, putting pressure on the rest of our NHS system.”

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Source: The Guardian, 26 September 2024

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Streeting backs role for physician associates in NHS despite RCGP vote

Physician associates (PAs) have a role to play in the NHS, but doctors' concerns about how they are working must be taken seriously, the health and social care secretary Wes Streeting has said.

Mr Streeting's comments come after the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) voted last week to oppose any role for PAs in general practice in a move that marked a change in position for the college.

Responding to a question from GPonline about his views on the college's decision at Labour’s annual conference in Liverpool on 23 September, Mr Streeting said: 'I think physician associates do have a role to play in a modern NHS and there are physician associates every day in our country providing great care and making a great contribution, not just to patients but to their colleagues.'

He added: "Where I think we have a challenge is that legitimate concerns that have been expressed by doctors, both about [doctors being substituted for PAs] and patient safety, have been ignored by the previous government and in the process [doctors] have felt gaslit. 

"That has fuelled quite a toxic debate particularly online that has led to a lot of physician associates feeling quite demoralised and doctors feeling unheard."

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Source: GP Online, 24 September 2024

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HIT teams to be sent into trusts to improve efficiency

The government will send in teams of clinical experts to 20 trusts to improve theatre productivity, the health and social care secretary has announced.

High-intensity theatre (HIT) lists have been used by Guys and St Thomas’  Foundation Trust to significantly increase the number of operations carried out each day.

An article in the journal Nature last year explained: ”This increase is achieved by meticulous planning and parallel processing of patient care on the day of surgery, aiming to minimise or eliminate turnaround time, minimise non-operative time and maximise operating time.” 

Mr Streeting said the trusts would receive visits from the HIT teams but said they would be “in areas with the highest numbers of people off work sick.”

The support will be led by the national Getting It Right First Time team and extend beyond HIT to include other measures such as reducing missed appointments, which are higher in deprived areas, and identifying local capacity in the private sector, NHSE said.

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Source: HSJ, 25 September 2024

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Six NHS schemes that could help fix the health service

The government in England is planning the biggest reimagining of the NHS in its history.

It follows a damning report by surgeon and independent peer Lord Darzi, which warned the health service was in a “critical condition”.

The prime minister has said the new 10-year plan will be based on three concepts: greater use of digital technology, more emphasis on community care, and preventing ill health in the first place.

Across the NHS there are already pockets of innovation - and these localised schemes could help the wider NHS in years to come, including:

  1. Tests and scans in shopping centres.
  2. Virtual wards.
  3. Surgery hubs - with patient video diaries.
  4. Rapid discharge teams.
  5. Lung cancer screening trucks.
  6. Prescribing dance and arts.

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Source: BBC News, 22 September 2024

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NHSE chief: Federated data platform will ‘not be spectacular’

An NHS England chief has admitted the controversial ‘federated data platform’ will ‘not be that spectacular’ despite national leaders previously talking it up as ‘critical for the future of the NHS.’

NHSE chief data and analytics officer Ming Tang said the new data platform, which is being rolled out to trusts across the country, will help staff manage logistical tasks but said the system is “not pretty”.

NHSE wants trusts to adopt the FDP to bring together operational data currently stored in separate systems into “one safe and secure environment.” However, politicians and campaigners have raised concerns about privacy and data protection, particularly over the involvement of US firm Palantir, which is leading the consortium to deliver the FDP.

Speaking at the Health Excellence Through Technology conference on Tuesday (24 September), Ms Tang said “the most important thing… is that we deliver products that work for people, not the products that we want to push.

“I’ve always said [FDP is] not pretty, it’s not that spectacular. But what we’re really doing is helping people do their workflow, helping nurses on the ward so they don’t have to have bits of paper in their pockets, [helping] multidisciplinary teams so they’re not running around chasing emails.

“So, [it’s] taking away some of those logistical activities so they can focus on the frontline and on the patients.”

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Source: HSJ, 26 September 2024

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GPs refused to give prostate cancer tests to one in four black men in UK, survey finds

One in four black men in the UK have been refused a prostate cancer test by their GP despite having twice the risk of developing the disease than the overall adult male population, a report has found.

A PSA test measures the level of the protein prostate-specific antigen in the blood, and may be able to detect prostate cancer in its early stages.

But according to a survey conducted by Prostate Cancer Research of 2,000 black men in the UK, almost a quarter (24%) attempting to get tested in the past year reported being obstructed by a GP.

The survey also found a quarter (25%) believed discrimination prevented them from being tested for prostate cancer, while just under a half (47%) thought they would receive the same level of care from the NHS as their white counterparts.

Oliver Kemp, the chief executive of Prostate Cancer Research, said: “These black and white figures are shocking, and an important call to action. It shouldn’t be the community alone who has to fix this – just as we have seen members of the community come together around our Real Talk campaign, we are calling on government, the NHS, and other partners to come together and work with us to close this health gap.

“It is vital we raise awareness not only among the community, but also among healthcare professionals and policymakers. We are calling on GPs to be mindful of black men’s greater risk when considering PSA testing, and on government to introduce screening for men in high risk groups – our data shows that 82% of black men would be willing to take part in such a programme, if it were rolled out. It is staggering to think of how many lives could be saved.”

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Source: The Guardian, 26 September 2024

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Arrests after woman dies following Brazilian butt lift procedure

Two people have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter following the death of a woman believed to have undergone a non-surgical Brazilian butt lift (BBL).

Alice Webb, 33, died after being taken to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital in the early hours of Tuesday after falling unwell.

Gloucestershire Police said it had been called by the ambulance service at 11:35 BST on Monday and an investigation, led by the major crime team, was ongoing.

The two arrested people have been released on police bail.

Save Face, a national register of accredited practitioners who offer non-surgical cosmetic treatments, said this was the "first case of a death caused by a non-surgical BBL in the UK".

While non-surgical BBLs are not illegal in the UK, last year Wolverhampton City Council barred a company from carrying out the procedure after identifying risks associated with their processes, including blood clots, sepsis, and the potential for the death of body tissues.

Save Face’s director Ashton Collins said the organisation had supported 500 women who had suffered complications from the procedure.

Ms Collins said: “Liquid BBL procedures are a crisis waiting to happen. They are advertised on social media as ‘risk-free’, ‘cheaper’ alternatives to the surgical counterpart and that could not be further from the truth.”

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Source: BBC News, 25 September 2024

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Covid inquiry rejects clinicians’ anonymity plea

The chair of the Covid inquiry has refused an application from the UK Health Security Agency to keep the identities of two junior clinicians secret.

Lawyers for UKHSA applied for an order preventing publication of their names, on the grounds they could be subject to abuse and harassment on social media and in person.

Both individuals attended Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Cell meetings to discuss the guidance on masks and personal protective equipment (PPE) during the pandemic.

Baroness Hallett ruled their names could be published in minutes of those meetings, as any risk was outweighed by the public interest in reporting on the group's work.

From February 2020 until it was disbanded in 2022, guidance on the use of PPE in healthcare settings was drawn up by the IPC Cell, a group of clinicians and officials from the NHS, government and public-health bodies such as Public Health England, which then Health Secretary Matt Hancock replaced with UKHSA in 2021.

Critics have said the IPC Cell was too slow to strengthen its recommendations on PPE after it became clear Covid could be spread by tiny airborne particles.

The Covid-19 Airborne Transmission Alliance (CATA), a group made up of healthcare organisations and individuals which campaigned for stronger guidance, has called it a “shadowy” organisation with “unclear” accountability structures.

UKHSA said the “heated and aggressive” public discourse around the subject meant there was a “high likelihood” junior members of staff could face online abuse if they were named in minutes published by the inquiry.

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Source: BBC News, 26 September 2024

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Inquiry chair praises courage of victims' families

The chair of an inquiry into more than 2,000 mental health-related deaths in Essex has praised the "courage and candour" of victims’ families.

The Lampard Inquiry is investigating the deaths of people in the care of mental health services in Essex between 2000 and 2023.

The inquiry, which has been sitting for the last three weeks, has now adjourned until November.

Baroness Lampard said that statements from bereaved families “had made a lasting impression” on her.

More than 40 people have given commemorative statements so far, telling the inquiry about their loved ones and what kind of people they were before they died.

Addressing the inquiry on its final day before an adjournment, Baroness Lampard said the opening statements had been “thought-provoking”.

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Source: BBC News, 25 September 2024

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New York declares ‘imminent threat’ after first death from eastern equine encephalitis in decade

New York officials announced an “imminent threat” to public health this week after a resident died from the state’s first case of mosquito-borne eastern equine encephalitis, or EEE, in nearly a decade.

The deceased individual was a resident of Ulster County, two hours north of New York City. The case, the state’s first human case since 2015, was confirmed earlier this month.

“We’ve been informed this patient has passed away from EEE, we extend our sympathies and our hearts go out to their family,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul said.

Eastern equine encephalitis is a rare but severe viral disease, spread by infectious mosquitoes. Approximately 30 percent of those who contract EEE die from the disease, and survivors are often left with neurologic problems. There are no vaccines or medications to treat or prevent it.

State Health Commissioner Dr James McDonald issued the declaration to unlock state resources and help support response to the virus, including continued efforts to spray for mosquitoes through the end of November.

Governor Hochul activated multiple agencies to expand access to insect repellent at New York parks and campgrounds, and to increase public awareness of the threat by placing signs at potentially vulnerable sites.

“Keeping New Yorkers safe is my top priority,” Hochul said.

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Source: The Independent, 24 September 2024

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Mother wins decade-long battle for more than £10m over botched operation on child at NHS hospital

A mother has won a 12-year battle for compensation against an NHS hospital after successfully claiming her child suffered brain damage as a result of a botched surgery.

The toddler, now a teenager, was left wheelchair-bound as a result of the operation in Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in 2012, with lawyers claiming the child was starved of oxygen.

A settlement has now been reached between the NHS Litigation Authority, which handles claims against the NHS for negligent care, and the family.

The trust that manages the Liverpool-based hospital has also apologised for the “failings in care”.

The mother said: “Ever since that day, my child has had to go to countless appointments, see countless therapists and doctors and specialists, and will do for the rest of their life. I am traumatised and exhausted, and I am on the defence all the time.

“I can’t cut any of them any slack after what happened 12 years ago. Twelve years is such a painfully long time.”

She also hit out at the process of claiming compensation through medical negligence claims.

She added: “It takes years and this length of time is not good enough. Parents commit suicide, marriages break down, they’re often too frightened to have more children. All because of how long it takes to get justice for your child, and how hard that is to achieve.” 

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Source: The Independent, 25 September 2024

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Women dying ‘unnecessarily’ of heart disease, say experts

Thousands of women are dying from heart disease worldwide because of the misconception that it is a “man’s disease”, doctors and scientists say.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) was the “number one killer” of women but, despite significant progress in its medical management, many were dying “unnecessarily” because they were underdiagnosed, undertreated and under-represented in clinical trials, the experts said.

A consensus statement drawn up by 33 leading health figures affiliated with the British Cardiovascular Society aimed to address unmet needs, ensuring parity of care and improving the health outcomes of women with CVD in the UK and worldwide.

Among other things, it called for dedicated women’s heart champions and heart hubs to prevent the “needless death toll” from an essentially preventable disease.

Conventional risk factors, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, were often not treated as promptly or as appropriately as they were in men, despite accounting for about half of all preventable cardiovascular disease deaths, the statement said.

Women also faced particular cultural, societal, and financial issues, which magnified their heart disease risks.

Healthcare professionals and the public mistakenly believed that women’s risk of CVD was lower than men’s, the statement said. “Myths and unconscious biases within clinical practices and societal perceptions further obscure the reality that heart disease does not discriminate by sex,” it said.

All too often women’s voices went unheard and their heart symptoms were not taken seriously enough, it added.

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Source: The Guardian, 24 September 2024

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The 22 areas testing radical changes to GP operating model

HSJ can reveal the 22 primary care networks taking part in an unprecedented national programme designing a new “GP operating model” set to influence the national GP contract.

The groups, spread across seven integrated care boards, will trial new “operating models” for GP provision, under an initiative announced by the ICBs and NHS England in May.

If successful, the project will influence future national care models for GP and “neighbourhood” services, and probably shape the core national GP contract, HSJ understands. They will also look to use their evidence to prove the case for more primary care investment.

The sites will initially test five types of “interventions”, with specific actions to be agreed by the PCNs and ICBs in coming months. 

  1. Optimising key aspects from the Primary Care Access and Recovery Plan
  2. Implementing digital methods for risk stratification and repetitive process automation tools to reduce administrative burden;
  3. Enhancing population health management, such as identifying patient searches for case or medication reviews;
  4. Defining and measuring the impact of multidisciplinary teams for complex cohorts; and
  5. Funding to increase clinical capacity as outlined in the long-term workforce plan.

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Source: HSJ, 25 September 2024

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Safety alert over 25 serious incidents linked to common drug

Maternity services have been issued with a national patient safety alert over inappropriate use of a common labour-inducing drug following a review of 25 serious incidents.

NHS England’s national patient safety team, backed by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Royal College of Midwives and the Royal College of Anaesthetists, has issued an official alert instructing all providers to stop pre-preparing oxytocin infusions at ward level, in all clinical areas.

Trusts must complete this and three other actions by 31 March 2025. Oxytocin is one of the most commonly used drugs in labour and childbirth and can be administered to initiate contractions. In a much higher dose, it can treat postpartum haemorrhage, severe bleeding after birth. 

The inadvertent administration of a postnatal dose of oxytocin before a baby is born can lead to significant harm to mother and baby.

Safety reports into deaths and harm in maternity services, including the Ockenden reports into Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals Trust and the seminal case which prompted the East Kent inquiry, that of Harry Richford, mention inappropriate use of oxytocin.

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Source: HSJ, 24 September 2024

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‘Drug-resistant typhoid is the final warning sign’: disease spreads in Pakistan as antibiotics fail

From his sickbed, eight-year-old Ukasha could see his siblings play with a ball in the courtyard. His head hurt and his body felt too heavy to move. Ukasha had typhoid fever – an illness he should have recovered from in days. It had been a month.

At its worst, typhoid can kill. Ukasha’s family were anxious, even moving his bed outside to give him fresh air and sunlight.

Children across the village – on the outskirts of Peshawar, northern Pakistan – had been falling ill.

Typhoid, also known as enteric fever, is an infection caused by contaminated food or water. If left untreated, it kills one in five. But the cure is a simple course of antibiotics. Most people, if they get the drugs promptly, should start recovering within a few days.

But the antibiotics used to cure typhoid are now failing. The bacteria, Salmonella typhi, have developed resistance to the antibiotics meant to kill them. It’s a pattern repeated across the world; the problem of resistant infections is global and borderless.

“Typhoid was once treatable with a set of pills and now ends up with patients in hospital,” says Jehan Zeb Khan, a clinical pharmacist at Hayatabad Medical Complex, a hospital in Peshawar.

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Source: The Guardian, 24 September 2024

 

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RCGP vote opposes physician associates in General Practice

In a hardening of its previous stance, the governing council of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) has voted to oppose a role for physician associates (PAs) working in general practice. 

The council also agreed to publish guidance to support GP practices already employing about 2000 PAs across the country. 

In June, the college urged practices to halt recruitment of PAs following a consultation suggesting that more than 80% of GPs believed they were having a negative impact on patient safety. 

At the latest council meeting, votes cast on a motion to oppose the role of PAs working in general practice were 61% in agreement versus 31% disagreeing, with 8% abstaining. 

Dr Helen Salisbury, senior medical education fellow in the Nuffield Department of Primary Care at the University of Oxford, told Medscape News UK after the council vote that the clause effectively gave exceptions to the scope of practice guidance, which "totally undermined the rest of it", and would have led to differential responsibilities among different PAs. 

She was "relieved" by the verdict. "For those of us who have been concerned about unrestricted scope of practice for PAs and the implications for patient safety, this is really good news."

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Source: Medscape News UK, 23 September 2024

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Nursing shortages in surgery increase risk of patient death

Surgery patients have a roughly 10% higher chance of dying on a ward with low nursing staffing levels, a new study has suggested.

The study, published by Oxford University Press and conducted by University of Southampton researchers, analysed data from 213,910 NHS hospital admissions of surgical patients between April 2015 and February 2020, to see the relationship between nurse staffing and adverse outcomes.

It found that both registered nursing and nursing support worker shortages on the surgery ward strongly correlated with increased risks of longer hospital stays, readmissions, hospital-developed conditions such as pressure ulcers and death.

According to the research, the relative risk of a surgical patient dying was increased by 9% for each day where registered nursing shortages were reported.

The study found evidence that registered nursing shortages correlated with a 5% increased risk of deep vein thrombosis, 6% for pneumonia and 6% for pressure ulcers.

Paul Meredith, lead author and senior researcher at the University of Southampton, said the research would act as a “timely reminder” about the impact of workload on patients outcomes.

“The safety of patients undergoing surgery is paramount and there is rightly a considerable emphasis on appropriate systems, policies, and procedures,” said Mr Meredith.

“This research is a timely reminder that workload is also a major driver of risk and that risks to surgical patients persist beyond the immediate operative period.

“Adequate nurse staffing on wards is vital to ensure the safety of patients undergoing and recovering from surgery.”

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Source: The Nursing Times, 24 September 2024

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NHS England instructs GPs to avoid hospital admissions this winter

GP practices should be working with complex patients to "actively avoid hospital admissions" this winter, according to NHS England.

In a letter to ICBs and trusts, NHSE set out the actions necessary to ensure delivery of "safe, dignified and high-quality care" this winter, which must be an "overriding priority".

There was a particular focus on the winter vaccination campaign, with NHS England urging providers to "make every possible effort" to boost vaccine uptake among patient-facing staff.

The letter also stressed the importance of promoting the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine, which from this month practices began administering to over-75s and pregnant women as an essential service under the GP contract.

"This is a year-round offer but its promotion ahead of winter by health professionals is vital, particularly to those at highest risk," NHSE said.

NHS England also urged local commissioners to take a "whole-system approach to managing winter demand". 

The letter asked ICBs to "ensure the proactive identification and management of people with complex needs and long-term conditions so care is optimised ahead of winter". 

"Primary care and community services should be working with these patients to actively avoid hospital admissions," NHSE added.

These patients should also be offered ‘alternatives to hospital attendance’ as they may be "better served with a community response".

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Source: Management in Practice, 19 September 2024

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Hospital complaints fall after phone call scheme

The introduction of daily telephone calls from hospital wards to relatives has led to a drop in complaints, hospital managers have said.

The United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (ULHT) claims it is the "first in the country" to introduce regular calls to a designated patient contact.

The trust, which started the calls as a pilot scheme two years ago, has now rolled the project out to 45 of 52 wards in Lincoln, Grantham and Boston.

The scheme has been nominated for recognition at The Patient Experience Network National Awards.

Patient experience manager, Jane Thompson-Burt, said: "Sometimes you get multiple members of the family phoning into the wards and you're trying to pass on information so staff are being taken away from their clinical role."

Since the introduction of the scheme, ULHT said the number of "avoidable complaints" regarding communication had reduced from 134 in the 2022/23 financial year to 51 in 2023/24.

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Source: BBC News, 24 September 2024

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Fears of fast spread of XEC Covid strain after many haven’t had vaccines in long time

The new Covid XEC variant could spread rapidly through the population as many people have not been vaccinated in a long time, an expert has warned.

Scientists believe the XEC variant will become the dominant Covid strain over the next few months, with a few mutations which may help it spread through autumn.

The variant, which derived from the omicron variant, is likely to take off in the next few weeks as it spreads through Europe after being first detected in Berlin in June.

An immunologist has told the The Independent that due to “reduced levels of  protective neutralising antibodies”, the XEC variant could sweep through the UK at a rapid rate.

Professor Sheena Cruickshank, an immunology expert at the University of Manchester, says protection may be lower for much of the population, after a long time without being vaccinated.

There is no indication that any further restrictions will need to be introduced “at this stage”, says Prof Cruickshank.

But preventative measures are vital in further reducing the need for future restrictions.

Track and trace, good ventilation, masks in clinical settings and paid-for vaccines for those who aren’t eligible for a free booster, would all help secure the UK’s health security.

“We have learned from the inquiry so far what not to do,” Prof Cruickshank said.

“Hopefully they will look at that, and learn and consider measures like track and trace or ventilation etc, to reduce the risk of the country needing to shut down.”

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Source: The Independent, 22 September 2024

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Dozens more children harmed after care failures

Dozens more children have suffered harm due to failings in audiology services, HSJ can reveal.

Several trusts have newly admitted their assessment of the damage caused by a widespread failing in the services, which are meant to pick up and begin addressing hearing problems while people are young.

Reports emerged in Scotland in 2021, and last year an NHS England audit found services in England were also likely to have similar problems.

Failures include ineffective testing leading to infants’ deafness being missed for long periods and other children not being properly referred for help they needed. It was caused by failures across training, leadership, equipment, and governance.

As of last year, several English trusts had declared a total of 36 known cases of “severe” harm, defined as “permanent or long-term” damage.

Several of those providers have now declared they have found more cases of harm, while some new trusts have declared problems and harm for the first time.

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Source: HSJ, 24 September 2024

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Journal pressured to retract study on Covid-19 vaccine harms

A vaccine manufacturer based in India launched defamation proceedings against researchers who published a study that reported adverse events in people following Covid-19 vaccination.  

The manufacturer also sued the editor of the international journal which published the study and demanded that the offending article be retracted immediately.

The study at the centre of the controversy is a post-marketing safety analysis (phase IV) of Covaxin, one of India’s homegrown Covid-19 vaccines.

The researchers concluded that serious adverse events of special interest (AESI) after vaccination “might not be uncommon” and that the majority of AESIs in people persisted “for a significant period.”

Of the 635 participants involved, one-third reported developing AESIs such as new-onset skin disorders, nervous system disorders, menstrual and ocular abnormalities.

Serious AESI, such as stroke and Guillain-Barre syndrome, were experienced by 1% of participants, but no causal link could be established in the study.

The researchers called for “enhanced awareness and larger studies” to carefully examine the potential for long-term harms of the vaccine.

On May 18, 2024, ICMR wrote to the journal wanting a retraction of the article and of the “acknowledgement” the researchers made to ICMR for its support.

The letter criticised the rigour of the study – it said there was no control arm, there were no baseline values of participants, and that collecting participant data by telephone interviews created a “high risk of bias.”

On Aug 28, 2024, Nitin Joshi, chief editor of Drug Safety, wrote to the authors to say a “post-publication review” had been conducted and that he now agreed with the criticisms of the paper.

Joshi, despite reviewing the study before it was published, stated that he was intending to retract the article because he “no longer has confidence in the conclusions.”

So far, over 250 scientists, researchers, ethicists, doctors and patients have signed an open letter addressed to BBIL, ICMR and the editor at Drug Safety, demanding the lawsuit be withdrawn, and the study remain published.

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Source: Maryanne Demasi, 23 September 2024

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Governments progress on negotiations for a pandemic agreement to boost global preparedness for future emergencies

Government-led negotiations on the world’s first agreement to protect people from future pandemics made significant progress during the latest round of discussions that ended today at the World Health Organization (WHO).

Substantive progress on the draft agreement, increased involvement of civil society and non-State actors, and a commitment by all parties to sustain momentum towards a  pandemic agreement were hallmarks of the 11th meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB), which comprises the 194 member governments of WHO, and ran from 9-20 September in Geneva. Negotiators will resume discussions, at a 12th round, from 4-15 November.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, praised the “collective commitment” shown by governments and other stakeholders to conclude the pandemic agreement, and an urgent need to do so in light of the persistent threat shown by viruses with pandemic potential. 

“The next pandemic will not wait for us, whether from a flu virus like H5N1, another coronavirus, or another family of viruses we don’t yet know about,” Dr Tedros told the meeting. “But all the ingredients are in place to meet the objective of countries to negotiate a generational pandemic agreement. The world needs hope that it is still possible for countries to find common solutions to common problems. You can provide that hope.”

Ambassador Anne-Claire Amprou, INB Bureau Co-chair of France, said the latest round of negotiations demonstrated the commitment by governments towards a pandemic accord to make the world safer and healthier. It also showed the critical role being played by civil society and other non-governmental stakeholders to ensure that equity, innovation and collaboration are at the heart of the agreement.  

“During extensive discussions, visible commitment was shown by Member States of WHO towards a pandemic agreement,” Ambassador Amprou said. “There was clear recognition from all countries that we must agree on a way forward to work better, together, to protect their citizens from future pandemics.”
Ambassador Amprou added: “The constructive contributions by INB relevant stakeholders were incredibly valuable. Together, we must sustain this progress during the coming months to realize our shared goal to forge a pandemic agreement that guides future global responses to pandemics.”

Source: WHO, 20 September 2024

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Labour plans to allow travel between England and Wales for NHS treatment

NHS patients in Wales will be allowed to travel to England to receive care for the first time ever under plans to be announced by the Welsh secretary on Monday.

Jo Stevens will tell the Labour conference in Liverpool that she is drawing up proposals to allow patients to travel between England and Wales to receive outpatient or elective treatment.

Stevens will say that the move will help reduce waiting lists on both sides of the border. But with NHS struggling in Wales even more than in England, experts say any movement is more likely to be from out of Wales, potentially placing further pressure on stretched NHS trusts in England.

Stevens said on Sunday: “Healthcare is one of the biggest shared challenges our two governments face and we are acting quickly to tackle it.

These practical, common sense steps could deliver real change on the ground for patients and clinicians.”

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Source: The Guardian, 22 September 2024

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