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Many English maternity units not meeting safety standards

More than half of maternity units in England fail consistently to meet safety standards, BBC analysis of official statistics shows.

Health regulator the Care Quality Commission (CQC) rates 7% of units as posing a high risk of avoidable harm. A further 48% require improvement.

The figures are slightly worse than a few years ago, despite several attempts to transform maternity care.

The regulator says the pace of improvement has been disappointing.

In most cases, pregnancy and birth are a positive and safe experience for women and their families, says the CQC. But when things do go wrong, it is important to understand what happened and whether the outcome could have been different.

Laura Ellis lost her newborn son when he was unexpectedly breech during advanced labour. She checked out the CQC rating of her local hospital, Frimley Park, when she was pregnant. Maternity services were good.

But Laura didn't realise the unit had been told that it required improvement on safety.

Laura said: "It was just so hard. So hard to deal with. So hard to leave as well. How would you leave your baby in hospital when you should be taking them home?"

Frimley Park NHS Foundation Trust says it has made a number of changes since Theo died, including an emergency response if a baby is unexpectedly breech during advanced labour.

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Source: BBC News, 21 September 2022

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Many DIY health tests could give false results, studies find

Many DIY health tests available on the high street are unfit for purpose and need better regulation, according to two new studies.

Self-tests for high cholesterol, vitamin deficiency, fertility and prostate problems are widely available in supermarkets and pharmacies, with the industry predicted to be worth £655m by 2030.

But researchers at the University of Birmingham have found that many tests could give users false results and were not always appropriate or safe.

The scientists reviewed 30 DIY health tests costing £1.89-£39.99, covering 19 different health conditions. These included vitamin D deficiency, blood sugar levels, thyroid function, prostate health, HIV, menopause and bowel cancer.

The two linked studies, published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), rated 60% of the tests as “high risk” over concerns about the testing equipment, sampling process, or instructions and interpretation of the results. Only eight stated who the tests were suitable for, while fewer than half provided any information about accuracy. And of these, much of the evidence to back these claims was not publicly available or was of low quality.

Dr Clare Davenport, an associate clinical professor at the University of Birmingham and co-lead author of the studies said: “The wide range of off-the-shelf tests now available to the public are not endorsed by the NHS and evidence for their benefit is lacking.

"This is in contrast to well-established self-tests, such as pregnancy tests.

“We are worried that consumers concerned about their health and tempted by the convenience of buying a test over the counter may be harmed if they use these tests in the wrong way.”

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Source: The Guardian, 23 July 2025

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Many Covid hospital patients do not feel fully recovered year later

Fewer than one in three patients who have ongoing Covid symptoms after being hospitalised with the disease say they feel fully recovered a year later, according to a study that offers new insights into potential treatments.

As the pandemic has unfolded, a growing body of research has revealed that Covid not only causes health problems in the short-term, but also has long-term effects. Now a study has revealed many of those who had ongoing symptoms after hospitalisation are showing little improvement, with their condition similar at about 12 months after discharge to seven months earlier.

“Only one in three participants felt fully recovered at one year,” said Dr Rachel Evans, one of the co-leads of the post-hospitalisation Covid-19 study – or Phos-Covid – which is led by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Leicester Biomedical Research Centre, although the team says missing data means the figure could be as low as 2 in 10 or as high as 6 in 10.

The research – which has yet to be peer-reviewed – reveals how the team collected both self-reported and objective measures of health, such as physical performance and organ function, among 2,320 adults about five months after they were discharged from hospital after having had Covid. They then looked at similar measures for 924 participants at about one year after discharge, 807 of whom had attended the previous follow-up.

Between five months and one year after discharge, the proportion of participants reporting feeling recovered remained very similar – at just under 30% at 12 months – as did the prevalence of symptoms including breathlessness, fatigue and pain. Little or no improvement was seen for areas including organ function, physical function and cognitive impairment – or “brain fog” – with about one in 10 participants having a significant degree of the latter 12 months after discharge.

“Unfortunately, we weren’t seeing improvements at one year from where people were at five months post-discharge,” said Evans.

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Source: The Guardian, 16 December 2021

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Many cancers no longer 'a death sentence' as treatment on 'cusp of golden era', NHS England medical director says

Many people with a cancer diagnosis "should be confident that it's not a death sentence and that more treatments will become available", according to the outgoing medical director of NHS England.

In his final interview before retiring, Professor Sir Stephen Powis said our understanding of the genetics of cancer and how it can be targeted is being "revolutionised".

Sir Stephen, 64 and a kidney specialist who has been the national medical director since 2018 and throughout the COVID pandemic, told The Times: "We are at the cusp of a golden era in terms of the way we treat a range of cancers.

"For many cancers now, people should be confident that it's not a death sentence and that more treatments will become available."

"We can't prevent all cancers, but there are cancers that we can certainly prevent," he said, adding that he hopes lung cancers will become "a lot rarer".

Cancer treatment, he said, would be "driven by genetics" to become more individualised with the increased ability to pinpoint mutations in cells.

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Source: Sky News, 14 July 2025

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Many cancer waiting time targets set to be dropped in England

Two-thirds of NHS cancer waiting time targets are expected to be scrapped in England, in a move the health service says aims to catch cancers earlier.

NHS bosses want to reduce the number of targets, most of which have been routinely missed in recent years, from nine to three. They say the plan is backed by leading cancer experts and will simplify the "outdated" standards.

But some are concerned about the move. Pat Price, oncologist, visiting professor at Imperial College London and Head of the charity Radiology UK, said current performance was "shockingly bad", and while too many targets could be disruptive, "the clear and simple truth is that we are not investing enough in cancer treatment capacity".

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Source: BBC News, 14 August 2023

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Many 'long Covid' sufferers unable to fully work six months later

Many people suffering from “long Covid” are still unable to work at full capacity six months after infection, a large-scale survey of confirmed and suspected patients has found.

While COVID-19 was initially understood to be a largely respiratory illness from which most people would recover within two or three weeks, as the pandemic wore on increasing numbers reported experiencing symptoms for months on end.

These long haulers – with symptoms affecting organs ranging from the heart to the brain – have no real explanation and no standardised treatment plan for their long-term condition. There is no consensus on the scale and impact of long Covid but emerging data is concerning.

In one of the largest studies yet, which has not been peer reviewed, Patient Led Research for COVID-19 (a group of long Covid patients who are also researchers) surveyed 3,762 people aged 18 to 80-plus from 56 countries who responded in nine different languages to 257 different questions

Two-hundred and five symptoms across 10 organ systems were recorded, with 66 symptoms traced over seven months. On average, respondents experienced symptoms from nine organ systems.

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Source: The Guardian, 5 January 2021

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Manufacturer to warn of fatal adverse reactions from blood-clotting drug and anaesthetic mix-ups

In a letter to healthcare professionals, drugs manufacturer Pfizer is to warn of serious and fatal adverse reactions following inadvertent administration of tranexamic acid instead of local anaesthetics.

The letter, seen by The Pharmaceutical Journal and dated 30 April 2026, says: “Serious, including fatal, adverse reactions have been reported after inadvertent intrathecal administration [of tranexamic acid] due to mix-ups, mostly with injectable local anaesthetics.”

Pfizer said it was sending the letter on behalf of marketing authorisation holders and in agreement with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Tranexamic acid is an antifibrinolytic, used in the prevention and treatment of haemorrhages.

“Intrathecal, epidural, intraventricular and intracerebral use of tranexamic acid solution for injection is contraindicated,” the letter added.

“Cases of medication errors have been identified, including cases reported in the EU, where tranexamic acid injection was inadvertently administered intrathecally or epidurally.

“Most of these cases involved mix-ups of vials or ampoules resulting in erroneous administration of tranexamic acid instead of the intended injectable local anaesthetic (e.g. bupivacaine, levobupivacaine, prilocaine).”

It has added that, when administered intrathecally, serious patient harms had been reported, including prolonged hospitalisation and death, while serious adverse reactions that were reported include severe back, gluteal and lower limb pain, myoclonus, generalised seizures and cardiac arrhythmias.

“Extreme caution should be taken when storing, handling and administering IV formulations of tranexamic acid to ensure the correct route of administration. This includes clearly labelling syringes containing tranexamic acid for IV use only and storing tranexamic acid injectables separately from injectable local anaesthetics,” it added.

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Source: The Pharmaceutical Journal, 14 April 2026

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Manslaughter case launched into Nottingham baby deaths

A corporate manslaughter investigation has been opened into failings that led to hundreds of babies dying or being injured at maternity units in Nottingham.

Nottinghamshire Police said it was examining whether maternity care provided by the Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS trust had been grossly negligent.

The trust is at the centre of the largest maternity inquiry in the history of the NHS, with about 2,500 cases of neonatal deaths, stillbirths and harm to mothers and babies being examined by independent midwife Donna Ockenden.

The police investigation will centre on two maternity units overseen by the trust, which runs the Queen's Medical Centre and Nottingham City Hospital.

NUH said it was "deeply sorry for the pain and suffering caused", and it was "absolutely right" that accountability was taken.

In a statement on the force's website, Det Supt Matthew Croome, from the investigation team, said corporate manslaughter was a "serious criminal offence".

He said: "The offence relates to circumstances where an organisation has been grossly negligent in the management of its activities, which has then led to a person's death.

"In such an investigation we are looking to see if the overall responsibility lies with the organisation rather than specific individuals and my investigation will look to ascertain if there is evidence that the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust has committed this offence."

The force said its investigation into deaths and serious injuries related to NUH's maternity care - called Operation Perth - had seen more than 200 family cases referred to it so far.

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Source: BBC News, 2 June 2025

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Mandatory Covid jabs to be imposed on NHS staff despite warnings

Mandatory Covid vaccinations will be imposed on NHS staff, despite fears it could cause a workforce exodus, The Independent understands.

Sources have confirmed the government is expected to make an announcement tomorrow on plans to make jabs a condition of employment for the 1.3 million NHS staff in England.

Ministers are likely to delay the new requirement until next spring, after health bosses raised concerns over the impact it would have on NHS staffing levels during this winter.

Earlier this week. NHS Providers, which represents NHS trusts in England, warned the imposition of vaccinations could drive staff out of the NHS. Around 100,000 workers are yet to have a Covid vaccination.

Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, warned the government needed to acknowledge the risk to patient safety if thousands of unvaccinated NHS staff opted to leave their jobs rather than have the vaccine.

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Source: The Independent, 3 November 2021

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Manchester to open two homes for vulnerable children stuck in hospital

Manchester city council is setting up two special children’s homes to house the increasing number of vulnerable young people who end up stuck in hospital because no residential providers will take them.

The homes, believed to be the first of their kind, aim to undercut private operators which sometimes demand tens of thousands of pounds each week to look after children with the most complex needs. 

Five Manchester children with complex emotional needs spent many weeks in hospital in 2022 because no children’s homes would take them because of their challenging behaviour, according to the city council’s director of children’s services.

Manchester council has developed what it calls the Take a Breath model. Two houses are being renovated to house up to four children in total, with the first hopefully moving in by March. The idea is that when children first turn up at hospital – often at accident and emergency after a suicide attempt or self-harming incidents – once their injuries have been treated they can be discharged straight into the new homes rather than occupying a paediatric bed they do not need.

Jointly commissioned by the council and the NHS, the two homes will cost £1.4m a year. Of that, MCC expects to spend £5,500 a week for each child.

It represents a huge cost saving compared with some external placements. Last year the council was charged £16,550 a week by one private provider to look after a young profoundly autistic person with learning difficulties deemed a danger to themselves and to others.

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Source: The Guardian, 22 January 2023

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Manchester Royal Infirmary under major pressures

Staff at Manchester's Royal Infirmary have said they are facing mounting pressures amid staff shortages and increasingly long waiting lists in A&E. 

Doctors and nurses have said they were told a 'major incident' was declared, however, it was then reduced to an internal incident in an attempt to avoid 'bad press'. 

A clinician has said A&E patients are now regularly waiting over 8 to 10 hours overnight due to an increasing influx of patients and a surge in children attending A&E.

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Source: The Independent, 26 June 2021

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Managers wrongly dismissed doctor with PTSD, tribunal rules

A trust breached its own internal illness policy when managers sacked a doctor who had PTSD and had been drunk at work, an employment tribunal has ruled.

Judges criticised the move as a “complete failure” by East and North Hertfordshire Trust when Vladimir Filipovich was dismissed in July 2019.

Dr Filipovich was summoned to a hearing following allegations he had been drunk at work, did not disclose a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder to his employer, and failed to take a recommended prescription of Citalopram.

In a decision published this month, the tribunal sharply criticised how the trust’s investigator handled the Citalopram claim, concluding he “did nothing to investigate the matter whatsoever”, and found ENHT had “appeared to simply take legal advice” on how to dismiss Dr Filipovich.

The tribunal also concluded ENHT “stopped following” its own illness policy, which aimed to get practitioners to return to work, and “abandoned” its requirement to obtain the latest occupational advice.

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Source: HSJ, 21 July 2023

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Managers raising safety concerns ‘must not be jumped on’, says NHSE director

Regulation of managers must not lead to a disbarring process without also introducing ”developmental” and supportive measures, NHS England’s national patient safety director has said.

Speaking at HSJ’s Patient Safety Congress, Aidan Fowler was asked whether NHS board members and managers should be regulated, amid calls for this in the wake of the Lucy Letby scandal. 

He said: “I think there are pros and cons to regulation… What I would say is that you just have to be cautious that you do not lead to a disbarring process without the developmental side of regulation, and the support side of regulation. For staff, to support them to do a good job.

“We have seen that there is a gap in patient safety training for boards, which we need to work on, for them to understand and to encourage them to talk about it more.

“I think there is a developmental part of regulation, which is really important… in any discussion. I know because we are already having discussions around it. That is a key part to pay attention to.”

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Source: HSJ,18 September 2023

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Managers fear ‘unfair’ professional regulation

More NHS managers support regulation of their roles than oppose it, despite many fearing its implementation will be unfair or disproportionate, a survey suggests. 

The trade union Managers in Partnership surveyed NHS managers working at Agenda for Change band 8a and above throughout the UK late last year, collecting 291 responses.

Asked whether they “in principle… support professional regulation of NHS managers”, 49% said they supported or strongly supported it. Just 19% said they opposed or strongly opposed, while the remainder were neutral.

However, respondents – 22% of whom said they were already covered by a professional regulator, and likely to be nurses, doctors or finance or legal professionals – appeared sceptical about the benefits. 

Asked whether they thought professional regulation of NHS managers would make processes for raising concerns/whistleblowing better or worse, only 26% said it would be better. 20% said these would get worse, and the remainder said it would be “about the same”. 

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Source: HSJ, 9 January 2023

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Managers are being ‘re-educated’ after losing skills, says Mackey

Managers are having to be “re-educated” after losing skills in recent years, the chief executive of NHS England has said.

Speaking at the Medical Journalists’ Association’s annual lecture on Thursday, Sir Jim Mackey was asked whether he was satisfied with the calibre of managers in the NHS.

He said “generally people that work in the NHS really care about what they do” and that managers were working in highly challenging circumstances, and often in “really horrible jobs where all the risk is managed”.

But he also acknowledged a concern expressed by other NHS leaders that many managers had become “deskilled at some things”, in part due to the coronavirus pandemic and how systems have worked in the recovery period since then.

Sir Jim said: “We are having to re-skill [and] train people again in things like waiting list management, some stuff on flow and ED management, those sorts of things.

“So, they are being rebuilt, and people are being re-coached and re-educated.”

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Source: HSJ, 9 May 2025

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Managers ‘felt pressured and bullied’ in overcrowded ED

Managers in a major emergency department felt “pressured and bullied not to disclose difficulties” and were left to manage “extreme risk” including avoidable deaths, the Care Quality Commission has reported.

The CQC warned University Hospitals Sussex Foundation Trust it could face enforcement action over concerns about overcrowding and the use of “escalation areas” for emergency care at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.

In a report issued today, the hospital’s emergency care was rated “requires improvement” overall, but “inadequate” for safety. It was based on an inspection in February, prompted by concerns raised with the CQC.

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Source: HSJ, 17 December 2025

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Managers ‘defensive and frustrated’ in response to staff concerns

Staff at an ambulance trust fear their managers will “retaliate” if they report concerns to the Freedom to Speak Up Guardian, a board report reveals.

South Central Ambulance Service Foundation Trust’s board was told of staff reports that some managers “actively identify and challenge” those who raise concerns or suggestions, “contributing to a culture of apprehension and mistrust”. 

The points were reported to a board meeting last week by its FTSU Guardian Christine McParland. Guardians are meant to act as an independent and confidential channel for employees to raise problems at work, and to support them to do so. 

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Source: Health Service Journal, 3 December 2025.

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Manager ‘bootcamps’ helped eliminate two-year waiters

The chief executive of one of the first teaching trusts in the country to have eliminated two-year waiters for elective care has said there is ‘no magic to it’ and it can be replicated elsewhere.

Since the beginning of April, University Hospitals of Coventry and Warwickshire Trust has reported zero patients waiting over two years for their elective treatment – ahead of NHS England’s target of July 2022.

According to the latest data, there are now 42 trusts that have eliminated 104-week waits and UHCW is the largest trust to have done this. 

UHCW chief executive Andy Hardy said that in order to achieve this the trust had been “relentless” in its focus on waiting times and had set up “bootcamps” to help managers understand how referral to treatment works.

Mr Hardy said in an interview with HSJ: “It really does come down to a laser-like focus on waiting times, both at an executive level, down to a group level, and down to speciality level. It can be replicated. There’s no magic to it.”

He said: “We use data to drive our organisations away from bad decisions and I have a weekly access meeting with the chief operating officer to look at where we are against all access targets, but obviously we focus on waiting times."

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Source: HSJ, 15 June 2022

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Management training scheme more likely to reject minority ethnic applicants

Applicants from minority ethnic backgrounds are much more likely than others to be rejected by the NHS graduate management training scheme, HSJ can reveal.

Last year, 84% of the 37,557 applications to the graduate management training scheme were from people with a minority ethnic background, but they made up 38% of the 197 people that started the scheme.

HSJ analysis of NHS England data shows that of the previous five full recruitment cycles, one in every 198 minority ethnic applicants was successful, compared to one in every 41 for white applicants.

Of the 1,193 successful applicants in each of the past five full recruitment cycles, 321 (27%) identified as from a minority ethnic background. 

The latest NHSE Workforce Race Equality Standard report warned that many more staff were from a minority ethnic background than board members, with the gap, at 16.8% nationally, being “especially large in 2024, having increased from 13.5% in 2021”.

Habib Naqvi, chief executive of the NHS Race and Health Observatory, said the low rate of successful minority applicants to the GMTS identified by HSJ was “concerning, not least because the lack of diverse representation at leadership level is a long-standing challenge for the NHS”.

He told HSJ: “Healthcare leaders need to take stock of the data and lead by example in ensuring opportunities for these coveted placements are equally accessible and open to applicants from Black, Asian, and minority ethnic backgrounds.

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Source: HSJ, 20 October 2025

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Manage ADHD like diabetes, says NHSE taskforce

An inability to access NHS attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) services has resulted in a “significant growth” in the use of unregulated private providers, according to a report from a national taskforce.

The first report of NHS England’s ADHD taskforce found the long-waiting lists to access ADHD diagnosis and treatment services was resulting in “two-tier access… one for those who can pay and another for those who cannot”, which “drive health inequalities”.

Published on Friday, it called on policymakers to “shift rapidly to accessible, regulated and generalist models of care in the community, including primary care and other sectors outside the NHS”.

It called on the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to reconsider that ADHD always requires a highly specialised, secondary care workforce.

“[NICE] should clearly define the meaning of specialist to enable greater involvement of primary care…this approach would align ADHD management with the way other common conditions, such as diabetes, are managed.” 

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Source: HSJ, 22 June 2025

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Man’s life-saving heart surgery cancelled after NHS cyber attack

A heart patient has been left fearing for his health after his life-saving operation was cancelled due to a major cyber attack on London NHS hospitals.

Russell Ashley-Smith, 81, is waiting for complex open heart surgery at King’s College Hospital in Denmark Hill, south London, without which he may only have up to two years to live.

More than 200 emergency procedures were cancelled due to the ransomware hack earlier this month.

Mr Ashley-Smith said: “I understand if I don’t [have the operation] it’s terminal. Doctors said you’ll live for one to two years with declining health and become less and less capable of doing things like walking.

“I would become more dependent on my wife, and more dependent on being taken somewhere by car if I wanted to go outside. I would be unable to make music – I play the cello and the piano – all the things I like doing and I don’t want to be a couch potato."

As well as operations, thousands of patient hospital appointments had to be cancelled across Guy’s and St Thomas’ Foundation Trust and King’s College University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust due to the cyber attack.

The NHS admitted on Friday it would take months for services to recover even once the attack has been resolved, as staff will have to rebook patients for appointments and operations.

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Source: The Independent, 19 June 2024

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Man's suicide could have been prevented

A man who took his own life might have been saved if mental health crisis referrals were improved, a coroner said.

Nigel Hammond died in Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, on 14 March, three days after falling at his Suffolk home.

In a Prevention of Future Deaths Report, external, senior coroner for Suffolk Nigel Parsley said a mental health support team could have got him help sooner, had they not needed to go through a GP first.

In his report, following an inquest this week, Mr Parsley said Mr Hammond had become "seriously mentally unwell" in 2018 and was admitted to a mental health unit for three months.

He had found the admission very traumatic and was "terrified" of the thought of being admitted again. Instead he continued to receive "exemplary" mental health care at home.

On 8 March 2024, his mental health declined again and he was taken to his GP.

The following day he tried to end his own life but was prevented by family intervention, the report said.

His family immediately contacted the on-duty authorised mental health professional (AMHP) from the Suffolk County Council-managed emergency duty service team.

Mr Parsley said he was "concerned" the AMHP had not been able to directly refer Mr Hammond to the crisis team, which would have provided additional support, advice and potentially additional treatment, "in all likelihood preventing his death".

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Source: BBC News, 11 October 2024

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Man's partner 'begged' for help before his death

A man who died from a mixed medication overdose might still be alive if the help his partner was "begging" for had been provided, a coroner said.

Mental health patient Benjamin Stroud, 42, had been under the care of Essex Partnership University NHS Trust (EPUT) in the weeks before his death in March.

Essex coroner Michelle Brown said in a post-inquest report that, despite "escalating psychosis", his care co-ordinator did not flag the case.

Following an overdose of medication in February, his partner, a nurse, called for psychiatric intervention and despite "begging" for help, Mr Stroud's care co-ordinator did not make a referral to the multi-disciplinary team (MDT).

Mr Stroud died at home on 19 March and was found surrounded by empty insulin pens and pain medication.

In her prevention of future deaths report, the coroner said: "It was clear from [his partner's] account that she had been begging the care co-ordinator for Mr Stroud to have an appointment with the psychiatrist, which did not occur and, from the evidence of EPUT, it was clear that Mr Stroud's care co-ordinator did not make any referral to the MDT, despite his escalating psychosis."

The coroner added that the issue of care co-ordinators failing to document their reasons for not referring cases to the MDT had been raised at other inquests.

"If these practices continue there is a real risk of future deaths occurring," Ms Brown warned.

Paul Scott, chief executive at the trust, said: "We will continue to view all safety-related incidents as an opportunity to learn and make sure lessons are shared across the trust."

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Source: BBC News, 16 February 2022

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Man's bed death was avoidable, says coroner

The death of a retired police officer who got his head trapped in a hospital bed was an avoidable accident, an inquest has concluded.

Max Dingle, 83, of Newtown, Powys, died after he became stuck between the rails and mattress at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital on 3 May 2020.

The initial post-mortem test gave the cause of death as heart disease.

But a second examination, commissioned by Mr Dingle's son, found entrapment and asphyxiation to be the cause.

After comparing and discussing their findings, both pathologists then agreed "entrapment did play a significant part in the cause of death", the senior coroner for Shropshire John Ellery said.

The inquest was told Mr Dingle's son Phil had asked for the second post-mortem test because "did not accept" the initial findings and had sought the opinion of a pathologist in Australia, where he lives.

Max Dingle, who had been admitted to the hospital with shortness of breath, died 15 minutes after he was found to be trapped, the hearing was told.

Concluding the inquest, Mr Ellery said: "Based on all the evidence, the conclusions of this inquest are Mr Dingle's death was an avoidable accident."

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Source: BBC News, 1 June 2022

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