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Patient Safety Learning launches Oscar, the friendly health chatbot

We’re living in an unprecedented time and facing new challenges. We’re asking questions we’ve never had to ask before – questions that differ according to our unique circumstances, concerns and needs.

With an increasingly complex health and social care system, Patient Safety Learning wants to continue working towards a future that is safe for both patients and staff.

It’s for this reason that we’ve launched Oscar, the friendly health chatbot. Available on the hub, Oscar answers the public’s question about their safety – or that of their family members and friends – during the coronavirus pandemic.

Oscar is not a diagnostic tool. We at Patient Safety Learning are not medical experts ourselves, but we want to connect patients to the best guidance currently in the public domain. This is what Oscar seeks to do, in pointing visitors to helpful and trustworthy answers, relevant to their specific situations.

Whether you’re a well adult seeking general information about how to stay safe from coronavirus, a concerned woman about to give birth and wanting to know your options, or a carer looking for advice, Oscar is here to help you find the answers you need. In time, as we see how the public uses Oscar – and especially as we hear your feedback – we plan to build on the range of information Oscar currently offers. 

Like everything else on the hub, Oscar is free to use.

Please do send us any feedback, including information you’d like Oscar to provide, by emailing [email protected]

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Patient Safety Learning joins the National Voices coalition

Press release: 23 November 2021

We are pleased to announce that Patient Safety Learning is now a member of National Voices, the leading coalition of health and social care charities in England. Members of National Voices work together to strengthen the voice of patients, service users, carers, their families and the voluntary organisations that work for them.

Commenting on today’s announcement, Patient Safety Learning’s Chief Executive Helen Hughes said:

“We are delighted to have joined National Voices. To reduce avoidable harm in health and social care we all need to work in partnership to identify patient safety concerns, highlight where changes are needed and share good practice, to help deliver the systemic change required to create a patient-safe future. We look forward to working closely with partners in National Voices going forward to help improve patient safety.”

Notes to editors:

  1. Patient Safety Learning is a charity and independent voice for improving patient safety. We harness the knowledge, insights, enthusiasm and commitment of health and social care organisations, professionals and patients for system-wide change and the reduction of avoidable harm.
  2. National Voices is the leading coalition of health and social care charities in England. We have more than 180 members covering a diverse range of health conditions and communities, connecting us with the experiences of millions of people. We work together to strengthen the voice of patients, service users, carers, their families and the voluntary organisations that work for them.
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Patient Safety Learning calls for urgent action to ensure Long COVID patients are heard and supported

PRESS RELEASE

 (London, UK, 6 July 2020) – Thousands of ‘Long COVID’ patients are feeling unheard and unsupported. The charity Patient Safety Learning is giving these patients a voice to ensure urgent action is taken by leaders in health and social care.

 Helen Hughes, Chief Executive of Patient Safety Learning, said: “There is growing evidence that there are many patients recovering in the community with long-lasting symptoms who are feeling abandoned, confused and without support. We must take action to better understand the needs of these patients and provide them with safe and effective care.”

 Although Patient Safety Learning welcomes the recent government announcement of an online patient recovery portal and treatment plans, questions remain around whether this will meet the specific health needs of Long COVID patients. “These patients have felt unheard for too long; we must make sure they do not slip through the net,” adds Hughes.

 Long COVID patients are those with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 who continue to struggle with prolonged, debilitating and sometimes severe symptoms months later*.

 It is crucial that Long COVID patients are heard and supported, and that research is undertaken to better understand Long COVID and its long-term effects on physical and mental health. 

 Long COVID patient Barbara Melville told Patient Safety Learning, “the worst part is that I’ve had to fight so hard to get the referrals I need” and another, Dr Jake Suett, said that, after joining the ‘Long Covid Support Group’ on Facebook, he “was suddenly faced with the realisation that there were thousands of us in the same position” and that it confronted him “with the tremendous volume of genuine human suffering that was going unrecorded and unnoticed”.

 Patient Safety Learning is calling for leaders in health and social care to act urgently by funding research into Long COVID and ensuring that patients are given a platform to raise concerns and receive appropriate support.

 The charity has identified the current key issues as being:

 There is a lack of guidance and support for Long COVID patients who have been managing their illness and recovery from home (to date, much of the guidance has been designed specifically for patients who have been acutely unwell and in hospital).

  • There is a lack of understanding around the effects of Long COVID on patients’ mental health and wellbeing.
  • There is a risk that symptoms of other serious conditions are being overlooked for individuals with Long COVID and, instead, are being attributed simply as after-effects of COVID-19.

 Patient Safety Learning’s proposed actions to address the safety issues concerning Long COVID care can be found on our website.

Notes to editors:

*The symptoms for those with Long COVID vary greatly but many are experiencing rashes, shortness of breath, neurological and gastrointestinal problems, abnormal temperatures, cardiac symptoms and extreme fatigue.

  1. Patient Safety Learning is a charity, which helps transform safety in health and social care, creating a world where patients are free from harm. We identify the critical factors that affect patient safety and analyse the systemic reasons they fail. We use what we learn to envision safer care. We recommend how to get there. Then we act to help make it happen. For more information: www.patientsafetylearning.org 
  2. Patient Safety Learning’s blog published today on patient safety concerns for Long COVID patients outlining these issues in more detail can be found here. 
  3. A blog by Dr Jake Suett published today in which he outlines his experience of suspect Long COVID calls needed can be found here. 
  4. An open letter from Dr Jake Suett to MPs to make clear the needs of this group can be found here.
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Patient Safety Learning calls for the NHS to publish details of post-COVID clinics

PSL-logo-for-web.png.1127867a65f62c33e7b9acb24862c578.pngPRESS RELEASE

(London, UK, 11 September) – The charity Patient Safety Learning are calling on the NHS to publish details of post-COVID support clinics and clarify how these can be accessed by thousands of ‘Long COVID’ patients.

Patient Safety Learning has written to Sir Simon Stevens, Chief Executive of the NHS, calling on him to take steps to publicise the locations and details of these services. This follows Matt Hancock MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, expressing concerns in the Health and Social Care Select Committee on Tuesday that not all GPs know how to access these services.

Helen Hughes, Chief Executive of Patient Safety Learning, said: “We have heard from many Long COVID patients that they are not clear on the location of these clinics, what services they offer and who is eligible for support. Some patients have been advised by their GP that there are no post-COVID clinics available within their area. Though the NHS launched the ‘Your COVID Recovery’ online portal for patients recovering from COVID, there is no clear indication of how the clinics fit into this and how patients can access the support they need.”

Long COVID patients are those with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 who continue to struggle with prolonged, debilitating and sometimes severe symptoms months later. In their letter, the charity has identified a series of steps needed to provide greater clarity for these patients, including:

  • Publishing a list of all existing post-COVID clinics and contact details.
  • Confirming whether these clinics are accessed by referral from your GP or self-referral. If by GP referral, publish the guidance issued to GPs on this process.
  • Confirming who is eligible for these services, whether they are restricted to those hospitalised by COVID-19 or open to those who are managing their symptoms at home.
  • Confirm what services are available from these clinics. Specifically, whether they can help patients access clinical investigations, as well as treatment and rehabilitation.
  • Clarify whether these services are available to all patients or only those who have had a confirmed positive test for COVID-19.

Notes to editors:

  1. Patient Safety Learning is a charity, which helps transform safety in health and social care, creating a world where patients are free from harm. We identify the critical factors that affect patient safety and analyse the systemic reasons they fail. We use what we learn to envision safer care. We recommend how to get there. Then we act to help make it happen. For more information: www.patientsafetylearning.org
  2. In the Health and Social Care Select Committee on Tuesday 8 September 2020, Matt Hancock commented that “The NHS set up Long COVID clinics and announced them in July. I am concerned by reports this morning from the Royal College of GPs that not all GPs know how to ensure that people can get into those services. That is something I will take up with the NHS and that I am sure we will be able to resolve.” The full transcript can be found here.
  3. Patient Safety Learning’s full letter to Sir Simon Stevens can be found here.
  4. Patient Safety Learning have previously set out patient safety concerns for Long COVID patients, outlining these issues in more detail. Read more here.

 

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Patient Safety Learning Awards 2019 now open

The Patient Safety Learning Awards 2019 are here!

The Patient Safety Learning Awards publicly acknowledge and celebrate important work in patient safety, while sharing learning and successes to improve patient safety. This year, our Awards are inspired by our latest report, A Blueprint for Action. A Blueprint for Action sets out actions needed to progress towards a patient-safe future. These address six foundations of safer care for patients - one of these foundations is shared learning.

The Awards this year have six different categories, based on our foundations for safer care:

  • shared learning for patient safety
  • leadership for patient safety
  • professionalising patient safety
  • patient engagement for patient safety
  • data and insight for patient safety
  • patient safety culture.

A seventh award, the Patient Safety Learning Award, will be made to the individual, team or organisation who our judges believe has gone above and beyond. Each winning entry will receive a cash prize to enable them to visit another team or organisation to learn more about patient safety. As well as this prize, winners will receive two complimentary tickets to our annual conference, awards and drinks reception, held in London on 2 October 2019.

Enter now

The deadline for entries is midnight on Friday 30 August.

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Patient Safety Learning appoints new Director and Associate Director

We are delighted to announce that we have appointed to two new roles at Patient Safety Learning, following a recent recruitment process.

Clare Wade, currently Assistant Director at the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, will take up the new role of Director, reporting to our Chief Executive. She will support the development and delivery of our organisational strategy and take a leading role in the development of our ‘how to’ resources, products and services. She will join the charity at the end of November.

Claire Cox, currently Patient Safety Lead at Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, will take up the new role of Associate Director, reporting to our Director. Claire currently holds a voluntary role with the charity, chairing the Patient Safety Management Network, that she also co-founded. In this new role she will help to coordinate and support the development of our patient safety networks and develop and deliver our ‘how to’ resources, products and services. She will join the charity at the beginning of January on a part-time basis, while continuing in her role with Kings College Hospital.

Commenting on these appointments, our Chief Executive Helen Hughes said:

“I am delighted we can appoint Clare and Claire to these newly created leadership roles. They will both play a vital role in the growth of the charity and help us to make the case that patient safety should be a core purpose of health and care.”

On being appointed, Clare Wade said:

“I am excited to join the Patient Safety Learning team driving forward important initiatives to support patient safety improvements across the healthcare landscape.”

On being appointed, Claire Cox said:

“I am very happy to be joining Patient Safety Learning in this role, and looking forward to further developing the growing number of informal peer support networks for people involved in patient safety hosted on the hub.”

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Patient safety issues with VA Cerner EHR caused harm to veterans, federal watchdog says

A new patient medical records system at a Spokane Veterans Affairs hospital in the US has caused nearly 150 cases of patient harm, according to a federal watchdog agency.

An inspection by the VA Office of the Inspector General (OIG) found that a new Cerner electronic health record (EHR) system, now owned by Oracle, failed to deliver more than 11,000 orders for specialty care, lab work and other services at Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center, the first VA facility to roll out the new technology.

The OIG review found that the new EHR sent thousands of orders for medical care to an undetectable location, or unknown queue, instead of the intended care or service location, effectively causing the orders to disappear without letting clinicians know they weren't delivered.

The intent of the unknown queue is to capture orders entered by providers that the new EHR cannot deliver to the intended location because the orders were not recognized as a “match” by the system, according to the VA watchdog.

From facility go-live in October 2020 through June 2021, the new EHR failed to deliver more than 11,000 orders for requested clinical services.

Those lost orders, often called referrals, resulted in delayed care and what a VA patient safety team classified as dozens of cases of "moderate harm" and one case of "major harm."

The clinical reviewers conducted 1,286 facility event assessments and identified and classified 149 adverse events for patients.

Read full story

Source: Fierce Healthcare, 20 July 2022

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Patient safety is not a ‘priority’ for NHSE claims watchdog chief

The outgoing chief investigator of the national safety watchdog has described his frustration with the organisation’s ‘ambivalent’ relationship with NHS England.

Keith Conradi, who is due to retire from the Health Safety Investigation Branch in July, said he did not think he had “ever really spoken to any of the hierarchy in NHS England”. He added “their priorities are elsewhere”.

In an interview with health commentator Roy Lilley for the Institute for Health and Social Care Management, Mr Conradi also described HSIB’s relationship with NHSE as “ambivalent”.

“It wobbled along that sort of line and got worse as time has gone on,” he said. “At the very start I had a chat with the permanent secretary of the Department of Health and said we would be better off in the department than NHS England. He disagreed and felt that we’d be too close to [then health secretary] Jeremy Hunt, and particularly at that time that would have a negative effect.”

Mr Conradi was also critical of the decision to ask HSIB to take on investigations into maternity care early in its life. He said he was “shocked” that it happened so quickly “when we hadn’t really got going”.

He continued: “We hadn’t developed a method of doing normal national investigations and suddenly we were being asked to do maternity ones. There was a huge amount of pressure to do this.”

Read full story (paywalled)

Source: HSJ, 28 June 2022

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Patient safety incidents are the third leading cause of death in Canada

The COVID-19 crisis has both divided and galvanised Canadians on healthcare. While the last three years have presented new challenges to healthcare systems across the country, the pandemic has also exacerbated existing challenges, most notably the high levels of errors and mistreatment documented in Canadian health care.

According to a 2019 report from the Canadian Patient Safety Institute, Canada was already facing a public health crisis prior to the pandemic: a crisis of patient safety. As the report details, patient safety incidents are the third leading cause of death in Canada, following cancer and heart disease.

Few studies calculate national data on this topic, but a 2013 report found that patient safety events resulted in just under 28,000 deaths. Many Canadians who have experienced these errors have shared their experiences with media in an effort to raise awareness and demand change.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has created a moment of dual crises. First, the pre-existing crisis of patient safety, and second, healthcare overall is now at a breaking point after three years of COVID-19, according to healthcare workers.

Edmonton physician Dr. Darren Markland, for example, recently closed his kidney specialist practice after making a few "profound mistakes." In an interview with Global News, he explains he could no longer work at the current pace.

He is not alone in this decision. Across the country, there have been waves of resignations in health care, leaving some areas struggling with a system that is "degrading, increasingly unsafe, and often without dignity."

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Source: MedicalXpress, 17 June 2022

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Patient safety goals at 8 US News Honor Roll hospitals

The top hospitals in the US are focused on utilising technology to identify safety risks early and fostering a culture where patient safety is a shared responsibility. 

Among more than 4,000 US hospitals evaluated on patient safety and outcomes measures, US News & World Report named 20 hospitals on its Honor Roll. Measures include risk-adjusted mortality rates, preventable complications and level of nursing care. 

Quality and safety leaders at eight of US News & World Report’s 2025-26 Best Hospitals said their priorities for the rest of the year include expanding the use of predictive analytics, AI-powered monitoring and digital engagement tools to prevent harm, while strengthening team communication and psychological safety. 

Paul Casey, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Rush University System for Health (Chicago), said "We remain dedicated to reducing any potential of adverse events for our patients throughout the health system. We believe this is best accomplished by keeping patients engaged in their care throughout their care journey. So in addition to our regular team-based rounding, we are focused on digital engagement with our patients throughout their care journey. This includes a newly developed myRush app and broader Rush Connect digital experience. We also see AI as a key tool to surface insights for our teams to ensure we continue to provide the highest quality care for Rush patients."

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Source: Becker's Hospital Review, 11 August 2025

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Patient safety fears could stop nurses joining further coordinated walkouts

Nurses could refuse to carry out any further strikes alongside other health workers because of fears over patient safety, The Independent has learnt.

A mass walkout billed as the largest strike in NHS history is due to take place on Monday as tens of thousands of nurses, paramedics and 999 call handlers walk out in a bid to force ministers to the negotiating table.

But the coordinated strikes could be a one-off if nurses feel that the decision to take part in direct action compromises patient safety, The Independent has been told.

One union source said walkouts are not carried out on a “come what may” basis, and that the unions would have to assess whether striking together was “helpful” or not.

Unions have been escalating their industrial action in recent weeks in an attempt to secure higher pay rises. Any de-escalation in tactics will be seen as a blow to their campaign and a boost to Rishi Sunak’s hopes of riding out the wave of protests.

With patient safety the priority, sources insisted there are strong local controls that will pull nurses from picket lines if they think there is an issue.

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Source: The Independent, 5 February 2023

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Patient safety fears as new research reveals fifth of GP appointments five minutes or less

Patients who feel fortunate to get a doctor's appointment then find they are in and out of the GP surgery in less than five minutes.

A fifth of the consultations in England last year were done within that time.

Dennis Reed, of the Silver Voices campaign group for over-60s, said: "It is hard enough to get a face-to-face appointment with a GP these days, without being shown the door before you have had a chance to take your coat off.

"The public wants the family doctor back, who knows your family history and has the time to chat about your general health and wellbeing.

"A revolving door policy, with the patient exiting after a couple of minutes clutching a prescription, is not the way to run a primary care service."

Research from the House of Commons Library, commissioned by the Lib Dems, found 22% of GP appointments between January to October 2023 lasted five minutes or less.

Lib Dem MP Wera Hobhouse said: "Seeing a GP is the most vital contact for people to address their health concerns, seek help and start treatment.

"Not having quick and easy access to a GP and not having sufficient time for patients during an appointment leads to huge problems later on, let alone the anxiety and additional pain people suffer because of delays."

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Source: The Express, 31 December 2023

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Patient safety concerns over 'toxic culture' hospital probe

An NHS England investigation into claims of a toxic culture at a hospital trust has been described as lacking transparency and undermining trust.

The Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsman also said there were "very serious" patient safety issues at University Hospitals Birmingham (UHB).

Criticism is contained in letters seen by the BBC between the ombudsman, the trust and NHS England.

The inquiries, commissioned by the Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board and the local NHS, were begun in response to an investigation by BBC Newsnight and BBC West Midlands which heard from current and former clinicians from the trust, who accused it of being "mafia-like".

One of England's biggest hospital trusts, UHB has been in the spotlight for months after three probes were started following allegations doctors there were threatened for raising safety concerns.

The trust denies this and says its "first priority is patient safety".

The ombudsman, however, said he was sceptical about the reviews' transparency and independence.

His finding of "very serious" patient safety issues at UHB is based on the trust's response to the ombudsman's recommendations and findings, including a case of an avoidable patient death.

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Source; BBC News, 14 March 2023

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Patient safety concerns must be raised and acted on, GMC warns as it launches review of key guidance

Doctors, physician associates (PAs) and anaesthesia associates (AAs) must speak up if they spot patient safety concerns, and healthcare leaders must act when issues are raised with them, the General Medical Council (GMC) says as it launches a review of key guidance.

The GMC is seeking views on two pieces of its guidance, Raising and acting on concerns about patient safety and Leadership and management. Both pieces of guidance play crucial roles in setting positive workplace culture standards that prioritise patient safety. They make clear the regulator’s expectations on when and how concerns should be raised, as well as how those in management positions should respond.

The regulator is ensuring the guidance reflects developments across the UK’s healthcare systems, and wider social changes, while remaining clear, relevant and helpful. It will be the first significant updates since they were published in 2012.

Earlier this year results from the GMC’s annual national training survey revealed that more than one in five trainee doctors were hesitant about escalating concerns about patient care, and GMC Chief Executive Charlie Massey warned, in a speech in September, that maternity services were at risk from harmful cultures that put ‘cover-up over candour’ and ‘obfuscation over honesty’.

Professor Pushpinder Mangat, Medical Director and Director of Education and Standards at the GMC, said:

"Our guidance is there to provide support and confidence, as well as practical help, for people to speak up when necessary. But speaking up is no good in isolation. Leaders and managers have a duty to act when concerns are raised with them.

‘Whenever we update guidance, it is important we hear views from a range of respondents. Their voices and real-life experiences will be instrumental in ensuring our guidance is clear, relevant, and helpful, and reflects the needs of everyone it affects."

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Source: GMC, 3 November 2025

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Patient Safety Commissioner: 'We are heading straight back to Mid Staffs'

A seismic shift is needed in the way that patients’ and families’ voices are heard, with shared decision-making and patient partnership as the destination, says Patient Safety Commissioner, Dr Henrietta Hughes, on the day the Patient Safety Commissioner 100 Days Report is published.

In the report, Henrietta reflects on her first 100 days in this new role. She sets out what she has heard, what she has done and her priorities for the year ahead.

"Everyone... has a part to play in delivering safe care – know that you can make a difference by putting safety at the top of your agenda. Introduce patient voices into your governance – in your board meetings, commissioning and contracts meetings, design of strategies, policies and processes, team meeting agendas, annual objectives, appraisals, reviews of complaints and incidents, inspections, and reward and recognition.

"I want us to be able to look back in astonishment on the way that we operate now. This is the moment to set a new course with shared decision-making and patient partnership as our destination. Without listening and acting on patient voices, safety will continue to be compromised and patients and families will continue to suffer the consequences of harm."

Read full story (paywalled)

Source: HSJ, 2 February 2023

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Patient safety commissioner warns calls for changes are 'falling on deaf ears'

England's patient safety commissioner says her calls for changes following failings highlighted in three health scandals are "falling on deaf ears".

Dr Henrietta Hughes made the comments at a meeting in Westminster on Tuesday of MPs and campaigners of medical scandals.

It comes after Sir Brian Langstaff's highlighted a decades-long "subtle, pervasive, chilling" cover-up by successive governments and the NHS in the conclusion of his report on the infected blood scandal.

Like the victims of that scandal, those affected by epilepsy drug Valproate, as well as vaginal mesh implants, and the hormone pregnancy test Primodos, are also waiting on the government to implement a redress scheme. The three campaign groups have already had a combined review. In July 2020, the Cumberlege review found similar failings to the blood scandal: damaging products, poor regulatory decisions, and one government after another refusing to accept wrong had been done.

In February this year, the patient safety commissioner set out her "blueprint" of a redress scheme for victims.

However, Ms Hughes, who attended the First Do No Harm All Parliamentary group meeting, said on Tuesday: "I'm itching to get the changes that are needed, but I feel my words are falling on deaf ears."

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Source: Sky News, 21 May 2024

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Patient Safety Commissioner pushes government on valproate redress almost two years after report

In a statement made to The Pharmaceutical Journal, Henrietta Hughes has urged the government to provide a full response to recommendations made in her February 2024 report.

The Hughes Report, published in February 2024, called on the government to set up a two-stage redress scheme, including a possible £100,000 for each patient harmed as a result of valproate use, followed by a main scheme payout, based on the individual needs of each patient.

Hughes’ exclusive statement to The Pharmaceutical Journal follows a letter written by campaigners from the Independent Fetal Anti-Convulsant Trust and Fetal Anti-Convulsant Syndrome Association to the government calling for compensation and clarity.

The letter, addressed to Keir Starmer, UK prime minister, and Rachel Reeves, chancellor of the exchequer was written by Janet Williams and Emma Murphy, both of whom are mothers of children with foetal valproate syndrome.

Read full story.

Source: The Pharmaceutical Journal, 9 October 2025

Related reading

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Patient safety champion role unfilled a year on

The newly-created role of Scotland's Patient Safety Commissioner has not yet been filled, almost a year after a bill was passed creating the post, the BBC has learned.

Campaigners are frustrated by the lack of progress in appointing the independent watchdog with the power to hold healthcare providers to account and prevent future scandals.

The law to create the role was passed in September last year and interviews were held in April.

However, a spokesperson for the Scottish Parliament, which is handling the recruitment process, said a cross-party panel had decided not to nominate any of the candidates and their preference was to readvertise the post.

Henrietta Hughes was appointed as England's public safety commissioner two years ago.

Her role was created to look into the scandals surrounding the epilepsy drug sodium valproate, vaginal mesh implants and the pregnancy test Primodos.

Charlie Bethune has been campaigning for the recommendations of the Cumberledge report to be implemented in Scotland.

Mr Bethune, who founded the First Do No Harm group, said it was frustrating that Scotland had not yet appointed a safety commissioner.

"It's been four years since the Cumberledge report which recommended this role," he said.

"It should have been the easiest recommendation to fulfil so it doesn't give us much hope for any of the others getting done.

"Meanwhile my daughter continues to be affected from her exposure to valproate without any specialist support being available in Scotland."

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Source: BBC News, 5 August 2024

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Patient safety boost as medical associates to be regulated

Physician Associates (PAs) and Anaesthesia Associates (AAs) will soon be regulated by the General Medical Council (GMC), improving patient safety and supporting plans to expand medical associate roles in the NHS to relieve pressure on doctors and GPs. 

The government will lay legislation this week to allow the GMC to begin the process of regulating medical associates, who are medically trained healthcare professionals who work alongside doctors to care for patients.  

The GMC will set standards of practice, education and training, and operate fitness to practice procedures, ensuring that PAs and AAs have the same levels of regulatory oversight and accountability as doctors and other regulated healthcare professionals. The regulations will come into force at the end of 2024. 

Physician Associates and Anaesthesia Associates are already making a great contribution to the NHS, supporting doctors to provide faster high quality care for patients. 

This new legislation paves the way for these professionals to be held to the same strict standards as doctors, boosting patient safety. 

Regulation and growth of these roles will support plans to reduce pressure on frontline services and improve access for patients.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Victoria Atkins, said: 

"Physician Associates and Anaesthesia Associates are already making a great contribution to the NHS, supporting doctors to provide faster high quality care for patients. 

This new legislation paves the way for these professionals to be held to the same strict standards as doctors, boosting patient safety. 

This is part of our Long Term Workforce Plan to reform the NHS to ensure it has a workforce fit for the future."

Read Press release

Source: The Department of Health and Social Care and The Rt Hon Victoria Atkins MP, 11 December 2023

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Patient safety Bill announced in Queen's speech

A Bill to fully establish the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) as an arm’s-length body has been one of 26 proposed bills announced in the Queen’s speech at the State Opening of Parliament.

The Queen announced: “New laws will be taken forward to help implement the National Health Service’s long-term plan in England and to establish an independent body to investigate serious healthcare incidents.”

Keith Conradi, HSIB Chief Investigator, said: “This announcement marks the start of a significant change to our organisation that will result in us becoming an independent statutory body with significant legal powers.

The legislation will prohibit the disclosure of information held by the investigations body, except in limited circumstances. This will allow participants to be candid in the information they provide and ensure thorough investigations.

The Bill will also improve the quality and effectiveness of local investigations by developing standards and providing advice, guidance and training to organisations.

There will also be a pledge to update the Mental Health Act to reduce the number of detentions made under the act.

Read Queen's speech in full

Read HSIB's response

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Patient Safety Awareness Week

PatientSafetyAwarenessWeek_510px.jpg.7861b96af71ab93aad6623cc27221098.jpg

This week is Patient Safety Awareness Week, an annual recognition event intended to encourage everyone to learn more about healthcare safety. During this week, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) seeks to advance important discussions locally and globally, and inspire action to improve the safety of the health care system — for patients and the workforce.

Patient Safety Awareness Week serves as a dedicated time and platform for growing awareness about patient safety and recognising the work already being done.

Although there has been real progress made in patient safety over the past two decades, current estimates cite medical harm as a leading cause of death worldwide.

The World Health Organization estimates that 134 million adverse events occur each year due to unsafe care in hospitals in low- and middle-income countries, resulting in some 2.6 million deaths. Additionally, some 40 percent of patients experience harm in ambulatory and primary care settings with an estimated 80 percent of these harms being preventable, according to WHO.

Some studies suggest that as many as 400,000 deaths occur in the United States each year as a result of errors or preventable harm. Not every case of harm results in death, yet they can cause long-term impact on the patient's physical health, emotional health, financial well-being, or family relationships.

Preventing harm in healthcare settings is a public health concern. Everyone interacts with the health care system at some point in life. And everyone has a role to play in advancing safe healthcare.

Learn more about IHI's work to advance patient safety.

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Patient safety at risk in England unless nurse numbers increase, RCN warns

The shortage of nursing staff in England is putting patient safety at risk, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has warned, as it launched a new campaign to encourage the public to speak out about the impact of England’s 40,000 nurse shortage. 

The RCN’s campaign calls for legislation to be brought forward in England to help address the nursing workforce crisis. Earlier this year, nurses and support workers in Scotland secured new legislation on safe staffing levels, and a nurse staffing law was introduced in Wales in 2016.

The 2013 Francis Report on failings of care at Stafford Hospital concluded that the main factor responsible was a significant shortage of nurses at the hospital.  Nurse numbers at NHS acute Trusts across England then increased as managers took steps to try to prevent similar scandals in the future. But a new analysis by the RCN shows that for every one extra nurse NHS acute Trusts in England have managed to recruit in the five years since 2013/14, there were 157 extra admissions to hospital as emergencies or for planned treatment. 

Commenting on the campaign launch, Dame Donna Kinnair, RCN Chief Executive and General Secretary, said: “Today we’re issuing a stark warning that patient safety is being endangered by nursing shortages.  Staffing shortfalls are never simply numbers on a spreadsheet – they affect real patients in real communities."

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Source: Ekklesia, 22 September 2019

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Patient safety at risk in crumbling hospital Boris Johnson promised to replace

Patients, doctors and nurses are enduring constant ward closures and flooding in “dilapidated and unpleasant” buildings because a new hospital promised by the government has still not been delivered, one of its most senior medics has warned.

Patient safety could soon be at risk unless the replacement for St Helier Hospital, in south London, is finally confirmed by ministers, according to the outgoing chief medical officer of its NHS trust. Some of the buildings pre-date the NHS, while wards have been shut due to sinking foundations.

Writing in the Observer, Dr Ruth Charlton, the chief medical officer of Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust, warns:

“Right now, we are delivering safe care – but it’s not easy in such a dilapidated and unpleasant environment, and I fear we won’t be able to provide the level of care we’d like to – or should be – for much longer,” she writes. “Our patients and our staff deserve so much better than this current state – where wards are being shut down because the foundations are sinking, and floods and leaks are a certainty every winter.

“Every day we wait costs money, and each year we have to spend more and more on updating our old, rundown buildings – diverting scarce resources from the front line … there’s no other option. We must progress our plans to build our new hospital and make improvements to our existing sites.”

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Source: The Guardian, 13 May 2023

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Patient safety at risk as pharmacists replace GPs, doctors warn

Doctors are warning that patient safety is being put at risk as podiatrists and pharmacists replace GPs “on the cheap”.

Dozens of family doctors have contacted The Telegraph claiming that talk of a GP shortage is “a big lie” and that they are being replaced by less qualified, cheaper staff, in a “crisis”.

Documents seen by The Telegraph show staff including podiatrists, pharmacists and physician associates being used in lieu of GPs to diagnose and treat patients with conditions they are not trained in.

In the most extreme cases, poorly children with viral infections, asthma-related issues and concerns about menstruation have been seen and diagnosed by a podiatrist – a healthcare professional trained exclusively to care for feet.

It is not clear what happened to any of the patients afterwards, or if their parents were aware they had seen a podiatrist rather than a doctor.

One GP said it was “a matter of patient safety” and the notion of “everything being supervised” did not work at a GP practice like it does in hospitals.

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Source: The Telegraph, 4 November 2023

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Patient safety and the right of the sick to reject care from unvaccinated staff

The question of whether to impose a policy requiring mandatory vaccination for NHS staff has raised countless ethical and practical considerations, but with many healthcare workers still unvaccinated and the Government set for a U-turn over mandatory Covid jabs for NHS staff in England, has enough thought been given to the perspective of patients?

Various legal experts and health groups have argued that while doctors and nurses can reject the offer of vaccination, patients should also have the right to refuse treatment from a healthcare worker who is not jabbed, instead requesting that their care is placed in the hands of someone who is protected.

With the February deadline pushed back, could patients start to grow weary of staff who have not been vaccinated? Will they feel as though the chance for refuseniks to get jabbed has come and gone, and that it is therefore justified that they are stripped of their right to deliver treatment?

“Patients have a right to safe care, so it’s reasonable for patients to expect any health or social care professional caring for them to have had a Covid-19 vaccine,” says Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patients Association.

Most patients may not be overly concerned about the vaccination status of those caring for them, but in a world in which we’re expected to live alongside the threat posed by Covid, there are undoubtedly certain groups who will be more invested in these matters.

“A person who is ‘vulnerable’ by way of disability or chronic illness (eg immunocompromised) may well have an argument under the Equality Act that the NHS failing to provide vaccinated staff to them constitutes disability-based discrimination,” says one barrister who specialises in mental health capacity law.

After all, these individuals are most at risk from COVID-19 – and will be for years to come. Clinically vulnerable people who do find themselves in hospital for whatever reason will know that a Sars-CoV-2 infection could further exacerbate their condition, or endanger their lives.

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Source: The Independent, 30 January 2022

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