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Patient safety - will there be a big step forward?

The list is a dismal and shameful one - Mid-Staffordshire, Morecambe Bay, the rogue surgeon Ian Paterson, maternity care at the Shrewsbury and Telford.

All are patient safety scandals involving tragic stories of life-changing mistreatment of patients and, in some cases, the loss of loved ones.

Pledges have been made that patient safety will be put front and centre of health policy. New regulators have been put in place. But now yet another review has found the health system in England to be "disjointed, siloised and defensive" and that the culture needs a shake-up.

It has called for a new patient safety champion with legal powers to be put in place.

The plan is to have an individual with "real standing" outside and independent of the system, accountable to the parliamentary Health and Social Care Select Committee.

The Commissioner would be expected to take up and investigate patient complaints where appropriate, and hold organisations to account - the review had stated that the failure of health authorities to respond to concerns was a recurrent theme.

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Source: BBC News, 8 July 2020

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Patient restraint spikes as covid measures spark ‘frustration’

Several mental health trusts have reported spikes in incidents of physical restraint or seclusion on patients, driven by COVID-19 restrictions, HSJ has learned.

Concerns have been raised nationally about the potential for incidents to increase during the pandemic, due to temporary measures which have had to be introduced such as visiting restrictions and communication difficulties due to personal protective equipment.

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Source: HSJ, 5 June 2020

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Patient records can be shared across practices and with 111 after NHS relaxes rules

GPs will now be able to access records for patients registered at other practices during the coronavirus epidemic in a major relaxation of current rules.

The move will allow appointments to be shared across practices, and NHS 111 staff will also have access to records to let them book direct appointments for patients at any GP practice or specialist centre.

The change in policy has been initiated by NHS Digital and NHSX to enable swift and secure sharing of patient records across primary care during the covid-19 pandemic. It means that the GP Connect1 system, currently used by some practices to share records on a voluntary basis, will be switched on at all practices until the pandemic is over.

In addition, extra information including significant medical history, reason for medication, and immunisations will be added to patients’ summary care records and made available to a wider group of healthcare professionals. Usually, individuals must opt in but following the changes only people who have opted out will be excluded.

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Source: The BMJ, 27 April 2020

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Patient privacy fears as US spy tech firm Palantir wins £330m NHS contract

The NHS has sparked controversy by handing the US spy tech company Palantir a £330m contract to create a huge new data platform, leading to privacy concerns around patients’ medical details.

The move immediately prompted concerns about the security and privacy of patient medical records and the suitability of Palantir to be given access to and oversight of such sensitive material.

NHS England has given Palantir and four partners including Accenture a five-year contract to set up and operate the “federated data platform” (FDP).

The British Medical Association, which had previously voiced concern about the NHS’s alleged lack of scrutiny of bidders on “ethical” grounds, said Palantir’s winning bid was “deeply worrying”.

NHS England sought to allay such concerns. It stressed that none of the companies in the winning consortium would be able to access health and care data without its explicit consent; that it would retain control of all data within the platform; and that it would not include GP data.

It said the new software would be protected by the highest possible standards of security through the deployment of “privacy enhancing technology”.

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Source: The Guardian, 21 November 2023

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Patient locked in single room for more than four days after mental health crisis, investigation finds

Mental health patients in crisis are facing "inhumane" conditions due to legal ambiguities, an investigation has found.

The Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) revealed that A&E staff lack powers to prevent patients awaiting assessment or admission from leaving.

This forces doctors into a difficult choice, described by the HSSIB as selecting the "least harmful way to break the law".

One consultant psychiatrist highlighted the "dilemma is stark" of unlawfully holding someone, breaching human rights, or allowing them to go.

Inspectors from the health safety watchdog saw a patient who had been locked in a single room, with only a toilet, for more than four days.

“It was not safe for staff to be in the room with them and it was not safe for the door to be unlocked as the patient kept attempting to leave and was desperate to end their life,” a new interim HSSIB report said.

“Staff described that the patient was not receiving any therapeutic intervention and it felt ‘cruel’ and ‘inhumane’ for them to be waiting so long for a bed when they were so mentally unwell.”

Nichola Crust, senior safety investigator at HSSIB, said: “Unclear legal powers don’t just create operational complications for care.

“They can have a devastating impact on patients, leaving them exposed to uncertainty, emotional distress and an increased risk of harm at a time when being as safe as possible is paramount.

“Without clear legal frameworks, staff repeatedly told us that they are placed in an impossible position when trying to keep people safe.”

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Source: The Independent, 9 April 2026

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Patient left permanently blind after hospital failure

A patient was left with permanent sight loss after a hospital failed to spot the signs of a blood vessel blockage for several months. The person referred to only as Mr L, visited the emergency department at one of Wales' hospitals in January, 2018, but medics failed to consider the possibility he had suffered a watershed stroke.

Details of how it took nine months before Mr L was offered a scan to consider this diagnosis have been described in a report from the Public Service Ombudsman detailing the care under Betsi Cadwaldr University Health Board.

The Ombudsman, Michelle Morris, also slammed the health board for its failure to act promptly with the complaints process. She said she "cannot fail to be shocked by the fact that, although Mr L first complained to the health board in June, 2019, it took until February, 2023 for it to recognise any failings."

The report details how between January and September, 2018, the health board failed to promptly and appropriately identify, investigate and treat a blockage of blood vessels in his neck (a condition called carotid artery stenosis, where the blockage restricts the blood flow to the middle of the brain, face and head). Mr L also complained that when the issue was eventually identified in September, there was a delay in getting the treatment (surgery) until November.

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Source: Wales Online, 2 November 2023

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Patient kills herself on Glasgow hospital ward after 'failure in communication'

A woman took her own life on a ward after her move to a mental health hospital was not facilitated.

Anne Clelland was found unconscious in the toilet of her room in Glasgow's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and later died of a brain injury.

Anne - who had a history of self-harm - was admitted following an overdose. She was due to be moved to a psychiatric hospital three days before her death but this did not take place because of a "failure of communication."

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde pled guilty today to failing to conduct their undertaking in a way that a person would not be exposed to risks to their health and safety.

Glasgow Sheriff Court heard Anne was admitted to Ward 5A at the hospital after overdosing on 7 May 2015. A specialist met with Ann on 11 and 12 May with a plan put in place for her to be transferred to Leverndale hospital once she was medically fit.

A psychiatry team was to be contacted at that time for a further review to facilitate the transfer.

Prosecutor Catriona Dow said: “There was no suggestion at this time that despite her ongoing treatment following her suicide attempt, that she was at risk of suicide and required special requirements such as the removal of her possessions and enhanced observations such as constant observations.”

“There appears there was a breakdown in communication regarding the intention of the psychiatrist that Anne would be transferred that evening due to her assessed risk of self-harm.”

Other witnesses recalled a plan for a transfer to Leverndale but it was understood that until a bed was to become available, she would be able to remain at Ward 5A.

Other staff appeared not to have been aware of the assessed risk of self-harm and her transfer to Leverndale that evening.

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Source: Glasgow Live, 8 November 2021

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Patient identity management: a patient safety concern

Fragmented patient data can lead to redundant and unnecessary care, potentially harming individuals. Thought leaders are calling for standardised methods to identify patients and minimise potential harm.

At a recent US Food and Drug Administration conference for improved data standards, Shaun Grannis, Regenstrief Institute Vice President of Data and Analytics, advocated for standards that promote better patient matching.

“Any time you lack complete information to make the best decision possible, there's an opportunity for error,” Grannis said. “Patient matching is a safety issue. Patient identification is paramount to making sure that patients receive appropriate, safe care.”

Grannis noted that patient data is currently fragmented across healthcare systems. Patients often do not receive care at just one facility or in one health system.

“They’re going to be identified differently across organizations. You might go to your primary care doctor or they refer you to a specialist who’s outside of your system, so your data is fragmented,” he continued.

Disjointed data can make it difficult for providers to make decisions about patient care. Without a complete picture of the patient’s medical history, it is more challenging for clinicians to make care decisions.

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Source: EHR Intelligence, 12 November 2019

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Patient has recurring nightmares of having skin cut after not properly anaesthetised

An NHS hospital has admitted it failed to properly anaesthetise a patient who was operated on while conscious – leaving her with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and recurring nightmares.

The woman, who has chosen to remain anonymous, said she screamed out as the gynaecological surgery at Yeovil District Hospital began to operate, but could not be heard through her oxygen mask as the surgeon cut into her belly button.

Medical negligence lawyers said she was given a spinal rather than general anaesthetic during the procedure at the hospital in Somerset last year. She remained conscious while a laparoscope – a long camera tube – was placed inside her, and her abdomen was filled with gas. Her law firm Irwin Mitchell said that an increase in blood pressure had alerted staff to her discomfort, but that the procedure was continued.

The woman, who is in her 30s, said: “While nothing will change what has happened to me, I just hope that lessons can be learned so no one else faces similar problems in the future."

A spokeswoman for Yeovil Hospital said the incident was the result of “a breakdown of communication” which “led to the use of a different anaesthetic to that normally required for such an operation”.

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Source: The Independent, 10 December 2019

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Patient harm versus medical malpractice: What US clinicians fear more

Attending physicians and advanced practice clinicians in US emergency departments are more concerned about medical errors resulting in patient harm than in malpractice litigation, according to a study published JAMA Network Open.

The findings are based on an online survey of 1,222 ED clinicians across acute care hospitals in Massachusetts from January to September 2020. Respondents used a Likert scale of 1 (strongly disagree) to 6 (strongly agree) to indicate their degree of agreement with statements on how fearful they are of making a mistake that leads to a patient harm in their day-to-day practice, and how fearful they are of an error that results in being sued. 

The mean score was greater for fear of harm (4.40) than fear of being sued (3.40), the findings showed. Researchers said the mean scores for both fear of harm and fear of suit were similar regardless of whether the survey was completed before or after onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although previous studies have associated clinicians' fear of legal concerns with "excessive healthcare use through defensive medicine," the role fear of patient harm may play in clinical decision-making is less documented, researchers said. 

"Although the study did not delineate the association between this concern and potential overuse of testing, it suggested that fear of harm should be considered with, and may be more consequential, than fear of suit in medical decision-making," researchers said. 

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Source: Becker's Hospital Review, 21 November 2022

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Patient harm now ‘a continuing theme’, says cash-strapped trust

Incidents including a cardiac arrest where an ambulance took more than an hour to arrive and the patient died have prompted trust chiefs to suggest they cannot prevent patient harm under their current funding levels.

A report to the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) said patients suffering harm due to delayed ambulance response times “is a continuing theme due to the unprecedented demand the service is currently experiencing”.

The report said the trust is trying to secure additional funding from commissioners, which would “reduce the likelihood of a similar incident for other patients in future”.

NEAS has upheld several recent complaints made by families or patients about the harm being caused by delayed response times, but suggested the levels of demand on the service meant there was nothing it could have done differently.

In one example, a woman in her 50s died from a cardiac arrest shortly after arrival to hospital after NEAS took 62 minutes to respond to a 999 call. NEAS had designated the woman, who had a history of heart attacks, a category two response – which should aim to arrive within 18 minutes on average.

"All ambulance trusts have been seeing significant patient harm and the mainstream press have been strangely silent about this."

"That it has got the stage where patients are routinely dying and being harmed while the resources are available, but tied up waiting outside hospitals, is truly maladministration on a grand scale."

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Source: HSJ, 9 December 2021

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Patient harm 'almost certain' due to ambulance handover delays

Patients are being put at "catastrophic risk" of harm due to ambulance handover delays, health bosses say.

West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) has raised its risk rating for such delays to its highest level for the first time in its history. The risk rating shows the trust believes patient harm is "almost certain" due to the handover hold-ups.

Mark Docherty, director of nursing and clinical commissioning, said it was a "completely unacceptable situation".

It comes as a patient died after waiting more than five hours in the back of an ambulance in Worcestershire.

At a meeting on Wednesday, the ambulance service's board of directors heard the amount of time being lost to delays had reached previously unseen levels, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Mr Docherty warned the situation was set to get worse over the coming months as a result of winter pressures.

"Despite everything we are doing by way of mitigation, we know that patients are coming to harm as a result of delays," he said.

"We know that there are patients that are having significant harm and indeed, through our review of learning from deaths, we know that sadly some patients are dying before we get to them."

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Source: BBC News, 28 October 2021

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Patient had wrong eye injected after software error

Herefordshire clinicians injected a patient in the wrong eye after a technical blunder, board papers have revealed.

The Wye Valley Trust patient was injected with an antivascular endothelial growth factor to treat age-related macular degeneration. They did not come to harm as a result of the incident.

The mistake occurred after the ophthalmology department deleted a poor quality image of one of the patient’s eyes. This shifted up the other images, which were stored sequentially using software called IMAGEnet6, which led to the mistake. 

Although initially reported as a “never event,” the incident was downgraded to a “serious incident” after a review by the Herefordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). 

The trust, which is still using the software, is updating its standard operating procedure and has installed new technology that can take higher quality images. A spokesman said: “Patient safety is the trust’s priority. While no harm was caused to this patient, the trust has taken this incident seriously.”

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Source: HSJ, 21 January 2020

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Patient groups, Royal Colleges, medical charities and industry launch new Patient Coalition for AI, Data and Digital Tech in Health

A new coalition with members from Royal Colleges, health charities (including Patient Safety Learning) and patient groups has come together to ensure the interests of patients are at the heart of the development of policy in digital health technology.

The Patient Coalition for AI, Data and Digital Tech in Health is the first coalition to unite such a diverse range of stakeholders from across the health policy landscape in order to champion the patient perspective in this field.

Currently, not enough is being done to ensure that patients are included in the evolving policy discussions surrounding the development, implementation or evaluation of digital health technologies in the UK. In fact, there is limited understanding of what patients actually want from digital health. The danger is that these technologies end up as something done ‘to’ patients rather than ‘with’ and ‘for’ them. 

In addition to providing a forum for discussion, this Coalition will act as an independent campaigning coalition, taking forward joint pieces of work and engaging actively to help influence Government and NHS policy on the use of digital technology in healthcare. The goal will be to ensure patient interests are at the forefront of ongoing media and policy discussions surrounding digital health tech, and being incorporated into the policymaking process. The goal is to cultivate the necessary policy conditions to enable the UK to capitalise on new digital health technologies to the benefit of patients and the NHS.

Issues Coalition members have committed to tackling include:

  • Examining health inequalities and calling for the prioritisation of access to digital health.
  • Sharing best patient-centric practice in digital health.
  • Ensuring the patient perspective is embedded in policy and government strategies.  

 The Coalition’s objectives for the next year are to:

  • Promote understanding of the patient experience of digital health
  • Ensure patients receive the support needed to access digital health tech
  • Inform policymakers on what good practice looks like.

The Coalition will continue to engage proactively with policymakers, health agencies and others to help inform digital health policy. It will campaign for policies such as:

  • Ensuring all patients have access to digital health technology, regardless of where they are in the country
  • Providing patients with the choice of how they receive care, and empowering them to make that decision for themselves
  • Prioritising digital assurance so that patients feel confident when engaging with digital health technologies that they are using products that have been approved by the NHS
  • Ensuring there are clear regulations for the collection, sharing and use of patient data.

Read the full press release on the Patients Association website. GetImage.jpg.097f6e75656e267785ada65326586c95.jpg

Read the Coalition's first report: Digital Health during the Covid-19 Pandemic: Learning Lessons to Maintain Momentum.

Source: Patients Association, 15 September 2021 

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Patient group set up over allegations of 'poor care' at Royal London

Relatives of elderly patients have set up a families action group to investigate allegations of “poor level of care” at the Royal London Hospital.  

The Royal London Hospital Patients and Families Group says it is in talks with lawyers this week after setting up a Facebook page to share their experiences of the east London hospital. 

Anger erupted after relatives were refused visits to wards during strict lockdown periods and there were claims elderly family members were not receiving attentive care on the wards.

Barts Health NHS Trust, which runs the hospital, said the pandemic has been an "extremely busy" time but insisted patient safety is its top priority, while promising to listen to any feedback and concerns.

The families' group is calling for changes and suggesting how standards "should be improved" by involving families with patient care. 

“Many don’t speak English,” the group’s chair Abdul Doyas explained. “They are unable to communicate with medical staff. Allowing a family member to be present during agreed hours will improve care."

"Vulnerable people are admitted to hospital in an unfamiliar environment, which is a frightening experience that causes anxiety. But having a family member by their side can improve chances of recovering.” 

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Source: East London Advertiser, 13 April 2021

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Patient experiences of maternity care in England 'deteriorating'

Fewer women who gave birth in NHS maternity services last year had a positive experience of care compared to 5 years ago, according to a major new survey. The Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) latest national maternity survey report reveals what almost 21,000 women who gave birth in February 2022 felt about the care they received while pregnant, during labour and delivery, and once at home in the weeks following the arrival of their baby.

The findings show that while experiences of maternity care at a national level were positive overall for the majority of women, they have deteriorated in the last 5 years. In particular, there was a notable decline in the number of women able to get help from staff when they needed it.

Many of the key findings from the survey include a drop in positive interactions with staff and lack of choices about the birth. Just over two-thirds of those surveyed (69%) reported 'definitely' having confidence and trust in the staff delivering their antenatal care. Results were higher for staff involved in labour and birth (78%). In addition, while the majority of women (86%) surveyed in 2022 said they were 'always' spoken to in a way they could understand during labour and birth, this was a decline from 90% who said this in 2019. The proportion of respondents who felt that they were 'always' treated with kindness and understanding while in hospital after the birth of their baby remained relatively high at 71%, however had fallen from 74% in 2017.

Just under a fifth of women who responded to the survey (19%) said they were not offered any choices about where to have their baby. Also, less than half (41%) of those surveyed said their partner or someone else close to them was able to stay with them as much as they wanted during their stay in hospital.

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Source: Medscape, 13 January 2023

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Patient dies and three hospitalised in Sciensus chemotherapy incident

A cancer patient has died and three others have been hospitalised after they were administered unlicensed versions of chemotherapy by Sciensus, a private company paid millions by the NHS to provide essential medication.

Three health regulators have launched inquiries into the incident, according to people familiar with the matter. It was caused by an issue at the firm’s medicines manufacturing unit.

In a statement, Sciensus confirmed an “isolated incident” had “affected four patients” and that it was “deeply saddened” that one of them had died.

Sciensus offered its “sincere condolences” to the family and friends of the patient who died, and is conducting a thorough investigation, it added.

The four patients received unlicensed versions of cabazitaxel, a licensed chemotherapy used to treat prostate cancer. The versions administered to the patients differed from the licensed product and therefore were considered unlicensed medicines. 

Sciensus is required to comply with official standards to ensure the quality of the products it produces and the protection of public health. Breaches of these standards can result in the MHRA suspending or removing a company’s licence.

“Patient safety is our highest priority,” said Dr Alison Cave, the MHRA’s chief safety officer. “We are urgently investigating this issue and we will take any necessary regulatory measures to ensure patients are protected."

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Source: The Guardian, 7 July 2023

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Patient died and 30 harmed after new IT system launch

A trust saw nearly 1,000 safety reports filed after introducing a new electronic patient record (EPR) – including one where a patient died and 30 others where they suffered harm.

The Royal Surrey Foundation Trust and Ashford and St Peter’s Hospital Foundation Trust installed a new joint EPR system in the middle of last year.

But Royal Surrey’s board was told there had been 927 Datix reports — which are used to raise safety concerns — related to the introduction of the “Surrey Safe Care” system, running up until mid September this year.

The catastrophic harm involved a patient death which the trust says was not “directly linked to technical problems” with the EPR, as “human factors” were involved, including inexperience or unfamiliarity with the electronic prescribing system.

Louise Stead, chief executive of Royal Surrey, said: “Implementing an electronic patient record is a huge shift for any workforce and we experienced some issues with the functionality of the system and getting users sufficiently trained and confident in using it correctly. We have worked hard to address these issues as quickly and responsibly as possible.

“Our fundamental aim is for ‘zero harm’ and any harm caused to a patient is taken extremely seriously and investigated. In the case of these Datix incidents the vast majority (over 99%) resulted in low or no harm to patients.

“However, one case resulted in the tragic death of a patient and we have been working closely with their family to be transparent and learn every possible lesson. This case was not directly linked to technical problems with the electronic patient record system and human factors did contribute. We are sincerely sorry for the failure in their care and devastating impact upon this person’s family.”

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Source: HSJ, 11 October 2023

 

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Patient died after 'transplant surgeon error'

A transplant patient died after a surgeon failed to disclose he had spilt stomach contents on organs which went on to be used in NHS operations.

The 36-year-old died of an aneurysm caused directly by infection from a donated liver, while two other patients became ill from transplants.

The incident took place in 2015 but only came to light when one of the sick patients attended a hospital in Wales. It had involved a surgeon from Oxford University NHS Foundation Trust.

Several organs became infected with Candida albicans, a fungal infection, after the surgeon cut the stomach in a donor while retrieving organs, spilling the contents over other organs. The surgeon did not tell anyone as he should have done and the organs were transplanted into three patients.

The patient, who did not want to be named, said: "What angers me to this day is that fact that the surgeon who removed the organs from the donor wasn't honest. It was only when people who received the organs became unwell that the truth was told."

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Source: BBC News, 21 November 2019

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Patient declared dead woke up in hospital

An ambulance trust has apologised after a patient who was declared "dead" later woke up in hospital.

As first reported by The Northern Echo, the individual was taken by paramedics to Darlington Memorial Hospital on Friday. The newspaper reported they had been declared dead following an incident earlier that day.

The North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) apologised to the patient's family and said an inquiry had begun.

The patient has not been identified or their current condition revealed.

NEAS director of paramedicine Andrew Hodge said: "As soon as we were made aware of this incident, we opened an investigation and contacted the patient's family.

"We are deeply sorry for the distress that this has caused them.

"A full review of this incident is being undertaken and we are unable to comment any further at this stage.

"The colleagues involved are being supported appropriately and we will not be commenting further about any individuals at this point."

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Source: BBC News, 17 October 2023

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Patient deaths spark multiple warnings about visiting restrictions

Coroners have raised multiple concerns that visiting restrictions are having a damaging effect on patient care and wellbeing, also raising the issue that families of vulnerable patients may be unable to pass on information to clinicians which would be relevant to their care.

NHS Providers chief executive Chris Hopson said: “No trust makes the decision to suspend or restrict visiting lightly. Trust leaders understand the importance of allowing visitors, in a safe and manageable way, or finding alternative ways to enable particularly vulnerable patients to stay in touch with their families and carers. They are also aware of the important information that families and carers can provide about patients.”

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Source: HSJ, 16 August 2021

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Patient deaths prompt ambulance chiefs to look for alternative defibrillators

Ambulance chiefs are looking at alternative defibrillators after coroners highlighted confusion over how to correctly use their existing machines.

London Ambulance Service (LAS) Trust has received two warnings from coroners since 2016 after the delayed use of Lifepak 15 defibrillators “significantly reduced” the chances of survival for patients, including a 15-year-old boy.

Coroners found some paramedics were unaware the machines had to be switched from the default “manual” mode to an “automatic” setting.

The first warning came after the death of teenager Najeeb Katende in October 2016. A report by coroner Edwin Buckett said the paramedic who arrived had started the defibrillator in manual mode and did not detect a heart rhythm that was appropriate for administering the device, so it was not used until an advanced paramedic arrived on scene 24 minutes later.

The report stated the defibrillator had been started in manual mode but it needed to be switched to automatic to detect a shockable heart rhythm. The coroner warned LAS that further deaths could occur if action was not taken to prevent similar confusion.

But another warning was issued to the LAS in March this year, following the death of 35-year-old Mitica Marin. Again, a coroner found the paramedic, who was on her first solo shift, had started the machine in manual mode and had not detected a shockable rhythm. It was suggested this caused a four minute delay in the shock being administered.

Coroner Graeme Irvine said this was “not an isolated incident” for LAS and noted the trust had reviewed other cases of delayed defibrillation. They found that the defibrillator’s manual default setting was a “contributing factor” to the delays.

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Source: HSJ, 10 August 2020

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Patient death: Hospital improvements contributed to fatality, coroner finds

A coroner has warned of the risks associated with tackling the NHS building maintenance backlog after a patient died after being moved outside of a main hospital unit for care.

Gareth Johnson, 41, died at University Hospital of Wales on 16 October 2024 because of complications following a catheter directed thrombolysis procedure.

“Following the procedure, Johnson was one of a small number of patients transferred out of the critical care unit to the post-anaesthetic care unit because of planned building maintenance works,” Kerrie Burge, coroner for South Wales Central, said.

A Prevention of Future Deaths report from the coroner, published on 19 September, says Johnson received “sub-optimal” postoperative drug management in part because he was cared for outside of the main unit. This “more than minimally, negligibly, or trivially contributed to Johnson’s death".

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Source: BMJ, 26 September 2025

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Patient care in hospital corridors is 'now normal'

BBC reporters are at Queens hospital in Romford, east London, and, like many across the capital it is busy. Really busy.

When filming, 17 patients from their A&E were being treated on beds in corridors.

Growing numbers of attendances have meant that what was once an emergency measure has now become the norm.

Ruth Green is the director of nursing for the emergency department and says corridor care has become "customary practice"

When the BBC last filmed the corridor treatments here back in January 2023, the department was seeing 1,400 patients arrive each month by ambulance. Now that number has risen to 2,100.

The number of ambulances arriving every day has gone up in a year too, from around 90 per day to around 120.

Ruth Green, the director of nursing for the emergency department said: "Unfortunately it is now customary practice to have patients treated on our corridors pretty much all of the time, not every day now it’s the summer, but still far too often."

They have had to install new plugs in the corridors so they can operate the hospital beds, new nurse call buttons and a new sink.

One patient in a bed in the corridor is Louis Vella.

He spent 18 hours in A&E after coming in with chest pains and was eventually transferred to a corridor to wait for a bed on a ward.

He said: "It’s not ideal, no, but they are working as best they can with what they’ve got and what else can one ask for?"

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Source: BBC News, 19 July 2024

Related reading on the hub:

A silent safety scandal: A nurse’s first-hand account of a corridor nursing shift

Reflections on a clinical shift: "After 20 years of nursing, this is one of the worst shifts I have ever completed"

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Patient care hit by disrepair in NHS buildings

Disrepair in NHS buildings led to thousands of potentially-harmful incidents last year including critically ill patients being moved when rainfall came through the ceiling.

Sewage leaks, floods and failing equipment also featured in incident records obtained by the BBC under the Freedom of Information Act.

Health chiefs called on the government to nearly double its capital spending.

The government said "significant sums" had been invested to modernise the NHS.

Heath Secretary Victoria Atkins said the government accepted that some hospital buildings "are not as we would wish them to be" but added that it was for NHS chief executives to decide how to spend the money.

According to NHS data, the care of more than 2,600 acute hospital patients was disrupted last year by estates and infrastructure failure.

The NHS Confederation, which represents trusts, has published a report setting out what health care leaders want the next government to prioritise.

It has called on the government to increase capital spending on the health service from £7.7bn to £14.1bn.

Matthew Taylor, its chief executive, said: "Put simply, a lack of capital funding can leave patients at risk."

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Source: BBC News, 21 February 2024

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