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Staff falsified records night man died, inquest hears

Staff at a mental health trust, run by Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, falsified records that they had checked on a vulnerable patient the night he died, an inquest has heard.

Eliot Harris was found dead in his room at Northgate Hospital in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, in April 2020. A police witness statement detailed how CCTV footage contradicted 19 log entries.

Mr Harris, 48, was admitted to hospital after the care home where he was a resident requested an urgent mental health assessment, an inquest into his death at Norfolk Coroner's Court heard.

He had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, had a history of epileptic seizures and had not been taking his medication.

Mr Harris was deemed to be high risk and was supposed to be on regular checks four times an hour.

In a witness statement read out in court, Det Sgt Nick Appleton described how police had cross referenced logs of his observations with CCTV recordings.

Det Sgt Appleton listed 19 instances in which the observation record was signed by a staff member that night, indicating Mr Harris had been checked, but was not backed up by the CCTV record.

He identified a number of "points of concern" in his evidence in which falsifying logs was "normal" and "standard practice" on wards.

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Source: BBC News, 1 August 2022

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Trusts reveal thousands of new 12-hour waits

Several trusts have now started reporting thousands of 12-hour waits in their emergency departments, representing a huge difference to the numbers published nationally under a slightly different measure.

This year, trusts have started submitting data to NHS England on the number of patients waiting over 12 hours from time of arrival in ED, until discharge, admission or transfer. Many trusts are now reporting these statistics in their public board reports.

This is a slightly different measure to the publicly reported “trolley wait” figures, which count waits of over 12 hours from decision to admit until admission.

Experts have long argued the trolley wait measure does not capture the true problem of ED overcrowding and delayed care. The new data captures a far higher number of patients and has not been published nationally by NHSE.

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Source: HSJ, 2 August 2022

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Doctors are concerned about the risk of hospital-acquired Covid-19

People who go to hospital for non-covid treatment are at higher risk of the virus compared with the general public, which is why high levels of hospital-acquired Covid-19 in England are worrying some doctors.

They fear that the coronavirus is becoming a potential hazard of a hospital stay for older or vulnerable people, in a similar way to “superbugs” such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

People who go to hospital for non-covid-19 treatment are at higher risk from the virus compared with the general public, says Tom Lawton, an intensive care doctor in Bradford, UK.

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Source: The New Scientist, 21 July 2022

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Trust begins ‘most ambitious’ outpatients project in NHS

A large acute trust is carrying out a major expansion of patient-initiated follow-up (PIFU) appointments, which is said to be “the most ambitious” project of its kind in the NHS.

Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals Foundation Trust has categorised around half of its outpatient follow-up list as “possible or probable opportunities” for patient-initiated pathways.

NNUH wants to make PIFU the “default model” for patients who are not on active pathways, and where it is safe to do this.

Its project is being closely watched by national leaders and has already drawn praise from NHS England’s director of elective recovery, Rob Stones, during a webinar last month. It is understood to be more ambitious than NHSE’s official PIFU pilot projects.

NHSE’s elective chief, Sir Jim Mackey, has said he wants to expand PIFU pathways on an “industrial” scale.

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Source: HSJ, 29 July 2022

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NHSE leak reveals 1m patients on hidden waiting list

More than a million people – including hundreds of thousands of children – are on an unpublished national waiting list for community health services, according to NHS England documents leaked to HSJ.

They reveal that just over 75,000 children are waiting to access community paediatric services, including children needing help with developmental delay, long-term health conditions and additional needs; and there is a backlog of more than 74,300 young people for speech and language therapy.

More than 321,000 adults are on the list waiting for musculoskeletal services, mostly physiotherapy such as for back and joint pain; while 120,000 are waiting for podiatry.

HSJ understands the lack of national support for long waits for most community and mental health care – in contrast to billions of government funding and a major recovery programme for elective consultant-led treatment – has been raised at a senior level in NHS E in recent weeks. One senior leader told HSJ the discrepancy was “immoral”. 

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Source: HSJ, 1 August 2022

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NHS to use AI to identify people at higher risk of hepatitis C

The NHS is to use artificial intelligence to detect, screen and treat people at risk of hepatitis C under plans to eradicate the disease by 2030.

Hepatitis C often does not have any noticeable symptoms until the liver has been severely damaged, which means thousands of people are living with the infection – known as the silent killer – without realising it.

Left untreated, it can cause life-threatening damage to the liver over years. But with modern treatments now available, it is possible to cure the infection.

Now health chiefs are launching a hi-tech screening programme in England in a fresh drive to identify thousands of people unaware they have the virus.

The scheme, due to begin in the next few weeks, aims to help people living with hepatitis C get a life-saving diagnosis and access to treatment before it is too late.

The NHS will identify people who may have the virus by using AI to scan health records for a number of key risk factors, such as historical blood transfusions or an HIV diagnosis.

Anyone identified through the new screening process will be invited for a review by their GP and, if appropriate, further screening for hepatitis C. Those who test positive for the virus will be offered treatment available after NHS England struck a deal with three major pharmaceutical companies.

Prof Graham Foster, national clinical chair for NHS England’s hepatitis C elimination programmes, said the scheme “marks a significant step forward” in the fight to eliminate the virus before 2030. It will “use new software to identify and test patients most at risk from the virus – potentially saving thousands of lives”, he added.

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Source: The Guardian, 31 July 2022

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Fears for patients as '111' calls abandoned - Government called to 'get a grip' on issue

A call to NHS 111 was abandoned every 10 seconds between 2020 and 2021, figures show. Millions of callers to the helpline hung up at a time when demand for the NHS was at its highest.

In 2020, 2,490,663 calls were abandoned, while in 2021 this figure increased to 3,531,186. And 1,174,159 gave up on the line from January to May this year. Callers in Devon take an average of 11 minutes to get through to the NHS 111 service, according to Liberal Democrat research.

Daisy Cooper, Lib Dem spokeswoman for health and social care, said: "Ambulance services are being stretched to breaking point, hospitals are reaching full capacity and now people cannot get through to NHS 111. We have called on this government time and time again to get a grip on this issue by recruiting more NHS 111 call handlers now."

"The longer they delay, the longer they are leaving people in pain and distress."

Helen Hughes, of the Patient Safety Learning charity, said: "These figures represent a serious safety concern. Each call is a potential missed opportunity for patients to receive timely medical advice that may prevent future harm."

"With the ongoing severe pressures faced by ambulance services and hospitals this summer, patients are increasingly being signposted to NHS 111 for advice on non-life threatening conditions."

"However, it can only relieve the pressure on other areas of the health service if NHS 111 has the capacity and resources to meet rising demand. The NHS leadership needs to urgently assess the reasons for this high number of abandoned calls."

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Source: Express, 31 July 2022

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Ex-health secretaries call for urgent blood scandal pay-outs

Three former health secretaries have called on the government to urgently pay compensation to victims of the contaminated blood scandal.

The chairman of the public inquiry into the scandal, Sir Brian Langstaff, has recommended that each victim should receive a provisional sum of £100,000.

One woman who developed hepatitis C from infected blood told the BBC the news was "incredibly significant".

The government has said it will urgently consider any recommendations.

Former health secretaries Andy Burnham, Jeremy Hunt and Matt Hancock told the BBC it was important to act quickly because the life expectancy of many victims had been shortened by infections they had contracted.

A lawyer representing about 15,000 claimants also argued that victims should receive compensation "immediately". Des Collins said payment must be made within "days or weeks", and he would step up pressure from Monday.

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Source: BBC News, 31 August 2022

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Grim figures reveal the scale of healthcare decline worldwide

Startling numbers from around the world give grim statistical support for the argument that healthcare quality has not only stalled, but is in worrying retreat. 

Nearly 15 million deaths have been attributed to Covid-19 worldwide. All countries have seen waiting times increase and deaths from cardiac conditions and cancer rise. Mental health problems have been exacerbated, while the frailty of some elderly care services has left families unsupported. The global workforce crisis has been exposed, health inequalities amplified, and life expectancy arrested. Government debt has soared, and livelihoods have been lost. 

In a new report, health systems leaders from across the world – including the UK, Australia, India, Singapore, Canada, the USA and Europe – raise the alarm.

There has been a decline in the focus on quality by the leadership of health systems all over the world with an opportunity cost in terms of patient outcomes, safety issues and people’s experience of healthcare.

How do we shift from firefighting to a focus on quality of care?

Dr Mark Britnell, chair of the Beamtree Global Impact Committee report, makes a simple argument: the only way to reverse the retreat from quality is to march steadfastly towards it. 

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Source: The Telegraph, 26 July 2022

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Stick-on ultrasound patch hailed as revolution in medical imaging

A stick-on patch that can take an ultrasound scan of a person’s insides as they go about their daily life has been hailed as a revolution in medical imaging.

The wearable patch, which is the size of a postage stamp, can image blood vessels, the digestive system and internal organs for up to 48 hours, giving doctors a more detailed picture of a patient’s health than the snapshots provided by routine scans.

In laboratory tests, researchers used the patches to watch people’s hearts change shape during exercise, their stomachs expand and shrink as they drank and passed drinks, and their muscles pick up microdamage when weightlifting.

Prof Xuanhe Zhao at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who led the research team, said the patches could “revolutionise” medical imaging because existing scans are very brief, sometimes lasting only seconds, and usually have to be performed in hospitals.

Ultrasound scans are extremely common, with NHS England performing more than 8m last year. But the technique has major limitations, requiring highly trained sonographers to place and orient the probes on patients’ bodies to get high-quality images. For this reason, most ultrasound scans are brief and performed on patients who are required to keep still while the images are taken.

Wireless patches could sidestep some of these problems, as they can be fixed in position and left to take images for hours, and even days, at a time, the researchers say. Beyond scanning organs for early signs of disease, the “set and forget” patches could monitor bladder function, tumours, and the development of foetuses in the womb.

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Source: The Guardian, 28 July 2022

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What the Fuller Stocktake report means for primary care and digital technology

The recent publication of the Fuller Stocktake report sets out a new vision for the role of primary care in integrated care systems. With primary care the bedrock of the NHS and at “the heart of communities”, the paper’s recommendation to similarly establish it at the centre of new ICS systems and foster greater collaboration is a welcome one that has been greeted positively in many quarters.

However, a key priority underpinning many of the recommendations made is the need to create sustainable primary care for the future. Within this, there is a challenge to tackle “inadequate access to urgent care” which the report argues is having a direct impact on general practice’s ability to provide continuity of care to patients who need it most as well as overall primary care capacity. Referred to as being two sides of the same coin, this stark recognition of current workload and workforce challenges in general practice alongside their wider contributing factors is both timely and welcome.

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Source: HSJ, 27 July 2022

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Mesh surgeon fails in bid to stop legal action against trust being made public

A leading colorectal surgeon whose former employer, North Bristol NHS Trust, faces negligence claims from dozens of his ex-patients has failed in his bid to keep legal action he is taking against the trust a secret.

A review by the trust found that 203 women on whom the surgeon Tony Dixon performed pelvic mesh procedures between 2007 and 2017 came to harm. The trust faces legal claims from many of them.

Trust board members were told in May that the trust had notified the 203 women that “although their laparoscopic ventral mesh rectopexy operation was carried out satisfactorily, they should have been offered alternative treatments before proceeding to surgery,” and that those patients were defined as suffering “harm.”

Dixon sued the trust in the High Court to try to stop it releasing two documents to solicitors acting for ex-patients, as part of the disclosure process in litigation. 

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Source: BMJ, 27 July 2022

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County Durham and Darlington improves patient safety with AI

County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust has created and implemented an artificial intelligence (AI) model to protect patients from acute kidney injury (AKI).

The trust’s AI-driven model helps healthcare staff to identify patients who are at risk from AKI and to swiftly respond with treatment. The technology uses risk stratification digital tools that staff are able to access through an app. These are combined with care processes developed at the trust and which involve a new specialist nurse team, preventive specialist intervention, assessment and follow-up.

Its implementation at County Durham and Darlington has led to a reduction in both hospital-acquired and community AKI. Overall, the incidence of AKI within the trust fell from 6.5% between March and May 2020, to 3.8% during the same period in 2021. The most significant reduction was seen in hospital-acquired AKI – which fell by more than 80%.

Jeremy Cundall, medical director for County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust and executive lead for the project, said: “The partnership has resulted in patients being detected earlier – preventing AKI from occurring or mitigating the worsening of existing AKI. Accordingly, patients have been more effectively triaged to the right pathways of care including referral and transfer to tertiary renal units where appropriate.”

Claire Stocks, early detection, resuscitation and mortality lead nurse for County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, said: “This work has been a project very much about using collaborative partnerships to enhance patient safety and quality. An idea that was developed in a ‘cupboard conversation’ is now a fully operational specialist nurse service. Utilising digital innovations supports rapid triage, early detection and treatment to improve outcomes.”

In addition to the improvements in patient safety, the technology has delivered cost savings for the trust too. County Durham and Darlington saved more than £2million in direct costs from reductions in AKI incidence. The improved transfer of patients has also released ICU capacity, vital at a time when the NHS is dealing with a growing national backlog for elective surgery.

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Source: Digital Health, 27 July 2022

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Safety fears as NHS medical negligence claims soar

Almost 75 years since its foundation, the NHS is struggling with delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic and the “greatest workforce crisis” in its history.

A report from MPs on the health committee this week showed 105,000 vacancies for doctors, nurses and midwives, as thousands quit owing to burnout, bullying, pension rules and low pay.

Jeremy Hunt, the committee’s chairman, said that the “persistent understaffing in the NHS poses a serious risk to staff and patient safety”. Lawyers warned that the crisis risked increasing the number of negligence claims.

Spending on claims by NHS Resolution rose to £2.5 billion in 2021-22 compared with £2.3 billion in the previous year, according to its annual report published last week. The bill increased despite initiatives to cut the number of cases going to court and foster greater collaboration with claimant lawyers.

Claimant lawyers welcomed NHS Resolution’s more collaborative approach and desire to resolve cases sooner. They argued, however, that the defensive culture remained and suggested there should be a greater focus on patient safety and learning from mistakes.

John McQuater, president of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers, said that NHS Resolution’s denials and delays meant that injured patients had to turn to lawyers to find answers. He said that earlier investigation into patient safety incidents and earlier admissions of liability by NHS trusts would speed up the system, cutting costs and human misery.

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Source: The Times, 28 July 2022

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Failing gender service for children to be replaced by local hubs

The NHS’s only gender identity clinic for children has been found to be neither “safe nor viable” and is set to be replaced by regional hubs.

A damning report into gender identity services run by the Tavistock and Portman Foundation Trust has found that the model is putting children at “considerable risk”.

An interim report by Dr Hilary Cass said that children and young people are being subjected to “lengthy” waits for access to gender dysphoria services, and are not receiving support during this time.

The report said a “fundamentally different” service model that can provide timely and appropriate care for children is needed, and recommended that the NHS launch local specialist centres.

Her full report is due to be published next year, but has so far warned that the long waiting lists for gender-questioning children and young people are “unacceptable”.

The review said it was not yet able to provide recommendations on the use of puberty blockers and feminising or masculinising hormones, due to gaps in the evidence.

A report from safety watchdog the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch in April warned that CAMHS (Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services) had been forced to “hold the risk” while caring for children who are waiting to access specialist gender-dysphoria (GID) services.

It added: “There is a lack of capacity and capability to ensure proactive risk assessment of the health of patients waiting on the GIDS waiting list.”

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Source: The Independent, 28 July 2022

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Patients kept in A&E for ‘up to three weeks’, CQC finds

Patients experiencing a mental health crisis were kept in a ‘short stay area’ of an emergency department for up to three weeks, a Care Quality Commission (CQC) report has revealed.

The patients were in what the CQC described as a “short stay area” of the ED at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton. It is an area with no natural light, no TV or radio and only a toilet and washbasin, with a shower available on a neighbouring ward, the CQC said. The patients were reviewed daily by a mental health liaison team from another trust while they waited for a mental health bed to be found.

The CQC report said staff reported the longest stay was up to three weeks, while trust data showed the average length of stay was 52 hours.

It said the urgent and emergency services at the hospital – part of University Hospitals Sussex Foundation Trust which is rated “outstanding” overall by the regulator – “did not fully meet the needs of the local population”.

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Source: HSJ, 29 July 2022

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CQC probes bullying allegations at national NHS agency

Bullying and harassment allegations made against leaders of the organisation that supplies blood to the NHS have prompted a Care Quality Commission (CQC) review, with staff claiming poor culture has exacerbated the crisis around low blood stocks.

HSJ has learned whistleblowers at NHS Blood and Transplant raised concerns with the CQC. As a result, the regulator has been carrying out a review of the organisation’s leadership.

Several current and former staff, who wished to remain anonymous, told HSJ there are widespread concerns about the organisation’s culture, which they claim has enabled bullying and harassment from senior employees, including some racist behaviours.

They said the culture has resulted in a significant number of staff being absent due to stress and anxiety, which alongside the latest wave of coronavirus, has contributed to an ongoing staffing crisis.

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Source: HSJ, 28 July 2022

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NHS leaders warn that social care workforce crisis risks patient safety

NHS leaders across England say staffing gaps and a lack of capacity in social care are putting the care and safety of patients in the NHS at risk.

Almost 250 NHS leaders responding to an NHS Confederation survey say that patients are being delayed in hospital much longer than they should, with the knock-on impact resulting in higher demand on A&E departments and longer ambulance response times.

  • More than 9 in 10 NHS leaders warn of a social care workforce crisis in their area which they expect will get worse this winter.
  • Nearly all NHS leaders say the lack of capacity in social care is putting the care and safety of patients at risk.
  • More than four in five warn that the absence of care packages for people to be able to return home or be moved into a care home is the main reason why medically fit patients are stuck in hospital longer than they should be.
  • Almost all NHS leaders say that the most impactful solution would be better pay for social care staff and want the Government to increase investment in social care as a priority.

An acute trust executive director in the South West accused the Government of presiding over a “national scandal.”

“If the social care capacity shortfall was solved then we would not be holding ambulances at all, we would have almost no problems with elective recovery and our emergency departments would not be crowded and unsafe,” they said.

Another acute trust chair in the East of England added: “The result of using nearly 20 per cent of our beds for patients who are medically fit but need packages of care to return home is an overcrowded A&E, twelve-hour trolley waits and much delayed ambulance handover times. The connection is very clear to us…Until we find a solution to social care staffing and funding, the situation can only get worse.”

Commenting on the survey results Lord Victor Adebowale, chair of the NHS Confederation, said:

“Decades of delay and inertia have left social care services chronically underfunded and in desperate need of more support.

“NHS leaders stand alongside their sister services in social care in wanting a rescue package for the sector. They are sounding the alarm and sending a clear message to Government that the social care system has not been ‘fixed’."

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Source: NHS Confederation, 28 July 2022

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Working women need greater menopause rights

Women going through menopause should be given greater rights and protection in the workplace, MPs say.

The Women and Equalities Committee said a lack of support in the UK was pushing women out of work.

The cross-party group wants menopause to become a protected characteristic like pregnancy, to give working women more rights.

Caroline Nokes, who chairs the committee said: "Stigma, shame and dismissive cultures can, and must, be dismantled."

The government, speaking on the issue for England as health issues is devolved to the national governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, said the issue was a priority, highlighting it had recently appointed a women's health ambassador and set up a menopause taskforce to look into workplace support.

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Source: BBC News, 28 July 2022

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Over 47,000 stroke patients to ‘miss out on a miracle treatment’

A new report by the Stroke Association released today warns that, if the thrombectomy rate stays at 2020/21 levels, 47,112 stroke patients in England would miss out on the game changing acute stroke treatment, mechanical thrombectomy, over the length of the newly revised NHS Long Term Plan. This year, NHS England missed its original target to make mechanical thrombectomy available to all patients for whom it would benefit – only delivering to 28% of all suitable patients by December 20212.

The Stroke Association’s ‘Saving Brains’ report calls for a 24/7 thrombectomy service, which could cost up to £400 million. But treating all suitable strokes with thrombectomy would save the NHS £73 million per year. Stroke professionals quoted in the report cite insufficient bi-plane suites, containing radiology equipment, as a barrier to a 24/7 service.

The Stroke Association is calling for:

  • The Treasury to provide urgent funding for thrombectomy in the Autumn Budget 2022, for infrastructure, equipment, workforce training and support, targeting both thrombectomy centres and referring stroke units.
  • Department of Health and Social Care to develop a sustainable workforce plan to fill the gaps in qualified staff.
  • NHS England to address challenges in transfer to and between hospitals in its upcoming Urgent & Emergency Care Plan.
  • Putting innovation - such as artificial intelligence (AI) imaging software and video triage in ambulances - into practice.

Juliet Bouverie, Chief Executive of the Stroke Association said: “Thrombectomy is a miracle treatment that pulls patients back from near-death and alleviates the worst effects of stroke. It’s shocking that so many patients are missing out and being saddled with unnecessary disability. Plus, the lack of understanding from government, the NHS and local health leaders about the brain saving potential thrombectomy is putting lives at risk. There are hard-working clinicians across the stroke pathway facing an uphill struggle to provide this treatment and it’s time they got the support they need to make this happen. It really is simple. Thrombectomy saves brains, saves money and changes lives; now is the time for real action, so that nobody has to live with avoidable disability ever again."

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Source: The Stroke Association, 28 July 2022

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Jeremy Hunt calls contaminated-blood scandal a huge failing of democracy

Former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has told a public inquiry institutions and the state can sometimes "close ranks around a lie".

Giving evidence at the infected-blood inquiry, he said it could be seen as a "huge failing of democracy" that victims had waited so long for justice.

At least 5,000 people contracted HIV or hepatitis C in the 1970s and 80s, after being given contaminated blood products and transfusions on the NHS. More than 2,400 have died as a result.

Jenni Richards QC asked whether a 2012 briefing for new ministers in the health department - "almost certainly" not shown to Mr Hunt at the time - stating, under a heading "Key facts", hepatitis C and HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) infection had been a problem in the 1970s and 80s, "before it was possible to screen donors and make products safer", suggested the contamination had been an "unavoidable problem".

Mr Hunt, health secretary for six years until July 2018, replied: "I mean, that briefing is wrong and it shouldn't say that.

"At the very least, ministers should be aware as politicians that this is contentious and disputed by families - but I'm afraid it tries to suggest the issue is closed when it is not."

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Source: BBC News, 27 July 2022

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NHS told to make better use of hospital passports to support patients

Hospital passports need to be more consistently used across the NHS to better support patients with communication difficulties, a learning disability nurse says.

Support for patients with communication needs and learning disabilities, as well as the nurses caring for them, is often ‘inconsistent’, according to RCN professional lead for learning disabilities Jonathan Beebee.

Coupled with the current system-wide pressure of patient backlogs and high staff vacancy rates it means patients often do not have their communication needs met.

A hospital passport, which contains vital information about a patient’s health condition, learning disability and communication needs, would help address this, Mr Beebee told Nursing Standard. 

"There has got to be better consistency in how we are identifying people with communication needs, how they are getting flagged and how nurses are being pointed to that from the second that someone is admitted to the ward," he said.

Mr Beebee says ensuring a standardised approach would improve patient experience and ultimately nurses’ relationship with patients.

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Source: Nursing Standard, 27 July 2022

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Speaking up ‘still not business as usual’, national guardian warns

Whistleblowing is still not ‘business as usual’ and leaders must take action after an unusual drop in the proportion of staff viewing their organisation as having a positive speak up culture, the national guardian for freedom to speak up has said.

Speaking to HSJ, Jayne Chidgey-Clark highlighted some “really concerning” findings from the National Guardian’s Office’s most recent survey, both about speak up culture and the wellbeing of the freedom to speak up guardians.

The NGO survey found a 10 percentage point drop in freedom to speak up guardians agreeing senior leaders supported workers to speak up, dropping from around 80% to 70% between 2020 and 2021.

She also highlighted an increase in FTSU guardians reporting staff had experienced “detriment” for speaking up within their organisation.

Ms Chidgey-Clark, a nurse by background who took up the role last December, said it was the first time the National Guardian’s Office had seen a drop on this question since the survey began in 2017, and that it also “chimed” with the latest NHS staff survey.

She added: “Workers are saying the same thing, and that’s really concerning. And it will be even more concerning if we see a similar trend next year. It’s almost like an early warning sign to leaders."

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Source: HSJ, 28 July 2022

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Barclay calls urgent ‘hackathons’ over ambulance crisis

The new health and social care secretary has asked officials to hastily organise several “hackathons” to try to address the crisis in ambulance performance.

The first, which was instigated just last week, will take place tomorrow (28 July), and a second is planned for August, sources told HSJ.

Messages from officials described the work as a “request from our new secretary of state” and explained the short notice by saying he was “pushing… quite strongly for something before the end of the month”.

The aim is said to be to examine what is driving poor performance, and the Department of Health and Social Care is “particularly interested in understanding which factors reduce risk to patients”, according to one message seen by HSJ.

Hackathons are short, time-limited collaborative design events, typically involving computer programmers and data scientists or analysts, which aim to result in working software or product on the chosen theme by the end.

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Source: HSJ, 27 July 2022

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Hospital in meltdown over IT issues

A whistleblower has warned a London hospital is "literally in meltdown" after its IT system was knocked out during last week's heatwave.

Operations at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital in Lambeth were cancelled after its IT servers broke down in 40C (104F) temperatures on 19 July.

A doctor told the BBC "poor planning" and "chronic underfunding" meant issues remained a week later.

A spokesperson for the hospital said IT issues were "having an ongoing impact".

Without a functioning IT system, staff have returned to paper notes, the doctor said.

The anonymous whistleblower, who works as a doctor at Guy's and St Thomas', said this meant "we see very worrying results, but we don't know where the patients are so we spend ages tracking them down".

"We cannot read any historical notes from patients. Names are being misspelt, so scans are not showing up.

"Each morning, someone hand-delivers a stack of test results to the ward. In there, we received several patient results that don't belong to our ward," the doctor said.

"If we don't recover our shared drives, we risk losing months of research data, if not years."

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Source: BBC News, 27 July 2022

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