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Study reveals extent of Covid vaccine side effects

About one in three people recently given a Covid vaccine by the NHS report some side-effects.

None was serious - a common one was some soreness around the injection site, the UK researchers who gathered the feedback found.

Experts say the findings, from about 40,000 people - mostly healthcare workers - are reassuring for the millions having the vaccines now.

The Zoe app team from King's College London found:

  • 37% experienced some local "after-effects", such as pain or swelling near the site of the injection, after their first dose, rising to about 45% of the 10,000 who had received two doses
  • 14% had at least one whole-body (systemic) after-effect - such as fever, aches or chills - within seven days of the first dose, rising to about 22% after the second dose

These after-effects get better within a few days. All of the medical trials and real-world experiences so far suggest the vaccines are safe and effective.

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Source: BBC News, 4 February 2021

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Can digital technology help embed a strong patient safety culture?

Within a few months of joining Great Ormond Street Hospital Foundation Trust as medical director, Mat Shaw became its chief executive. Heading up the organisation clearly brought with it new responsibilities and challenges, yet he says on one important issue there was little difference between the two roles – namely, the focus on patient safety and enabling clinicians to offer the best possible care for patients.

“I lived through the time when all notes were on paper, when you had five, six volumes of thousands of pages. I lived through that time when it was very difficult to actually know what information to collect, and from where you should collect it, to make decisions around patients. And I recognise we don’t always do the right thing based on those systems.

“So for me it’s been tremendously important to try and bring a system in, and the digital tools which are needed, to make care kinder and also safer, with better outcomes for patients. In our new strategy, digital is front and centre in a way that it’s never been before, because I consider this agenda so important to how we treat patients.”

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Source: HSJ (paywalled), 3 February 2021

 

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Care homes still breaking Covid rules despite fatal outbreaks, inspectors say

Care homes in England operated by profitable chains have been branded unsafe by inspectors, who found serious failures in efforts to control the spread of coronavirus in its latest wave.

In the last month 40% of care homes inspected by the Care Quality Commission in England were judged to be inadequate or in need of improvement. Several handling fatal coronavirus outbreaks were revealed to have broken laws meant to keep residents safe.

Some of the worst failings uncovered in reports filed in the last month include CCTV showing PPE being used wrongly on 63 occasions in one home, infected residents mixing in communal areas with Covid-free residents, chronic staff shortages, and a care home manager continuing to work after showing Covid symptoms.

The spate of problems relates to a small minority of care homes but coincides with a tripling of fatalities linked to the virus among care residents in England and Wales.

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Source: 4 February 2021

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Covid coughing study suggests NHS staff at far greater risk than thought

The NHS has been urged to rethink safety for thousands of frontline staff after new research suggested that Covid patients’ coughing is putting them at far greater risk of catching the virus than previously thought.

The study found that coughing generated at least 10 times more infectious “aerosol” particles than speaking or breathing – which could explain why so many NHS staff have fallen ill during the pandemic.

The research has led to fresh demands that anyone caring for someone with Covid-19, or suspected Covid-19, should be provided with the most protective equipment – including FFP3 respirator masks – and that hospital ventilation should be improved.

Health workers are up to four times more likely to contract coronavirus than the general population, with infection rates among those on general hospital wards approximately double those of intensive care unit (ICU) staff – who do have access to the most protective PPE.

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Source: The Guardian, 3 January 2021

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Report reveals digital health technology must be accessible for all

To be successful digital health technology must be accessible to all while still maintaining the human aspects of healthcare, a new report has said.

‘Digital Health during the Covid-19 Pandemic: Learning Lessons to Maintain Momentum’ draws on research and case studies of good practice in digital health during the pandemic.

The aim of the report is to offer policy recommendations to help ensure the UK capitalises on the potential of digital health to the benefit of patients, the NHS and the UK, after the crisis subsides.

The report, launched by the Patient Coalition for AI, Data and Digital Tech in Health, with support from patient organisations and the Royal Colleges of Nursing and Radiologists, highlights that uptake of digital health technologies has been limited, while patient experience of technologies including video conferencing and mobile apps has been mixed.

While patients strongly believe in the value of digital health, there are still significant concerns about using it, particularly around data collection and sharing.

A number of key organisations gave their support to the report. This included the likes of the British Heart Foundation, Patient Safety Learning and the Royal College of Nursing.

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Source: Digital Health, 3 February 2021

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Long Covid Minister needed to respond to growing crisis

Press release 3 February 2021

The charity Patient Safety Learning and patient group Long Covid Support are calling for the creation of a dedicated Minister for Long Covid to take a coordinated, multi-stakeholder approach to this issue.[1]

Long Covid patients are people with confirmed or suspected Covid-19 who continue to struggle with prolonged, debilitating and sometimes severe symptoms months later.[2] Statistics indicate that there are currently hundreds of thousands of people living with Long Covid in the UK, with at least one in 10 people still experiencing symptoms 12 weeks after initial infection.[3]

While there has been some progress to put in place support for people with Long Covid, there remains a complex spectrum of issues that need to be addressed. These are summarised in a blog, published by Patient Safety Learning and Long Covid Support today, calling for the UK Government to make urgent and significant improvements in their response to Long Covid.[4]

Claire Hastie of the Long Covid Support, said:

“Almost one year on from when many first fell ill, people with Long Covid are simply not getting the help they need. There is an urgent need to increase the pace and scale of the response to help the hundreds of thousands of people affected (including children). This needs to be driven by a dedicated minister with the power to affect change.”

Helen Hughes, Chief Executive of Patient Safety Learning, said:

“People living with Long Covid have too often been left ‘joining the dots’ trying to understand how they can access safe, quality treatment and support and what they can do to improve their health. Clinical advice and access to further investigations has been inconsistent, leaving many feeling abandoned, confused and understandably concerned for their future health outcomes.

Long Covid not only impacts people’s physical and mental health, but also their ability to work and their economic circumstances. We believe the appointment of a Minister for Long Covid would help to provide leadership, accountability and a coordinated response to these challenges.”

Notes to editors:

[1] Patient Safety Learning is a charity and independent voice for improving patient safety. We harness the knowledge, insights, enthusiasm and commitment of health and social care organisations, professionals and patients for system-wide change and the reduction of avoidable harm.

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

[3] Office for National Statistics, The prevalence of Long Covid symptoms and Covid-19 complications, 16 December 2020. https://www.ons.gov.uk/news/statementsandletters/theprevalenceoflongcovidsymptomsandcovid19complications

[4] Patient Safety Learning and Long Covid Support, Long Covid Minister needed to respond to the growing crisis, 3 February 2020. https://www.patientsafetylearning.org/blog/long-covid-minister-needed-to-respond-to-growing-crisis

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People with learning disabilities dying at a greater rate from coronavirus

People with a learning disability must be urgently prioritised for the coronavirus vaccine, charities have warned as new data shows they are almost twice as likely to die from the virus than the general population.

The latest data for learning disability deaths shows 80% of deaths in the week to 22 January were linked to COVID-19. This compares to just 45% in the general population.

The charity Mencap said everyone with a learning disability should be prioritised for the vaccine.

According to its analysis of deaths reported to the Office for National Statistics and the national Learning Disabilities Mortality Review programme, the proportion of deaths among the learning disabled has been increasing every week since November when it was just above 35%.

Harry Roche, an ambassador at Mencap who has a learning disability, said: “The death rate for 18- to 34-year-olds with a learning disability is 30 times higher than the rest of the population. I’m 32 years old and have a learning disability – this statistic scares me. I’m calling on Boris Johnson and Matt Hancock to rethink and prioritise everyone with a learning disability. We are too often forgotten, don’t ignore us now.”

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Source: The Independent, 3 February 2021

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Multiple whistleblowers flag ‘heartbreaking’ incidents at major trust

Clinicians within a major teaching hospital’s cancer services have raised multiple concerns over patient safety, which they believe have resulted from badly planned service changes in response to the covid crisis.

HSJ has spoken to several staff members who have worked in the haematology speciality at University Hospitals Birmingham Foundation Trust since last June, when the services underwent significant changes to free up capacity for coronavirus patients.

This involved most haematology services at Heartlands Hospital in east Birmingham moving to the trust’s main Queen Elizabeth Hospital site in Edgbaston.

The staff, who all wished to remain anonymous, told HSJ the transfer happened at just one week’s notice and was poorly planned. Once implemented, they said QEH’s newly enlarged service suffered from extreme staffing shortages, leading to several “never events”, such as patients being given the wrong blood type.

In one resignation letter, a nurse who had transferred to QEH told managers patients’ “basic care needs are not being met”.

The nurse said most shifts were understaffed, with examples of three nurses looking after 30 patients and added in the resignation letter: “I am witnessing strong and knowledgeable colleagues breaking down on each shift.

“Furthermore, never events are happening at an alarming rate, necessary resources are commonly unavailable and communication between all levels of seniority is poor…"

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Source: HSJ, 2 February 2021

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Some of those most at risk are still not on the Covid vaccine priority list

With the first phase of the UK’s vaccination programme now fully under way, the government’s self-congratulatory tone suggests all clinically vulnerable groups are soon in line for protection. There’s certainly reason to be positive: millions of people are on their way to safety. But look a little closer and many high-risk people are struggling to access the vaccine.

When the vaccine was first introduced last year, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) put shielders – or the “clinically extremely vulnerable” (CEV) – as low as sixth on the priority list, behind older people with no underlying health conditions. It resulted in the baffling situation where a marathon-running 65-year-old was given priority for the vaccine over a 20-year-old with lung disease who needs oxygen support. The government U-turned after pressure, moving CEV people up to fourth spot behind healthy over-75s.

These are complex calculations, but there are still fears some will miss out. Some young disabled people who don’t meet the government’s narrow criteria of CEV and are worried they won’t be prioritised at all.

Shielders – many of whom are of working age and live with children – also have extra risk factors compared with older people. As the British Medical Association said this month, we need a more sophisticated vaccine delivery that takes into account circumstantial factors such as race, health inequality and employment. I’ve received many messages from shielders who are terrified of being forced out to work, or of schools reopening before they get their vaccine.

There are also those with learning disabilities to consider. Currently, only older people with a learning disability, those who have Down’s syndrome or people who are judged as having a severe learning disability are on the priority list. This means that people with a mild or moderate learning disability aren’t prioritised at all. This is despite the fact all people with learning disabilities have a death rate six times higher than the general population. Young adults with a learning disability are 30 times more likely to die of Covid than young adults in the general population.

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Source: The Guardian, 3 February 2021

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Covid patients given early warning home oxygen monitors by paramedics

Coronavirus patients who call an ambulance but are not yet sick enough to go to hospital are being given new home oxygen monitoring kits to help spot those who may deteriorate earlier.

Across the Thames Valley region, thousands of patients will be given the kits which include a pulse oximeter device to monitor blood oxygen levels, a diary to track their symptoms and advice on what to do if they become sicker.

South Central Ambulance Service Trust (SCAS) has become the first ambulance service in the country to launch the scheme after research showed a small drop in oxygen levels among some patients could be an early warning sign of serious complications.

Patients with pneumonia and non-Covid lung conditions often experience shortness of breath before a drop in oxygen levels. But with coronavirus, patients can suffer what has been called ‘silent hypoxia’ where their oxygen levels can fall before the patient becomes breathless and calls for help.

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Source: The Independent, 2 February 2021

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Oxford vaccine could substantially cut spread

The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine could lead to a "substantial" fall in the spread of the virus, say scientists.

The impact of Covid vaccines on transmission has been a crucial unknown that will dramatically shape the future of the pandemic.

The study, which has not been formally published, also showed the vaccine remained effective while people waited for a second dose. It was 76% effective during the three months after the first shot. 

The UK, amid global debate and in sharp contrast to other countries, is prioritising giving the first dose to as many people as possible. The idea is to save more lives by giving more people some protection, but it means people will have to wait around three months for the booster instead of three weeks.

This study - on 17,000 people in the UK, South Africa and Brazil - showed protection remained at 76% during the three months after the first dose. This rose to 82% after people were given the second dose.

Prof Andrew Pollard, from the Oxford Vaccine Trial, said: "These new data provide an important verification of the interim data that was used by more than 25 regulators including the MHRA and EMA to grant the vaccine emergency use authorisation."

"It also supports the policy recommendation made by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation for a 12-week prime-boost interval, as they look for the optimal approach to rollout."

The report does not tackle the impact of the new variants on how well the vaccines work.

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Source: BBC News, 2 February 2021

 

 
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NHS in London asked to plan for ‘possible covid surge later in 2021’

The NHS’s London regional team has told its integrated care systems (ICS) to draw up plans for ‘another possible [covid-19] surge later in 2021’, HSJ has learned.

The guidance, dated February 2021 says: “Later in March/early April we will ask for systems to begin to plan for a possible wave 3 covid surge.”

The NHS England and Improvement London presentation adds: “[The] purpose of the critical care de-surge plan [is to] ensure that the… bed base can expand safely in the event of a 3rd covid surge and/or other major incident/event.”

Any surge in covid cases is likely to be caused by new variants of the virus, such as those originating in Brazil and South Africa, which are more resistant to vaccines, becoming dominant in the UK. At present government advisers think this is unlikely and that even if this scenario did arise, it will be possible to modify vaccines to combat the new strain.

The guidance sets out three other “strategic goals” the ICSs should address. But it has “surprised” senior figures from outside London who were waiting for the national framework for tackling the NHS’ growing elective waiting list expected later this month.

The presentation said the other key goals were to: ensure “staff get… immediate rest and respite”; set out plans to “desurge critical care”; and plan for elective recovery.

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Source: HSJ, 3 March 2021

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UK hospitals failing to follow guidelines on group B Strep

Failures to follow national guidelines to prevent group B Strep infections in newborn babies is leading to a postcode lottery of care and opportunities to stop deadly infections being missed, a new report has found. Nearly 90% of hospitals in the UK are not using the recommended test for GBS carriage – which costs around £11- despite clear guidance issued by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and Public Health England (PHE) that the test can significantly decrease false-negative results.

Group B Strep is the UK’s most common cause of severe infection in newborn babies, causing sepsis, pneumonia, and meningitis. Approximately 800 babies a year in the UK develop group B Strep infection in their first 3 months of life, 50 babies will die, with another 70 survivors left with life-changing disabilities. Most of these infections could be prevented.

Only a tiny number of NHS Trusts are following the key new recommendations around giving pregnant women information on group B Strep, offering testing to some pregnant women, and following Public Health England guidelines on testing for group B Strep. As a result, pregnant women face a postcode lottery, potentially receiving significantly different care from recommended practice.

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Source: Group B Strep Support, 1 February 2021

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Doctor: We're getting self-harming 10-year-olds in A&E

The pandemic has had a deep impact on children, who are arriving in A&E in greater numbers and at younger ages after self-harming or taking overdoses, writes Dr John Wright of Bradford Royal Infirmary.

Children are a lost tribe in the pandemic. While they remain (for the most part) perplexingly immune to the health consequences of COVID-19, their lives and daily routines have been turned upside down.

From surveys and interviews carried out for the Born in Bradford study, we know that they are anxious, isolated and bored, and we see the tip of this iceberg of mental ill health in the hospital.

Children in mental health crisis used to be brought to A&E about twice a week. Since the summer it's been more like once or twice a day. Some as young as 10 have cut themselves, taken overdoses, or tried to asphyxiate themselves.

There was even one child aged eight.

Lockdown "massively exacerbates any pre-existing mental health issues - fears, anxieties, feelings of disconnection and isolation," says A&E consultant Dave Greenhorn.

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Source: BBC News, 2 February 2021

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Coroner calls for new guidance on umbilical venous catheters after baby’s death

A newborn baby died after doctors caring for him failed to realise that the umbilical venous catheter (UVC) through which he was being fed and medicated was wrongly positioned, a coroner has found.

Anna Crawford, assistant coroner for Surrey, called for guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) on the use of the catheters after hearing that none currently exist.

Yo Li was born extremely prematurely at St Peter’s Hospital in Chertsey on 11 January 2019 and transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit, where he was put on mechanical ventilation. A UVC was inserted but it was wrongly positioned within his liver tissue and he died four days later.

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Source: BMJ, 29 January 2021

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Hospital reports rise in pregnant Covid patients

A hospital has reported a "significant" increase in the number of pregnant women being treated for coronavirus.

New Cross Hospital, in Wolverhampton, said part of its maternity ward had been sectioned off for Covid patients. 

Nationally, the proportion of pregnant women in intensive care has almost doubled since the first wave.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists said pregnant women were at no greater risk of being infected with Covid than the general public.

The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust's chief executive said the cause of the increase in the city was unclear.

"We're seeing a lot more pregnant women now suffering with Covid and some of them have been very, very ill," Prof David Loughton said at a regional coronavirus briefing on Friday."We have had some deaths," he continued, "so that is really sad".

An intensive care audit has shown the percentage of pregnant women aged 16-49 has almost doubled in the second wave compared to the first wave of the pandemic. Up until the end of August, 29 women in that age bracket who had been admitted with coronavirus were pregnant, compared to 103 from September to the end of January.

Recently, the intensive care unit treated two Covid-positive pregnant patients and almost 200 expectant mothers tested positive in the city during the past quarter.

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Source: BBC News, 2 February 2021

 

 
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'They've been ignored': older people cared for at home face vaccine delays

More than 2.5 million people over the age of 80 have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, NHS England has said. But the vaccine is failing to reach thousands of elderly people who receive care in their own homes, according to a provider, because they are too frail to travel to vaccination centres or fear catching the virus if they do.

The Guardian spoke to three people who have family members over 80 still waiting to be vaccinated.

“How on earth are elderly people expected to negotiate the system if they don’t have any help?” says Amanda Elliott, 59. Her father-in-law, George Elliott, 98, of Polegate, East Sussex, is still waiting to be vaccinated. “It seems very unfair,” she says.

George, who was a glider pilot in the second world war, doesn’t feel entitled to a jab but finds the situation “puzzling”, Amanda says. He has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), finds it very difficult to move and has a carer going into his home twice a day.

Amanda, a support worker at a school in Sutton, says George received a letter inviting him to book his vaccination online and “tried without success”. He then called to book over the phone and was offered an appointment in Brighton, Hastings or Petersfield, to which he would have difficulty travelling.

“I called the booking line on his behalf last week to find out what he should do as he is housebound. I was directed to his GP and his surgery told me they are not carrying out vaccinations and that I shouldn’t have contacted them about this. They were very unhelpful,” Amanda says.

In Kirkcaldy, Fife, 88-year-old Christina McPhee, who is housebound, is still waiting to be vaccinated. “The district nurse has to administer the vaccine to those who can’t leave their homes, but the local GP practice told me last Friday they have none allocated for those in the area,” says her niece Mary.

AdMcPhee has a tracheostomy and has carers and nurses visiting her several times a day, making her “very vulnerable” because she is high risk. Her sister, Mary’s mother, who is 82 and lives with McPhee, was able to get the vaccine because she could travel to the surgery, but there is no news about when McPhee is likely to receive hers.

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Source: The Guardian, 1 February 2021

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Trusts could get new CQC ratings without inspection

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) could regularly change its ratings of health and care providers without inspectors visiting them, under new plans from the watchdog.

The CQC has said it wants to “move away from using comprehensive, on-site inspection as the main way of updating ratings” and instead use other sources like data and feedback from the public, to update ratings more regularly.

At present — under the tough ratings regime introduced in 2014 in the wake of the Mid Staffs inquiry findings — it cannot change a provider’s score without carrying out a full inspection.

It said in a recently published consultation that inspections “will remain an important part of how we assess quality,” but this will mostly be through more “targeted” inspections linked to significant risks to people’s safety, and the rights of vulnerable people.

During the covid pandemic, CQC has targeted its on-site inspections at services where potential risks are identified, or where improvements are needed.

Professor Ted Baker, the CQC’s chief inspector of hospitals, told HSJ the regulator wanted to move away from its current “fairly rigid” timetable of inspections in favour of a more “flexible” approach.

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Source: HSJ, 2 February 2021

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Patient and People Network to highlight individual needs first

Self-care, self-management, illness prevention and personal goals are a vital part of wellbeing for many patients and carers. That’s why the Professional Records Standard Body (PRSB) is building a Patient and People Network, in order to support them in influencing the information that is prioritised for care and decide how it’s shared. 

Covid has changed health and care priorities permanently and we know that digital is here to stay. Our goal is to ensure this can be done in the best way possible to maximise patient benefits and minimise any risks. To do this we have established a people priorities team, made up of patients and engagement specialists, and developed a strategy to help us deliver a programme of work that puts patient needs and priorities at its heart. We will be aiming to expand the team of patients and carers we currently work with, to address the issues that they feel are most pressing as well as work closely with our members’ and partners’ user networks. This will include challenges such as health inequalities, lack of access to information and sharing in decision-making. We appreciate that people’s information needs may be different to the professionals who treat them, but are equally important.  

Our goals will be to work with a more diverse network of people on projects and better support people in sharing their views and concerns. We will be re-evaluating current processes to ensure that topics are accessible and that people feel they can get involved and share their views in a meaningful way to support change within the system.  The new network will also offer support and training where needed. If you’re a carer or someone who has used services in the past and would like to get involved, please contact us on info@theprsb.org.  

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Gender clinic bosses at controversial NHS facility are removed after regulators highlighted a string of failures including managing patient safety risk

Bosses at the controversial NHS gender-change clinic for children have been removed after regulators highlighted a string of failures.

The management team of the Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) in London has been 'disbanded', documents reveal. It comes weeks after the clinic, run by the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust, was judged 'inadequate' by the Care Quality Commission.

Watchdogs said staff were afraid to raise concerns about patient safety for fear of 'retribution' from bosses. 

A report said: 'Staff did not always manage risk well. Many of the young [patients] were vulnerable and at risk of self-harm."

The management team of the Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) in London has been 'disbanded', documents reveal. It comes weeks after the clinic, run by the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust, was judged 'inadequate' by the Care Quality Commission.

"The size of the waiting list meant staff were unable to proactively manage the risks to patients waiting for a first appointment."

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Source: MailOnline, 31 January 2021

 

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Maternity staff facing extreme burnout over staff shortages and longer busier shifts, warn healthcare leaders

Maternity staff are facing extreme burnout during the pandemic as staff shortages and longer, busier shift patterns lead to the workforce becoming increasingly overwhelmed, healthcare leaders warned.

Senior figures working in pregnancy services told The Independent healthcare professionals are working longer hours, covering extra shifts around the clock, and spending more time on call to compensate for increasing numbers of employees taking time off work after getting coronavirus.

Staff say stress-related absences have reached “worryingly” high levels, with junior doctors and midwives “thrown into the deep end” due to having to fill in for colleagues.

Professionals argued the coronavirus crisis will lead to a rise in doctors, nurses and midwives suffering post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health issues – raising concerns staff exhaustion could curb patient safety and standards of care.

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Source: The Independent, 31 January 2021

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Covid: Vaccine offered to all care home residents in England, says NHS

Coronavirus vaccines have been offered to residents at every eligible care home for the elderly in England, according to health officials.

NHS England said that more than 10,000 homes had been visited by staff delivering the jab in a bid to prioritise those most vulnerable to COVID-19.

Vaccinations were postponed at a small number of homes for safety reasons during a local outbreak and some residents have not received a jab for clinical reasons.

However, staff will return to those homes as soon as possible, a spokesperson for NHS England said.

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Source: The Independent, 1 February 2021

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Urgent children’s ops routinely cancelled due to covid pressure

Dozens and potentially hundreds of urgent operations for children have been cancelled during the third wave of the covid pandemic, HSJ can reveal.

There are also concerns that national guidance for prioritising surgery “disadvantages” young people.

Several well placed sources told HSJ that urgent operations for children have been delayed in recent weeks because of covid pressures. This is because of a combination of staff being diverted to help with adults sick with covid, and space in children’s facilities — including intensive care — being taken over for adult covid care, as well as other staff being absent due to covid.

The royal college of surgeons has told HSJ that urgent children’s operations “are increasingly being cancelled around the country”.

Dozens and potentially hundreds of children’s operations rated as priority two — those which are urgent and should be carried out within a month — have been cancelled and delayed in recent weeks in the capital, according to several well placed sources. This is alongside potentially thousands of priority three operations being cancelled, which are those needing to be carried out within three months.

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Source: HSJ, 31 January 2021

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COVID-19: 'Traumatised' hospital staff need time to recover

"Traumatised" and "exhausted" medical staff need time to recover before tackling an NHS backlog, says the group representing hospitals in England.

Many staff could resign if their wellbeing is not factored into plans to cut waiting lists, NHS Providers said.

The number of people waiting more than a year for surgery rose 1,613 to 192,000 during the Covid pandemic. NHS Providers said demand for hospital beds is easing, but the pressure on intensive care units is still intense.

NHS Providers estimates that it is going to be at least a month before the NHS gets back to normal winter pressures, and trusts are concerned about the transition into the next phase of the pandemic.

Critical work that has been postponed, including a small number of urgent cancer cases, will be a priority, but there remains a need to tackle a wider backlog of routine operations alongside the vaccination programme.

NHS Providers said trusts will work as fast as possible to tackle the backlog, but leaders cannot do so at the expense of staff burnout.

Last month, a study suggested that many hospital staff treating the sickest patients during the first wave of the pandemic were left traumatised by the experience. Nearly half reported symptoms of severe anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder or problem drinking. One in seven had thoughts of self-harming or being "better off dead".

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Source: BBC News, 1 February 2021

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Pregnant women going for scans alone told they cannot film baby

Pregnant women attending scans and appointments alone are repeatedly being told they cannot record or take photographs of their unborn child to show their partner, according to a survey.

The poll of more than 3,450 pregnant women by the campaign group Pregnant Then Screwed found that more than half of respondents (52%) attended scans alone and were also told that they could not record or take photographs during the appointment.

NHS trusts have been warned that they could be acting unlawfully if they continue to ban partners of pregnant women accessing hospital appointments remotely. Women are repeatedly being told it is “illegal” to photograph or film their scan, despite this not being the case, said the charity Birthrights, which sought the legal advice.

“We are keen to see maternity services accommodate partners in person, in line with national guidance,” said Birthrights’ programmes director, Maria Booker. “However if this is really not possible at some hospitals during the current peak, maternity services must find other ways to ensure women feel supported and partners remain involved.”

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Source: The Guardian, 31 January 2021

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