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More failings discovered at maternity scandal trust

East Kent Hospital University Foundation Trust has been criticised for failures in services by the Care Quality Commission, after an unannounced inspection last month, years after major problems began to come to light.

The Care Quality Commission has highlighted:

  • Issues with processes for fetal monitoring and escalation at the William Harvey Hospital, Ashford. There had been “incidents highlighting fetal heart monitoring” problems in September and October, and the trust’s measures to improve processes were not “embedded and understood by the clinical team”;
  • Slow maternity triage, due to staffing problems, and infection control problems at the William Harvey. The trust is reviewing how issues with infection prevention and control and cleanliness were not identified or escalated; and 
  • Fire safety issues at the Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother Hospital, in Thanet with problems linked to fire doors and an easily accessible secondary fire escape route.

Three years ago issues with reading and acting on fetal monitoring were highlighted at the inquest into baby Harry Richford, whose poor care by the trust led to an independent inquiry into widespread failings in its maternity services, led by Bill Kirkup.

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Source: HSJ, 6 February 2023

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The patients with treatable eating disorders who are dying before the NHS can help them

A record number of eating disorder patients are not getting the life-saving treatment they need due to lengthy waits, leaked NHS data shows.

More than 8,000 adults are waiting to be seen for therapy, according to internal figures from NHS England – the highest figure recorded since data collection began in 2019. In March 2021, there were around 6,000 adults waiting, while it was less than 2,000 in March 2019.

One leading doctor warned that delays were leading to avoidable deaths, while multiple coroners investigating the deaths of nine patients since 2021 have repeatedly called on the NHS and ministers to improve services to prevent more.

An investigation by The Independent can also reveal that long waits have led to a woman, 24, taking her own life while waiting two years for appropriate care, and patients being admitted to hospital because their conditions became so severe they developed life-threatening physical conditions.

Dr Agnes Ayton, the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ lead for adult eating disorders, said long waits meant patients were “dying avoidably” because under-resourced services were forced to turn them away or leave them waiting for years. Anorexia has the highest morality rate of any psychiatric disorder.

“One important thing is eating disorders are treatable, people can get better with time and treatment. We shouldn’t accept anorexia has the highest mortality rate because a lot of these deaths are avoidable and treatable. We should be aiming to provide high-quality care,” she said.

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Source: The Independent, 6 February 2023

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Betsi Cadwaladr did not discuss resuscitation decision with family

A health board has apologised to the family of a patient after medical staff failed to consult with them over a decision not to resuscitate her.

While the decision was clinically justified, the public services ombudsman for Wales said Betsi Cadwaladr health board did not discuss it with the patient and her family.

The ombudsman, Michelle Morris, also upheld a complaint by the patient's daughter, identified only as Miss A, that her mother's discharge from Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor was "inappropriate" and that insufficient steps were taken to ensure her needs could be safely met at home.

The final complaint, which was also upheld, was that medics failed to communicate with the family about the deteriorating condition of the patient, identified as Mrs B, which meant a family visit was not arranged before she died.

In her report she said the Covid pandemic had contributed to the failings, but added "this was a serious injustice to the family".

As well as apologising to the family, she asked that all medical staff at Ysbyty Gwynedd and Ysbyty Penrhos Stanley be reminded of the importance of following the proper procedure when deciding when a patient should not be resuscitated.

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Source: BBC News, 6 February 2023

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Delay and confusion led to woman's death in labour

Rana Abdelkarim died at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital in March 2021 after suffering a bleed post-birth.

The Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) found there were delays in calling for specialist help.

Her husband, Modar Mohammednour, said that in March 2021 his wife attended the maternity unit at 39 weeks into her pregnancy for what she thought was a routine check-up.

Mr Mohammednour said due to language barriers his wife thought she was going "for a scan and to check on her health" and then "come back home", but in fact she was being sent to be induced.

"Immediately" after the labour, Ms Abdelkarim suffered heavy bleeding and her condition deteriorated - something Mr Mohammednour said he was "unaware of", until he was eventually called into the hospital to speak to a doctor.

According to the investigation by the HSIB, the obstetric team of senior doctors were not told about the drastic change in her condition for almost 30 minutes.

An investigation into her death by the HSIB found that once Ms Abdelkarim had been given a drip to speed up labour, regular support from midwives and assessments could not be given to her because the maternity ward was so busy.

It also found there was a 53-minute delay from the point of bleeding to administering the first blood transfusion.

HSIB also found Ms Abdelkarim was "uninformed" about the reason for her admission, "consent to induce labour was not given" and because she was thin and small, staff underestimated how much relative blood volume she was losing.

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Source: BBC News, 7 February 2023

 

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Sickle cell: NHS staff ‘failing to follow healthcare guidelines’

NHS staff are failing to follow guidelines for providing care to sickle cell patients - and some of the advice has been branded as “unfit for purpose”.

The NHS Race and Health Observatory commissioned research, undertaken by Public Digital, to explore the lived experience of people undergoing emergency hospital admissions for sickle cell and managing crisis episodes at home.

The Sickle cell digital discovery report: Designing better acute painful sickle cell care, found that the existence of service-wide information tailored by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has “arguably not been designed for an ambulance, A&E and emergency setting”, and states it has been proven that this guideline is “not being used and adhered to consistently”.

Moreover, healthcare professionals have warned that the National Haemoglobinopathy Register (NHR) -  a database of patients with red cell disorders - is not being readily accessed, while patients reported being treated in a way that breached prescribed instructions.

“We believe that sickle cell crisis guidelines could be improved in terms of their usability in a high-pressure emergency setting, and in terms of promoting access to them,” the report authors concluded, adding that current guidance should be adapted.

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Source: The Independent, 31 January 2023

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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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HIV testing: Free DIY home kit offered in England

Free HIV tests that can be done at home are being offered this week to people in England.

It is part of a government drive to improve diagnosis, which dropped off during the Covid pandemic.

The kit is small enough to fit through the letterbox and arrives in plain packaging through the post.

It gives a result within 15 minutes by testing a drop of blood from a finger prick. A "reactive" result means HIV is possible and a clinic check is needed. Support and help is available to arrange this.

About 4,400 people in England are living with undiagnosed HIV, which comes with serious health risks.

HIV medication can keep the virus at undetectable levels, meaning you cannot pass HIV on and your health is protected.

Most people get the virus from someone who is unaware they have it, according to the Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) charity which campaigns about and provides services relating to HIV and sexual health.

HIV testing rates remain a fifth lower than before the Covid-19 pandemic - with heterosexual men in particular now testing far less than in 2019.

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Source: BBC News, 5 February 2023

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‘It’s soul destroying’: why so many NHS staff are off sick with burnout

“Frustration with the system was why I went off in the end,” said Conor Calby, 26, a paramedic and Unison rep in southwest England, who was recently off work for a month with burnout. “I felt like I couldn’t do my job and was letting patients down. After a difficult few years it was challenging.”

While he usually manages to keep a distinct divide between work and home life, burnout eroded that line. He also lost his sleep pattern and appetite.

The final straw came when what should have been a 15-minute call resulted in three hours on the phone trying to persuade the services that were supposed to help a suicidal patient to come out. “I was on a knife edge. That was due to the system being broken. That’s the trigger.”

Doctors and nurses are struggling under the strain too. After her third time with burnout - the last resulting in her taking six months off work – Amy Attwater, an A&E doctor, considered leaving the profession altogether.

Attwater, 36, said in the Covid crisis, during which a colleague killed himself, she started having suicidal thoughts and doubting her own abilities. She twice reported that she was being bullied but said no action was taken.

“The only thing I was left with was to take time off work. I ended up having therapy, seeing a psychiatrist and being on two antidepressants,” said Attwater, the Midlands-based committee member for Doctors’ Association UK.

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Source: The Guardian, 5 February 2023

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Deadlock over NHS pay putting patients in danger, chief nurses warn

Deadlock over NHS pay is putting patients in danger and risks hardening the position of unions, 10 chief nurses have warned.

Unions have warned that the government is making no moves towards resolving the strikes, with one general secretary accusing the government of lying about the state of negotiations.

In a joint statement shared with the Guardian, chief nurses from 10 leading hospitals known as the Shelford group highlighted their concern that patients’ health could suffer as a direct result of the increasing disruption the stoppages are causing.

Tens of thousands of nurses and ambulance workers in England will stage what will be the biggest strike in the NHS’s 75-year history on Monday.

In a plea to the government and health unions, but especially ministers, the 10 Shelford group chief nurses stress that they want both sides to end their standoff as a matter of urgency “because of the impact on the patients and communities we serve.

“Industrial action means appointments cancelled, diagnostics delayed [and] operations postponed. The longer industrial action lasts, the greater the potential for positions to harden, waits for patients to grow, and risks of harm to accumulate.”

This week will see just one day – Wednesday – when there are no NHS strikes. Nurses will strike again on Tuesday, physiotherapists will stage their second walkout on Thursday and ambulance personnel will stage a further stoppage on Friday.

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Source: The Guardian, 5 February 2023

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Chronic shortage of sickle cell nurses putting patients at risk, damning report warns

Sickle cell patients are being put at risk because of a chronic shortage of specialist nurses to treat them, a damning new report has found.

'The Difference Between Life and Death', a new study by the Sickle Cell Society, found that there are not enough sickle cell workers to deliver a good standard of care.

One patient called Abi Adeturinmo told researchers that previous traumatic experiences caused by delays in receiving pain relief medication and poor care meant she “tries not to go to the hospital when in sickle cell crisis unless it is life-threatening”.

Another patient, Araba Mensah, whose daughter has sickle cell disorder, said there was a lack of “hands-on” nursing, and said patients who have difficulties feeding themselves or with personal hygiene were “left to suffer unattended”.

John James, CEO of the Sickle Cell Society, said: “While there are undoubtedly workforce challenges across all parts of the health system, the evidence in this report suggests that sickle cell is disproportionately impacted as a result of the legacy of neglect of sickle cell care.

“On behalf of everyone affected by sickle cell, we are urging NHS England to take action now to ensure all sickle cell patients have access to the specialist care they are entitled to.”

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Source: The Independent, 24 November 2023

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Mesh campaigners claim Scotland's Health Secretary, Humza Yousaf has 'refused' requests to meet group

Mesh campaigners claim Scotland's Health Secretary Humza Yousaf refused to meet them to hear their concerns. Patients blame surgical mesh products for leaving them disabled and in chronic pain and want the Scottish Government to hold an independent review into the use of the products.

However, followihttps://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/mesh-campaigners-claim-humza-yousaf-29075491ng a debate in the Scottish Parliament earlier this month, the Health Secretary denied their request.

Campaigner Roseanna Clarkin, of the Scottish Global Mesh Alliance, said Yousaf has refused several requests for meetings with campaigners spanning nearly two years.

Roseanna, who has been left with crippling pain after mesh was used on her umbilical hernia in 2015, has blasted him for “ignoring” those affected by mesh procedures.

From the late 90s until 2018, women in Scotland were treated with polypropylene mesh implants for stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. In some, it caused severe pain and life-changing side effects.

While the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review called for a pause in use of vaginal mesh, the products are not banned for all procedures.

The Scottish Global Mesh Alliance were behind the petition calling for an independent review which was debated at Holyrood. They want to suspend the use of all surgical mesh and fixation devices while a review is carried out.

Roseanna said: “Why do they assume mesh in another part of the body would respond differently and not cause extreme pain and serious infections?”

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Source: Daily Record, 29 January 2023

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Scientists identify a molecular culprit behind medical implant rejections

Every year, millions of people live fuller lives because of a medical device implanted somewhere in their body - from hip joints, to teeth, to heart valves.

Known as Foreign Body Response (FBR), inflammation and scarring around an implant is natural, but in some cases, it can severely damage healthy tissue and can even lead to death if the implant is not removed. FBR-related implant failure rates range widely among different medical devices, but reducing those rates has been difficult because scientists still don’t understand the underlying biology that causes FBR.

Now, researchers from the University of Maryland have discovered the molecular basis for FBR, identifying a key biological pathway that future drug therapies could target to reduce the risk of implant rejection.

Shaik O. Rahaman, an associate professor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Science in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at UMD, and his colleagues identified a specific cellular signaling system that kicks in when the body recognises the inherent difference in stiffness between an implant and the surrounding tissue. This system detects the mismatch and triggers inflammation and scarring, which is part of the body’s normal defense system. But in FBR, the signaling system can set up a cycle of chronic inflammation and continual scar-tissue build-up that leads to implant rejection.  

“This is a huge leap forward in this field,” Rahaman said. “So far, the medical industry has been making biomedical implants randomly, out of materials they think might work without knowing the molecular basis of the foreign body response that leads to rejection. We don’t know why it happens, and until we do, we can’t effectively develop strategies to prevent it.”

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Source: College of Agriculture and Nature Resources, 19 January 2023

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'Potential harm' review ordered into county's cancer patients

Commissioners have begun a ‘serious incident review’ across their integrated care system after early indications showed patients may have suffered harm due to long waits for cancer treatment.

The review has been launched by Somerset Integrated Care Board into dermatology services after an initial review found five of 50 patients had seen their skin lesions increase in size since being referred to hospital by their GPs.

ICB board papers stated “potential patient harm has been identified” for those patients, who were on the two-week wait pathway to be seen by a specialist following a referral by their GP.

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Source: HSJ, 3 February 2023

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Jamaica’s women let down by failure of cervical cancer vaccine drive

Plans to prevent one of the deadliest cancers for women in Jamaica have been significantly set back by the Covid pandemic, new figures reveal.

The scheme to vaccinate schoolgirls against cervical cancer in Jamaica – which is the cancer with the second highest death rate in the Americas – began in 2018, but the Pan American Health Organization says inoculation rates fell to just 2.71% in 2021. This represents a drastic drop from the 2019 rate of 32%, and far from the WHO target of 90% by 2030.

The cancer, which is curable if caught early, kills 22 in every 100,000 women in Jamaica. By comparison, in the UK the rate is 2.4 in every 100,000, and in Canada it is 2.

Prevention of cervical cancer in Jamaica is also hindered by low rates of cervical screenings. 

“Women are afraid of the screening process and potential pain, but there is also a fear of a cancer diagnosis itself,” said Nicola Skyers of Jamaica’s Ministry of Health. “Some people just prefer not to know. But I also think that healthcare providers don’t offer screenings often enough. If a healthcare provider is really ‘selling’ the pap smear, more often than not the woman will choose to have it.”

Health workers are forced to focus on cures rather than preventions amid staffing shortages and an overburdened healthcare system, said Skyers. “As a doctor, you won’t be encouraging every women you see to do a pap smear if you have 40 patients waiting outside.”

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Source: The Guardian, 2 February 2023

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Covid-19: US will end public health emergency on 11 May, says Biden

President Joe Biden has announced to the US Congress that he will end the country’s Covid-19 public health emergency on 11 May, although about 500 Americans are currently dying every day from Covid-19. He also plans to end the related national Covid-19 emergency.

In contrast, the World Health Organization said on 27 January that the Covid-19 pandemic was still a public health emergency.

The US administration’s statement said that extending the emergencies until May would provide time for an orderly transition. Ending the emergencies will mean that many Americans will lose the health insurance provided through the Medicaid programme, which helps people on low incomes and was extended during the pandemic. Many others will find that they no longer get free tests, treatments, or vaccines.

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Source: BMJ, 1 February 2023

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New strategy to boost NHS access to innovative medical technology

Patients across the UK are set to benefit from access to safe, effective and innovative equipment and medical devices as part of the first ever medical technology (medtech) strategy published today.

The blueprint for boosting NHS medtech will focus on accelerating access to innovative technologies, such as the latest generation of home dialysis machines that enable patients to manage their own health at home and in their day to day lives.

It also sets out steps which need to be taken to ensure patients can access safe, effective and innovative technology through the NHS, which can help diagnose, treat and deliver care more quickly, freeing up clinician time. The NHS spends £10 billion a year on medtech including syringes, wheelchairs,

Minister of State for Health Will Quince said:

"The UK’s innovative spirit delivered revolutionary technology during the pandemic - from COVID tests and ventilators - and we want to harness this in promoting cutting-edge medical advancements to improve patient care.

The NHS spends around £10 billion a year on medical technology and I’m looking forward to working with industry to use this as we focus on reducing hospital stays, enhancing diagnosis, preventing illness and freeing up staff time.

This new medtech strategy will help build a sustainable NHS with patients at the centre so people can continue to access the right care at the right time."

The key aims of the strategy are to:

  • boost the supply of the best equipment to deliver greater resilience to health care challenges, such as pandemics, and enhance NHS performance through modernised technology which will enable faster diagnosis, treatment and ultimately discharge to free up hospital beds.
  • encourage ambitious, innovative research to secure the UK’s position as a global science superpower and attract vital investment for the UK economy and create jobs across the country. In 2021, there were already around 60 different research programmes supporting innovative technologies, representing over £1 billion of funding.
  • increase understanding and awareness of medtech by clinicians which will lead to more informed purchasing on new products and deliver better value for taxpayer money and better services for patients.
  • build on the Life Sciences Vision to improve collaboration between the NHS, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) as an innovation partner to ensure patients can access the right products safely.

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Source: DHSC, 3 February 2023

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More than 500,000 people in UK ‘will be diagnosed with cancer each year by 2040’

More than 500,000 people in the UK will be diagnosed with cancer every year by 2040, according to analysis by Cancer Research UK.

In a new report, researchers project that if current trends continue, cancer cases will rise by one-third from 384,000 a year diagnosed now to 506,000 in 2040, taking the number of new cases every year to more than half a million for the first time.

While mortality rates are projected to fall for many cancer types, the absolute numbers of deaths are predicted to increase by almost a quarter to 208,000. In total, it estimates that between 2023 and 2040, there could be 8.4m new cases and 3.5 million people could have died from cancer.

Cancer Research UK’s chief clinician, Charles Swanton, said: “By the end of the next decade, if left unaided, the NHS risks being overwhelmed by the sheer volume of new cancer diagnoses. It takes 15 years to train an oncologist, pathologist, radiologist or surgeon. The government must start planning now to give patients the support they will so desperately need.”

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Source: The Guardian, 3 February 2023

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Murder-accused nurse sent card to grieving parents

Nurse Lucy Letby sent a sympathy card to the grieving parents of a baby girl just weeks after she allegedly murdered the infant, a court has heard.

She is accused of trying to kill the premature baby, referred to as Child I, three times before succeeding on a fourth attempt on 23 October 2015.

She denies murdering seven babies and attempting to murder 10 others.

Manchester Crown Court was shown an image of a condolence card Ms Letby sent to the family of Child I ahead of her funeral on 10 November.

The card was titled "your loved one will be remembered with many smiles".

Inside, Ms Letby wrote: "There are no words to make this time any easier.

"It was a real privilege to care for [Child I] and get to know you as a family - a family who always put [Child I] first and did everything possible for her.

"She will always be part of your lives and we will never forget her.

"Thinking of you today and always. Lots of love Lucy x."

It is alleged that before murdering Child I, Ms Letby attempted to kill the infant on 30 September and during night shifts on 12 and 13 October.

The prosecution said she harmed the premature infant by injecting air into her feeding tube and bloodstream before she eventually died in the early hours of 23 October 2015.

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Source: BBC News, 2 February 2023

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‘Very high’ Do Not Attend rates caused by IT failures, trust discovers

An acute trust has discovered an IT issue which appears to have led to ‘very high’ numbers of patients not turning up for their appointments.

Bedfordshire Hospitals Foundation Trust discovered appointment letters were being lost, and not sent to patients, during intermittent server failures, its board was told yesterday.

The trust’s “did not attend“ rate has been between 10% and 12% over the last year, compared to the national average of 7%, according to its board papers.

The issue relates to patients with appointments booked at Luton and Dunstable Hospital. It is not yet clear how many patients were affected.

The trust is now planning to ensure every patient with an appointment booked this year receives a new appointment letter, and an apology if they did not previously receive one.

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Source: HSJ, 2 February 2023

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Infected blood inquiry: Five things we have learned

A long-running public inquiry into what has been called the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS will hear its final evidence on Friday.

It is thought tens of thousands were infected with HIV and hepatitis between 1970 and 1991 after being given a contaminated drug or blood transfusion.

The inquiry, which started in 2018, has reviewed thousands of documents and heard testimony from 370 witnesses.

A total of 1,250 people with haemophilia and other bleeding disorders contracted HIV after being given a protein made from blood plasma known as Factor VIII.

About half of that group later died of an Aids-related illness.

Researchers found that 380 of those infected with HIV - about one in three - were children, including some very young toddlers.

One of the key questions the inquiry will now have to answer is whether more could and should have been done to prevent those infections and deaths.

Hundreds of victims of the scandal have received annual support payments but - before this inquiry - no formal compensation had ever been awarded for loss of earnings, care costs and other lifetime losses

Further recommendations on compensation are expected when the inquiry publishes its final report, which is likely to be around the middle of the year.

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Source: BBC News, 3 February 2023

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Cancer warnings could be put on all breast implants a decade on from scandal that left women 'dying in silence'

Ministers are considering putting a cancer warning on all breast implants a decade after women had ‘a cocktail of chemicals intended for mattresses’ put into their bodies.

Experts and MPs are calling for tighter regulation and better support after the PIP faulty breast implant scandal left women – including breast cancer survivors – ‘suffering and dying in silence’.

Health minister Maria Caulfield pledged on Monday to consider a so-called ‘black-box’ warning on breast implant packaging like in the US.

It came during a debate on the faulty breast implant scandal which saw 47,000 British women given ‘ticking time bomb’ implants made by Poly Implant Prothese (PIP).

PIP implants were outlawed in 2010 when they were revealed to be made with substandard silicone and up to six times more likely to rupture.

Victims of the scandal have reported a wide range of serious side-effects as experts say they are linked to a raft of health problems including the new form of cancer.

Anyone with a PIP implant can officially apply to have it removed by the NHS, but Labour MP Fleur Anderson said: ‘Many applications have been turned down, leaving women with a ticking time bomb in their body.

‘They are unable to afford to get their implants removed privately, are worried that they will rupture further, and are experiencing clear side-effects.’

The MHRA acknowledged the risk of cancer for all breast implants but said PIP implants are not at greater risk than any other. 

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Source Mail Online, 31 January 2023

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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."

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Source: HSJ, 2 February 2023

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‘Massively reduced’ length of stay emerging at much criticised new hospital, says CEO

The CEO of a troubled trust has said evidence is emerging of ‘massively reduced’ length of stay in a new hospital criticised for being too small.

Emergency staff have raised concerns about a lack of space and bed capacity at the new Royal Liverpool Hospital, which opened in October, as services have come under severe pressure this winter. The new building, on a next-door site to the old hospital, has fewer beds, although more have opened elsewhere in the city.

In an interview with HSJ, Liverpool University Hospitals Foundation Trust chief executive officer James Sumner acknowledged aspects of the new building have created difficulties, including in relation to accident and emergency configuration and capacity, but added the move’s benefits are beginning to be seen.

He said a new care model and single rooms throughout the whole hospital are helping to reduce length of stay, as well as eliminating bed closures due to infection outbreaks.

He said: “We’ve got really good evidence of massively reduced length of stay in this new building, [with] about 70 fewer people every day waiting over seven, 14 and 21 days in hospital.

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Source: HSJ, 1 February 2023

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Breakthrough in preventing hepatitis B transmission from mothers to children

Hepatitis B transmission from mothers to babies has been eliminated in England, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The WHO elimination target is that less than 2% of babies born to mothers with hepatitis B go on to develop the infection.

And data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows the figure for England currently stands at 0.1%

The UKHSA said progress had been made in tackling the viral infection, which can cause liver damage, cancer and death if left untreated.

A six-in-one vaccine is offered to all babies on the NHS when they are eight, 12 and 16 weeks of age.

Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said: “We are paving the way for the elimination of hepatitis B and C, with England set to be one of the first countries in the world to wipe out these viruses.”

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Source: The Independent, 2 February 2023

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