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AI will soon be everywhere in the NHS. It’s a risk for women and ethnic minorities, experts say

Artificial intelligence (AI) could lead to UK health services that disadvantage women and ethnic minorities, scientists are warning.

They are calling for biases in the systems to be rooted out before their use becomes commonplace in the NHS.

They fear that without that preparation AI could dramatically deepen existing health inequalities in our society.

A new study has found that AI models built to identify people at high risk of liver disease from blood tests are twice as likely to miss disease in women as in men.

The researchers examined the state of the art approach to AI used by hospitals worldwide and found it had a 70% success rate in predicting liver disease from blood tests.

But they uncovered a wide gender gap underneath – with 44% of cases in women missed, compared with 23% of cases among men.

“AI algorithms are increasingly used in hospitals to assist doctors diagnosing patients. Our study shows that, unless they are investigated for bias, they may only help a subset of patients, leaving other groups with worse care,” said Isabel Straw, of University College London, who led the study.

“We need to be really careful that medical AI doesn’t worsen existing inequalities.”

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Source: iNews, 9 July 2022

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Female doctors launch campaign against harassment in UK healthcare

Female doctors have launched an online campaign that they say exposes shocking gender-based discrimination, harassment and sexual assault in healthcare.

Surviving in Scrubs is an issue for all healthcare workers, say the campaign’s founders, Becky Cox and Chelcie Jewitt, who are encouraging women to share stories of harassment and abuse to “push for change and to reach the people in power”.

The campaign has called for the General Medical Council (GMC), which regulates doctors, to explicitly denounce sexist and misogynistic behaviour towards female colleagues and “treat them with respect”.

More than 40 stories have been shared on the campaign’s website, ranging from sexual harassment by patients to inappropriate remarks and sexual advances from supervisors.

The campaign is bolstered by evidence that shows 91% of female respondents had experienced sexism at work within the past two years. The findings are a result of nearly 2,500 surveyed doctors working in the NHS – the majority of whom were women – published in a 2021 report by the British Medical Association (BMA).

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Source: The Guardian, 11 July 2022

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Trust chiefs resist ‘pressure’ to treat patients in corridors

Hospital leaders say they have been pressured to deliver more ‘corridor care’ as a result of efforts to ease the ambulance handover crisis.

Due to the collapse in ambulance response times over the last year, hospitals have been told to receive patients from ambulance crews more quickly, to enable those crews to respond to new incidents in the community.

This can mean patients being kept on trolley beds in corridors, with a lack of appropriate staff to care for them.

Tracy Bullock, chief executive of University Hospitals of North Midlands, told HSJ  her trust almost eradicated “corridor care” before the pandemic.

But she added: “There have been discussions about going back to corridor care, but we have resisted that, as it brought significant patient safety and staff wellbeing issues… although these never received the same airtime as ambulance waits as they are unseen and only impact on the acutes.

“The terminology has now changed and instead of corridor care it’s ‘cohorting’, and the space is not necessarily a corridor but a designated space for ambulances to drop more patients off.”

She said this only works with enough staff, “otherwise you end up with the same safety issues that we had delivering corridor care pre-pandemic”.

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Source: HSJ, 11 July 2022

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‘They gave her a bed to die in’: family of woman with Down’s Syndrome denied intensive care seek answers from Covid-19 inquiry

When Susan Sullivan died from Covid-19, her parents’ world fell quiet.

But as John and Ida Sullivan battled the pain of losing their eldest, they were comforted by doctors’ assurance that they had done all they could.

It was not until more than a year later, when they received her medical records, that the family made a crushing discovery. These suggested that, despite Susan being in good health and responding well to initial treatments, doctors at Barnet hospital had concluded she wouldn’t pull through.

When Susan was first admitted on 27 March 2020, a doctor had written in her treatment plan: “ITU (Intensive therapy unit) review if not improving”, indicating he believed she might benefit from a higher level of care.

But as her oxygen levels fell and her condition deteriorated, the 56-year-old was not admitted to the intensive unit. Instead she died in her bed on the ward without access to potentially life-saving treatment others received.

In the hospital records, seen by the Observer, the reason Susan was excluded is spelled out: “ITU declined in view of Down’s syndrome and cardiac comorbidities.” A treatment plan stating she was not to be resuscitated also cites her disability.

For John, 79, a retired builder, that realisation was “like Susan dying all over again”. “The reality is that doctors gave her a bed to die in because she had Down’s syndrome,” he said. “To me it couldn’t be clearer: they didn’t even try.”

Susan is one of thousands of disabled people in Britain killed by Covid-19. Last year, a report by the Learning Disabilities Mortality Review Programme found that almost half those who died from Covid-19 did not receive good enough treatment, including problems accessing care. Of those who died from Covid-19, 81% had a do-not-resuscitate decision, compared with 72% of those who died from other causes.

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Source: The Guardian, 10 July 2022

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Breathing machines still not repaired after safety recall

Two-thirds of defective breathing machines distributed by the health service have not been repaired or replaced in the 12 months since they were subject to a worldwide recall over safety concerns.

Philips Respironics last year issued a field safety notice for a series of ventilation devices because the polyester-based foam used to dampen the noise of the machines can break down. The foam particles or potentially toxic chemicals may be inhaled or ingested by patients.

Almost 8,000 of the affected machines have been contracted by the Health Safety Executive (HSE) for use in hospitals and private homes, including 6,394 continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices, 1,348 bilevel positive airway pressure (BPAP) devices, and 147 mechanical ventilators.

However, the HSE told The Times that only 2,723 devices had been repaired or replaced a year after the recall was announced. A spokesman did not respond when asked if the HSE was concerned about patient safety, given that more than 5,000 devices have not been attended to.

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Source: The Times, 8 July 2022

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Northern Ireland: Serious adverse incidents 'likely to be repeated'

Health Minister Robin Swann has announced plans to improve the review process for serious adverse incidents (SAI) in Northern Ireland's health and social care system.

The reviews take place after unintended incidents of harm and ensure improvements are made.

The Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) was commissioned to examine the system's effectiveness. It found the process was not "sufficiently robust".

In the RQIA report, the independent body found that "neither the SAI review process nor its implementation is sufficiently robust to consistently enable an understanding of what factors, both systems and people, have led to a patient or service user coming to harm".

It added: "The reality is that similar situations, where events leading to harm have been inadequately investigated and examples of recognised good practice have not been followed, have been and are likely to be repeated in current practice."

It identified failures in the SAI procedure, including failures to:

  • Answer patient and family questions.
  • Determine where safety breaches have occurred.
  • Achieve a systemic understanding of those safety breaches.
  • Design recommendations and action plans to reduce the opportunity for the same or similar safety breaches in future.

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Source: BBC News, 7 July 2022

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Fears of broader maternal care deserts as US states push to ban abortion

Louisiana is fighting to become a leader in the race to criminalise doctors who allegedly provide abortions, since the US supreme court ended federal abortion protections.

In doing so, the state may also become an example of how abortion bans could worsen maternal health in America, as criminal penalties across the US redefine where and how doctors are willing to practice.

In turn, that is likely to worsen a leading reason some states are more dangerous places to give birth – lack of hospitals, birthing centres and obstetricians.

“It should be no surprise that in a lot of the states where there’s a [trigger ban], there’s a strong correlation [with maternity care deserts],” said Stacey Stewart, president and chief executive of the March of Dimes, an organization that advocates for maternal and infant health and is strictly neutral on abortion.

Many of the same states hostile to abortion have also pursued intersecting policies that can worsen health overall for residents, such as refusal to expand a public health health insurance program for the poor, called Medicaid.

Now, the severe criminal penalties and extraordinary civil liability doctors are exposed to under such anti-abortion statutes could become fundamental to how and where healthcare providers decide to practice.

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Source: The Guardian, 8 July 2022

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'Ignored' women in 'excruciating' pain, says Hull MP Emma Hardy as she slams 'unacceptable' care

Emma Hardy MP has secured a Westminster debate on gynaecological wait times.

Gynaecology waiting lists across the UK have now reached a combined figure of more than 610,000 – a 69% increase on pre-pandemic levels. New analysis by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) shows that in England, gynaecology waiting lists have grown the most by percentage increase of all elective specialties.

Emma is co-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs) for Surgical Mesh and Endometriosis - both come under the heading of ‘gynaecological conditions’ and both are being impacted by increased waiting times.

Through her involvement with these APPGs, Emma has heard the testimony of so many women whose lives have been impacted by conditions that can be so painful and debilitating that they impact on every aspect of family, social and work life. Emma will ask the minister to launch an investigation into possible gender bias in the prioritisation of gynaecology services and ensure that elective recovery will address the unequal growth of gynaecology waiting lists compared to other specialties.

Emma said: "It is completely unacceptable that 610,000 women are waiting for gynaecological care across the UK. The reality is that many of these women will be in excruciating pain awaiting treatment, unable to go about their day-to-day lives."

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Source: Hull Daily Mail, 5 July 2022

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CQC criticises outstanding-rated trust for ‘unsafe’ staffing

An ‘outstanding’ rated mental health trust has been criticised by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) for ‘unsafe’ levels of staffing and inadequate monitoring of vulnerable patients.

The CQC said an inpatient ward for adults with learning disabilities and autism run by Cumbria Northumberland Tyne and Wear Foundation Trust “wasn’t delivering safe care”, and some staff were “feeling unsafe due to continued short staffing”, following an unannounced inspection in February.

The inspection into Rose Lodge, a 10-bed unit in South Tyneside, took place after the CQC received concerns about the service.

Inspectors highlighted a high use of agency staff, with some shifts “falling below safe staffing levels”, which meant regular monitoring of patients with significant physical health issues “was not always taking place”.

They said the trust had “implemented a robust action plan” following the inspection. The CQC did not issue a rating. The trust’s overall rating for wards for people with a learning disability remains as “good”, and its overall rating remains “outstanding”.

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Source: HSJ, 8 July 2022

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NHS hospital buildings risky and need repair, say trust bosses

Some hospital leaders in England say they are "living with risk" every day, with buildings in urgent need of repair.

According to NHS trust bosses, delays to funding allocations have stalled vital upgrade projects.

Structural safety concerns caused the critical care unit at one trust to be temporarily closed and planned operations were stopped.

The government said it was working closely with trusts on building plans.

One trust has installed props and steel beams in the maternity unit, making life very difficult for staff and mothers, according to hospital managers.

The hospital leaders said the current political situation - with the government looking for a new leader - complicates matters.

"This kind of political paralysis and instability is deeply unhelpful for the NHS when we've got a whole range of critical decisions that need to be made not only in capital investments but also NHS pay," said NHS Providers chief executive Saffron Corder.

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Source: BBC News, 8 July 2022

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‘Innovation put over safety’ at world-famous hospital

A world-famous hospital has a culture where some staff may put research interests above patient safety, according to an external investigation.

A report published yesterday cited some employees at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children Foundation Trust as saying “they feel that the hospital sometimes put too much emphasis on pushing the boundaries of science” and “are concerned [this] may lead to a culture where some prioritise innovation over safety in their practice”.

The trust’s medical director Sanjiv Sharma commissioned the report into the effectiveness of its safety procedures, from consultancy Verita, in 2020, after families of several patients who died at the hospital raised concerns in the media about how it responded to safety incidents.

The report said: “We believe that it is sometimes culturally difficult within Great Ormond Street to accept that things can go wrong and to respond appropriately. We were told that some see the organisation as ‘bullet-proof’ in the face of criticism."

“There is also a view outside the trust that some clinicians at Great Ormond Street can find it difficult to accept that something had gone wrong. Some believe that this reflex is deeply ingrained. This is potentially indicative of a culture of defensiveness. Acknowledging this trait is the first step on the road to changing it.”

Dr Sharma said in a statement yesterday that GOSH had already taken steps to improve its culture and systems, appointing patient safety educators and patient safety leads in each directorate.

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Source: HSJ, 7 July 2022

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Cancer spending threatened if NHS staff given 3% pay rise without extra funds

The NHS will have to cut investment in cancer care if ministers award frontline staff a pay rise above 3% but refuse to provide extra money to cover it, health service bosses have warned.

The NHS England chief executive, Amanda Pritchard, and Julian Kelly, its chief financial officer, made clear their belief that soaring inflation means the service’s 1.3 million staff deserve a pay award of more than the 3% the government has already given the organisation funding to cover.

But they warned that any increase above that would force it to cut services, including primary care and the planned new nationwide network of centres intended to diagnose killer diseases early – unless the Treasury covers the cost of the higher amount.

If ministers do award staff more, then the 3% originally planned “we would then be looking at having to … cut back on investment in our major areas, when our major areas are primary care, cancer care, or indeed at the margin … some big capital investments. In fact we were just talking about the diagnostic centres [intended to spot cancer and other illnesses sooner]", said Kelly.

“[A] pay settlement higher than 3% and no extra money would entail some really difficult decisions.” It is “not realistic” to expect the NHS to absorb any extra costs, he added.

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Source: The Guardian, 7 July 2022

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Kettering hospital boss says site is not fit for care

The chief executive of a hospital has said the building is not in a condition "we should expect any of our nearest and dearest to receive care" in.

Kettering General Hospital chief executive Simon Weldon described the site as "a big hotchpotch of things, some things that are new, about 10 years old, to things that are 100 years old, and everything in between".

He added: "Those are not conditions a modern hospital should be proud of, those are not conditions we should ask any staff to work in, they are not the conditions we should expect any of our nearest and dearest to receive care."

The initial £46m the hospital was award in 2019 was to replace the temporary "power plant". 

Mr Weldon said he would submit a business case to get money "to fix the vital infrastructure work that will keep this site safe". But he said the hospital really needed to be rebuilt, and that "fixing the hospital would be bad value for taxpayers".

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Source: BBC News, 7 July 2022

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Calls grow for government to order Covid drug to boost protection for vulnerable

The UK must urgently procure stocks of a drug that can boost vulnerable people’s protection against Covid, experts have urged in a letter to The Times.

Evusheld, made by AstraZeneca, was licensed by the UK regulator the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency in March.

Some people with immune system problems, such as blood cancer patients or organ transplant patients do not get sufficient protection from vaccinations and many are continuing to shield.

Campaigners believe that offering Evusheld to those people could allow them to resume normal life.

Evusheld is being used in countries including the United States and Israel but the UK government has yet to ask AstraZeneca for supplies.

In a letter published in The Times, Gemma Peters, chief executive of Blood Cancer UK, and Lord Mendelsohn, co-chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Vulnerable Groups to Pandemics, say that this represents a failure of a promise made at the start of the pandemic that the government would “do everything in its power to protect the vulnerable”.

They write: “People who are immunocompromised are still dying from Covid at much higher rates than the rest of the population. They cannot afford to wait. They deserve better.”

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Source: The Times, 6 July 2022

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Steve Barclay: What will new health secretary tackle first?

Steve Barclay has been named as the new health secretary following the resignation of Sajid Javid, who stepped down after saying he had lost faith in Boris Johnson's leadership.

He starts as secretary of state at a time when the NHS and social care in England are under serious pressure.

Amanda Pritchard, the head of NHS England, has warned that the next two years could be even tougher for the health service than the two years since the start of the pandemic.

NHS Providers, which represents hospitals and other NHS trusts, described the problems Mr Barclay faces on his first day in the job as "big and pressing".

At the very top of that list is a record backlog for planned operations.

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Source: BBC News, 6 July 2022

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Police role ‘blurred’ with healthcare staff, reviews find

The controversial ‘SIM’ mental healthcare model sometimes ‘blurred’ the role of police with healthcare staff, according to results of local reviews seen by HSJ.

Following a whirlwind of concerns last summer, national clinical director Professor Tim Kendall wrote to mental health trust medical directors urging them to review use of the controversial Serenity Integrated Mentoring (SIM) programme.

Pressure to investigate the model, which has been used by at least 22 NHS trusts in recent years, came from patient groups and clinicians alike. 

One year on and results of local reviews, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, have revealed a varying picture of SIM’s use across English mental health trusts.

Professor Kendall’s letters, seen by HSJ, asked trusts to investigate five key areas of concern. These included: a lack of patient reported outcomes; adherence to National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines on self-harm and personality disorders; the principle of police involvement in case management; the legal basis for sharing patient records; and human rights/equalities implications.

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Source: HSJ, 7 July 2022

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Trust stands down service which achieved ‘marked improvement’ in A&E handover delays

An acute trust has had to stand down a new service which led to a ‘marked improvement’ in ambulance handover times, due to a lack of permanent funding to support it.

In recent months, York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust has deployed additional staff to receive and care for patients arriving by ambulance, meaning ambulance crews could be released more quickly.

A report to the trust board last month said of the scheme: “Data shows a marked improvement in ambulance release times when deployed.”

However, it would cost £1m per year to fully implement the service and the report said commissioners had confirmed there is “no external funding to support this cost”.

There have been mounting concerns in recent months over the handover delays experienced by paramedics when taking patients to hospital, which have severely affected their response times for new incidents.

In a statement, the trust said it was discussing with system partners how the service, which was introduced on a “short-term basis”, could be supported in future. It was delivered by independent ambulance and healthcare provider CIPHER Medical and used at peak times such as bank holiday weekends.

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Source: HSJ, 6 July 2022

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Baby died two days after birth despite mum begging doctors to assess her

A two-day old baby died just days after his mother begged doctors to assess her ahead of a c-section despite her pregnancy being deemed high risk. Davi Heer-Do Naschimento was born via emergency caesarean section during the early hours of 29 September 2021, after doctors at Royal London Hospital failed to communicate crucial details during handover meetings.

An inquest at Poplar Coroners Court heard that his parents, Ruth Heer and Tiago Do Naschimento, had asked numerous times for assistance and were not seen by the obstetrics team the day before her planned caesarean. Tragically, after becoming "feverish" during the night, she was rushed into theatre with Devi sadly dying two days later.

Speaking on behalf of the family, Francesca Kohler said that there had been “multiple occasions” throughout the day when Ms Heer and her partner had called for assistance and had raised concerns, but were not attended. She had also not been seen by the obstetrics team and had not been spoken to about the upcoming caesarean section.

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Source: My London, 4 July 2022

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New health secretary named

Sajid Javid has resigned and been replaced by Steve Barclay as health and social care secretary. 

Mr Barclay, previously chief of staff to the prime minister, was reported as having been given the role on Tuesday evening.

Mr Barclay said: “It is an honour to take up the position of Health and Social Care Secretary. Our NHS and social care staff have showed us time and again - throughout the pandemic and beyond - what it means to work with compassion and dedication to transform lives.  This government is investing more than ever before in our NHS and care services to beat the Covid backlogs, recruit 50,000 more nurses, reform social care and ensure patients across the country can access the care they need.” 

Mr Barclay’s appointment came hours after Mr Javid — health secretary since June last year — announced his resignation, saying in a letter to Boris Johnson that he “can no longer, in good conscience, continue serving in this government” and that Mr Johnson has lost his confidence.

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Source: HSJ, 6 July 2022

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NHSE sets trusts ‘100-day challenge’ to reduce delayed discharges

NHS England has set trusts and systems a ‘100-day challenge’ to discharge more patients from hospital and free up beds before winter.

David Sloman, chief operating officer of NHSE, has asked leaders of integrated care boards, acute and community trusts in a letter sent last week to adopt 10 “best practice initiatives” which he said “can make a significant difference in facilitating discharge and improving care for patients”.

Trusts and systems have been given until 30 September to have a “full understanding” of the initiatives (listed below) and “infrastructure in place” to implement them.

The initiatives include setting expected dates of discharge for patients within 48 hours of admission, “apply seven-day working” to discharge more patients at weekends, treat delayed discharge as “a potential harm event” and to manage workforces in community and social care services “to better match predicted patterns in demand”.

Sir David has told regional and local leaders that a dedicated national NHSE team will set up “launch meetings” in each system, which will ensure there is “a focus on improving processes and performance around discharge”.

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Source: HSJ, 5 July 2022

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Oldham doctor jailed for killing patient in botched procedure

A doctor who killed a mother-of-three when he botched a procedure during a routine appointment has been jailed.

Dr Isyaka Mamman, now thought to be 85, admitted gross negligence manslaughter over the death of Shahida Parveen, 48, at the Royal Oldham Hospital in 2018.

He used the wrong needle and inserted it in the wrong place, piercing the sac holding Mrs Parveen's heart.

Mrs Justice Yip at Manchester Crown Court said Mrs Parveen's death was his fault and sentenced him to three years.

She also criticised the NHS trust, pointing to the fact that Mamman had both lied about his age and had been involved in two critical incidents similar to that which led to Mrs Parveen's death.

The court heard Mrs Parveen attended Royal Oldham Hospital on 3 September, 2018, to give a bone marrow sample.

This is usually taken from the hip bone but, after failing in his first attempt, Mamman tried to instead take it from her sternum.

This was a "highly dangerous" procedure, the court was told, and one which had led to another of Mamman's patients being permanently disabled three years earlier.

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Source: BBC News, 5 July 2022

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Doctors to overhaul car wreck rescue techniques amid new evidence

There are plans for a major overhaul of how people are rescued from car wrecks amid growing evidence that current methods where people wait to be cut free may be harmful.

Last year there were 127,967 casualties and 1,560 deaths in England caused by motor vehicle collisions. During the same period, more than 7,000 patients needed to helped out of the vehicle through a process known as extrication, where rescue crews use “Jaws of Life” and other tools to pry apart the wreckage, and then carefully lift people out.

“Since at least the 1980s, firefighters have been trained with movement minimisation as the absolute paradigm,” said Dr Tim Nutbeam, an NHS emergency medicine consultant, and medical lead for the Devon air ambulance. “They’ve been told that one millimetre of movement could turn someone into a wheelchair user, so will often disassemble the car around the patient, to avoid movement of the neck.”

Yet, doing so takes time – 30 minutes on average – and if that person has another serious injury, such as a head, chest, or abdominal injury, every minute counts.

Nutbeam began researching the issue and discovered that trapped patients were almost twice as likely to die as those who were rapidly freed from the wreckage. Further, that the prevalence of spinal injuries among such patients was, in fact, extremely low – just 0.7% – and in around half of these cases, they had other serious injuries needing urgent medical attention.

“Our absolute focus on movement minimisation works for maybe 0.3% of patients, but it extends the entrapment time for 99.7% of them,” Nutbeam said. “Potentially hundreds of people in this country have died as a result of extended entrapment times, and if you multiply that worldwide, it’s many, many people.”

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Source: The Guardian, 6 July 2022

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Woman kept in police cell for 36 hours after stillbirth due to suspicions she had ‘illegal abortion’

A woman was kept in police custody for 36 hours after having a stillbirth because of suspicions she had an abortion after the legal cut-off point, it has been claimed.

UK abortion providers, who supported the woman, denied she had flouted the legal deadline and warned the treatment she endured “should be unthinkable in a civilised society”, with “no conceivable” public interest in holding her.

They added that the woman has been under investigation for a year and a half, but still not charged with any crime.

Jonathan Lord, medical director of MSI Reproductive Choices, one of the UK’s leading abortion providers, told The Independent the woman unexpectedly delivered a stillborn foetus at home that was about 24 weeks old.

Dr Lord, the co-chair of the British Society of Abortion Care Providers, who shared the woman’s story with The Independent, said: “She was shocked to give birth due to not knowing how far along pregnant she was. She was admitted to hospital.

“Because healthcare colleagues were suspicious, and knew she had been in touch with us, an abortion provider, as she told them, they suspected her of having an illegal abortion and called the police. But she wasn’t over the limit for a legal abortion.

Dr Lord said the experience of having an “extraordinarily unexpected” stillbirth before being taken into police custody during lockdown was “traumatic” and “distressing” for the woman.

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Source: The Independent, 5 July 2022

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NHS to test using drones to fly chemotherapy drugs to Isle of Wight

The NHS plans to use drones to fly chemotherapy drugs to cancer patients in England to avoid the need for long journeys to collect them.

The devices will transport doses from Portsmouth to the Isle of Wight in a trial that, if successful, will lead to drones being used for similar drops elsewhere.

They will take 30 minutes to travel acrss the Solent, which will save patients on the island a three to four-hour round trip by ferry or hovercraft.

On Tuesday, Amanda Pritchard, NHS England’s chief executive, unveiled the move to help mark the 74th anniversary of the health service’s creation by the postwar Labour government.

“Delivering chemo by drone is another extraordinary development for cancer patients and shows how the NHS will stop at nothing to ensure people get the treatment they need as promptly as possible, while also cutting costs and carbon emissions,” she said.

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Source: The Guardian, 5 July 2022

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JCVI chief calls for mandatory masks in hospitals amid Covid surge

It would be “sensible” for hospitals to reintroduce mandatory mask-wearing, the chair of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has said, as several trusts in England and Wales announced the move.

When NHS rules on wearing masks in England were dropped on 10 June, local health bodies were given the power to draft their own policies. Their guidance, however, is no longer legally enforceable.

Figures from NHS England show there were about 10,658 patients hospitalised with coronavirus on Monday. Infections have doubled in a fortnight across England – with about 1,000 patients being admitted with the virus each day.

Prof Andrew Pollard, who is also the director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, which developed the AstraZeneca jab, said there were an “extraordinary” number of cases at the moment. “I certainly know more people now who have had Covid than at any time in the past,” he told the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

“Because there’s so much in the community, anything we can do in our hospitals to reduce the potential outbreaks make sense and so the mandatory mask wearing in hospitals is very sensible policy,” he added.

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Source: The Guardian, 5 July 2022

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