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Girl, 13, likely to have survived if moved to intensive care, coroner rules

A 13-year-old girl who died after contracting sepsis in an NHS hospital probably would have survived if doctors had identified the warning signs and transferred her to intensive care earlier, a coroner has ruled.

Martha Mills was the first ever child to die at King’s College hospital (KCH) with a pancreatic injury of the type she sustained in a fall from her bike on an off-road family trail in Wales while on holiday last year. She was transferred to the south London hospital because it is one of three national centres for the care of children with pancreatic trauma.

An inquest at St Pancras coroner’s court, north London, heard that several opportunities were missed to refer Martha to intensive care, which probably would have saved her life.

In an emotional witness statement, Martha’s mother, Merope, said that after their daughter contracted an infection on 21 August last year, she and her husband, Paul Laity, raised concerns about Martha’s deteriorating health a number of times but doctors sought to reassure them rather than escalate her care.

Mills said in her statement that she explicitly raised her fears about Martha going into septic shock over the bank holiday weekend.

On 29 August, Martha had high fever, low blood pressure, a racing heart and a rash, which was misdiagnosed by a junior doctor despite Mills voicing her concern that it was caused by sepsis. It was only the next day that Martha was admitted to paediatric intensive care.

“I felt that my anxieties about all of Martha’s symptoms, and especially what they might mean when put together and considered in the round, weren’t given proper acknowledgement,” Mills told the court.

Prof William Bernal, who produced a serious incident report on Martha’s death for KCH, said there were at least five occasions when she should have had a critical care review.

He wrote that Martha’s chances of survival “would have been greatly increased” if she had been admitted to critical care earlier.

The inquest heard that KCH was making changes in the wake of Martha’s death, including improving diagnostics and taking account of parents’ views.

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Source: The Guardian, 3 March 2022

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Girl left unwatched by agency worker at psychiatric unit was unlawfully killed, inquest finds

A vulnerable 14-year-old girl was unlawfully killed when an agency support worker failed to keep her under observation at a secure psychiatric unit, an inquest jury has concluded.

The worker, who used a false identity, left Ruth Szymankiewicz alone even though she had complex mental health issues and was judged to need constant watching because she was a suicide risk.

Ruth was able to slip back to her room and harmed herself at the privately run Huntercombe hospital near Maidenhead on 12 February 2022. She died two days later.

During the inquest it emerged that the worker, who went under the stolen identity Ebo Acheampong, had never worked at any hospital before the day he was put in charge of observing Ruth and did not receive an induction before his shift.

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Source: The Guardian, 14 August 2025

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Girl died after sepsis guidelines ignored

A five-year-old girl who died due to sepsis complications could have been saved if clinical guidelines had been followed, an inquest heard.

Ava Macfarlane died of toxic shock caused by a bacterial infection on 15 December 2017. She had presented with symptoms when she first went to hospital two days earlier but they were not picked up. Nottingham Coroner's Court heard she was given Calpol and ibuprofen before doctors allowed her to go home.

Dr Shearn admitted Ava had been showing at least two "red flags" of sepsis and if he had followed guidelines from the National Institute for Health Care and Excellence and the Sepsis Trust, then the infection would have been picked up earlier. When asked by Assistant Coroner Laurinda Bower whether the "failure to follow the Sepsis 6 Pathway contributed to her death", he replied "it probably did".

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Source: BBC News, 2 September 2019

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Girl died after missed opportunities, inquest finds

There were "missed opportunities" to treat a four-year-old girl who visited A&E and a GP in the 48 hours before her death, an inquest jury has concluded.

Makenna-Rose Thackray died on 20 December 2022 after stopping breathing and going into cardiac arrest.

She was taken to Wakefield's Pinderfields Hospital by ambulance two days earlier but went home after her family endured a fruitless six-hour wait for treatment. They visited a GP the following day and were sent home without antibiotics.

A lawyer for Makenna-Rose's family said the evidence showed the girl's death was "entirely preventable".

On 18 December Makenna-Rose had been taken to children's A&E but the inquest heard the two nurses on shift that night dealt with almost 80 children, instead of the 30 to 40 which could have been safely treated.

Earlier in proceedings, one of the nurses on shift that night, Helen Parker, described the shift as "one of the worst" and when asked if they were under-staffed, replied: "Absolutely, yes."

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Source: BBC News, 11 July 2024

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Ghana first to approve 'world-changer' malaria vaccine

Ghana is the first country to approve a new malaria vaccine that has been described as a "world-changer" by the scientists who developed it.

The vaccine - called R21 - appears to be hugely effective, in stark contrast to previous ventures in the same field.

Ghana's drug regulators have assessed the final trial data on the vaccine's safety and effectiveness, which is not yet public, and have decided to use it.

The World Health Organization is also considering approving the vaccine.

Malaria kills about 620,000 people each year, most of them young children.

It has been a massive, century-long, scientific undertaking to develop a vaccine that protects the body from the malaria parasite.

But widespread use of the vaccine hinges on the results of a larger trial involving nearly 5,000 children.

These had been expected to take place at the end of last year, but have still not been formally published. However, they have been shared with some government bodies in Africa, and scientists.

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Source: BBC News, 13 April 2023

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Germany’s doctors call for clear rules to “break chains of infection” as cases soar

Politicians and doctors in Germany have called for urgent action to control the spread of COVID-19 after a record number of cases were reported on 11 November.

Germany had 50 196 new confirmed Covid cases on 11 November, up from 39 676 cases on 10 November and 9658 on 1 November, showed figures from the Robert Koch Institute. A total of 235 Covid related deaths were reported on 11 November, up from 23 on 1 November.

Speaking in the Bundestag, Germany’s lower house of parliament, the federal vice chancellor, Olaf Scholz, said that immediate steps must be taken to “winterproof” Germany against what is being described as the nation’s fourth wave of Covid-19. Scholz will meet next week with the prime ministers of Germany’s 16 states to discuss new measures to fight the pandemic.

“The virus is still with us and threatens the health of citizens,” Scholz said, adding that efforts must be intensified to convince unvaccinated Germans to become fully vaccinated and encourage those already vaccinated to have the booster shot."

Everything must be done, he said, to ensure “that millions of citizens get a booster—that is the task of the next weeks and months.”

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Source: BMJ, 12 November 2021

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Germany faces ‘catastrophic’ paediatric bed shortage as RSV cases soar

Intensive care doctors in Germany have warned that hospital paediatric units in the country are stretched to breaking point in part due to rising cases of respiratory infections among infants.

The intensive care association DIVI said the seasonal rise in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cases and a shortage of nurses was causing a “catastrophic situation” in hospitals.

RSV is a common, highly contagious virus that infects nearly all babies and toddlers by the age of two, some of whom can fall seriously ill. Experts say the easing of coronavirus pandemic restrictions means RSV is affecting a larger number of babies and children, whose immune systems aren’t primed to fend it off.

Cases of RSV and other respiratory illnesses have also increased in the UK and in the US, which is also suffering from a shortages of antivirals and antibiotics.

In Germany, hospital doctors are having to make difficult decisions about which children to assign to limited intensive care beds. In some cases, children with RSV or other serious conditions are getting transferred to hospitals elsewhere in Germany with spare capacity.

“If the forecasts are right, then things will get significantly more acute in the coming days and week,” Sebastian Brenner, head of the paediatric intensive care unit at University Hospital Dresden, told German news channel n-tv. “We see this in France, for example, and in Switzerland. If that happens, then there will be bottlenecks when it comes to treatment.”

Others warned that, in certain cases, doctors already were unable to provide the urgent care some children need.

“The situation is so precarious that we genuinely have to say children are dying because we can’t treat them any more,” Dr. Michael Sasse, head of paediatric intensive care at Hanover’s MHH University hospital, said.

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Source: The Guardian, 1 December 2022

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German nurse gets life in jail after murdering 10 to reduce workload

A palliative care nurse in Germany has been sentenced to life in prison after he was convicted of the murder of 10 patients and the attempted murder of 27 others.

Prosecutors alleged that the man, who has not been publicly named, injected his mostly elderly patients with painkillers or sedatives in an effort to ease his workload during shifts overnight.

The offences were committed between December 2023 and May 2024 in a hospital in Wuerselen, in western Germany.

Investigators are reported to be looking into several other suspicious cases during his career.

According to media outlet Agence France-Presse (AFP), the unnamed man had been employed at the hospital in Wuerselen since 2020, after completing training as a nursing professional in 2007.

Prosecutors told a court in Aachen that he showed "irritation" and a lack of empathy to patients who required a higher level of care, and accused him of playing "master of life and death".

The court was told that he injected patients with large doses of morphine and midazolam, a type of sedative, in an effort to reduce his workload during night shifts.

When issuing the life sentence, the court said that the man's crimes carried a "particular severity of guilt" which should bar him from early release after 15 years.

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Source: BBC News, 6 November 2025

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German doctor charged with murder of 15 patients

A German palliative care doctor has been charged with murdering 15 of his patients using a cocktail of lethal drugs.

Prosecutors in Berlin have accused the 40-year-old of setting fire to the homes of some of his suspected victims to cover his tracks.

He allegedly killed 12 women and three men between September 2021 and July 2024, though prosecutors have said they believe that total could rise.

The doctor, who has not been named due to strict privacy laws in Germany, has not admitted to the charges, prosecutors said.

He is accused of administering an anaesthetic and a muscle relaxant to his patients without their knowledge or consent.

The relaxant "paralysed the respiratory muscles, leading to respiratory arrest and death within minutes", the prosecutor's office said in a statement.

He worked in several German states, and the ages of those whose deaths are being treated as suspicious range from 25 to 94.

The doctor was initially suspected of having killed four people in his care when he was arrested in August 2024 but investigations have uncovered other suspicious deaths, with more exhumations on potential victims planned.

A "lifelong professional ban" and "preventative detention" is being sought for the 40-year-old suspect. He remains in custody.

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Source: BBC News, 16 April 2025

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Genetic test predicts likelihood of developing common type of leukaemia

Scientists have developed a genetic test to predict whether someone will develop a common type of blood cancer.

The breakthrough could lead to potential patients being warned about the risk of progressive Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (CLL) and boost their chances of survival.

CLL affects the white blood cells and tends to develop slowly over many years, mostly affecting those aged over 60. By studying blood samples of people with CLL, researchers found they often had the same "genetic tendency" to develop progressive forms of the illness.

The team, from eight UK universities and the Institute for Cancer Research, said their work would help doctors "move towards a more personalised diagnosis of leukaemia".

Haematology consultant Dr David Allsup, who is also a senior lecturer at Hull York Medical School, said: "Not only does the research inform us if patients have the genetic tendency to develop progressive CLL, but it also enables us to determine whether or not a patient's CLL will require treatment in the future or not."

"That way, we are able to keep a close eye on the patients with a high risk, and have treatment options available as soon as they are required."

Professor James Allan, from Newcastle University's Centre for Cancer, said: "Emerging evidence suggests that early treatment for patients at high risk of developing progressive CLL could significantly delay the onset of symptomatic leukaemia and improve survival."

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Source: The Independent, February 9 F2021

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Generation of children held back as hundreds of thousands wait for key NHS care

Hundreds of thousands of children have been left waiting by the NHS for the developmental therapies they need, with some waiting more than two years, The Independent can reveal.

The long waiting lists for services such as speech and language therapy will see a generation of children held back in their development and will “impact Britain for the long haul”, according to the head of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH).

More than 1,500 children have been left waiting for two years for NHS therapies, according to internal data obtained by The Independent, while a further 9,000 have been waiting for more than a year. The total waiting list for children’s care in the community is 209,000.

Dr Camilla Kingdon, president of the RCPCH, told The Independent: “The extent of the community waiting lists is extremely alarming. Community health services such as autism services, mental health support and speech and language therapy play a vital role in a child’s development into healthy adulthood, and in helping children from all backgrounds reach their full potential.

“A lack of access to community health services also has direct implications for children and families in socio-economic terms. Delays accessing these essential services can impact social development, school readiness and educational outcomes, and further drive health inequalities across the country.”

She said health and care staff are working immensely hard, but that without support they will struggle to address the long delays, which will “impact Britain for the long haul”.

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Source: The Independent, 26 December 2022 

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General practice is like calling an Uber, MPs say

Patients in England are being put at risk because of the unacceptably poor service they receive from GPs, MPs say.

The House of Commons' Health Committee blamed the failure to tackle doctor shortages, which had led to a decline in the GP-patient relationship.

Seeing a GP should not be like booking an Uber with a driver you are unlikely to see again, the MPs said. The warning comes just weeks after ministers launched a drive to improve access to GP services. But the cross-party group of MPs said more needed to be done.

Louise Ansari, from the patient group Healthwatch England, said, "The impacts of poor access can be huge, with people feeling abandoned and suffering in silence and not getting referred to hospitals for more specialised treatment."

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Source: BBC News, 20 October 2022

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Gene-edited babies: Current techniques not safe, say experts

Current scientific techniques are not yet safe or effective enough to be used to create gene-edited babies, an international committee says.

The technology could one day prevent parents from passing on heritable diseases to children, but the committee says much more research is needed.

The world's first gene-edited babies were born in China in November 2018. The scientist responsible was jailed, amid a fierce global backlash. The committee was set up in response.

Gene-editing could potentially help avoid a range of heritable diseases by deleting or changing troublesome coding in embryos. But experts worry that modifying the genome of an embryo could cause unintended harm, not only to the individual but also future generations that inherit these same changes.

It made several recommendations, including:

  • Extensive conversations in society before a country decides whether to permit this type of gene-editing.
  • If proven to be safe and effective, initial uses should be limited to serious, life-shortening diseases which result from the mutation of one or both copies of a single gene, such as cystic fibrosis.
  • Rigorous checks at every stage of the process to make sure there are no unintended consequences, including biopsies and regular screening of embryos.
  • Pregnancies and any resulting children to be followed up closely.
  • An international scientific advisory panel should be established to constantly assess evidence on safety and effectiveness, allowing people to report concerns about any research that deviates from guidelines.

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Source: BBC News, 4 September 2020

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Gene silencing medicine transforms crippling pain

An innovative type of medicine - called gene silencing - is set to be used on the NHS for people who live in crippling pain.

The drug treats acute intermittent porphyria, which runs in families and can leave people unable to work or have a normal life. Clinical trials have shown severe symptoms were cut by 74% with the drug.

While porphyria is rare, experts say the field of gene silencing has the potential to revolutionise medicine.

Sisters Liz Gill and Sue Burrell have both had their lives turned around by gene silencing. Before treatment, Liz remembers the trauma of living in "total pain" and, at its worst, she spent two years paralysed in hospital. Younger sister Sue says she "lost it all overnight" when she was suddenly in and out of hospital.

Both became used to taking potent opioid painkillers on a daily basis. But even morphine could not block the pain during a severe attack that needed hospital treatment.

Gene silencing gets to the root-cause of the sisters' disease rather than just managing their symptoms. Their porphyria leads to a build-up of toxic proteins in the body, that cause the physical pain. Gene silencing "mutes" a set of genetic instructions to block that protein production.

Both had been taking the therapy as part of a clinical trial and are still getting monthly injections.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), which approves drugs for use in England, said the therapy "would improve people's quality of life" and was "value for money".

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Source: BBC News, 21 October 2021

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Gender identity specialists accuse psychology body of ‘contributing to fear’

Some of the most senior gender identity specialists in the UK have accused their professional body of “contributing to an atmosphere of fear” around young people receiving gender-related healthcare.

More than 40 clinical psychologists have signed an open letter to the Association of Clinical Psychologists UK in protest at the organisation’s recent position statement on the provision of services for gender-questioning children and young people. They say they believe there was a failure to properly consult experts in the field or service users, resulting in a “misleading” statement that “perpetuates damaging discourses about the work and gender-diverse identities more broadly”.

About half of those signatories are current or former holders of senior roles – including the current director – at what was the only NHS gender identity service for children in England and Wales, the Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) at the Tavistock and Portman NHS foundation trust in London.

NHS England announced in July it would be closing the GIDS and replacing it with regional hubs, after being warned by the interim report of the Cass Review into gender services for young people that having only one provider was “not a safe or viable long-term option”.

In 2021, inspectors rated the service “inadequate” overall and highlighted overwhelming caseloads, deficient record-keeping and poor leadership, suggesting that record waiting lists meant thousands of vulnerable young people were at risk of self-harm as they waited years for their first appointment.

In a position statement published last month, the ACP-UK wrote that “the new, regional services will have to offer a radical alternative [after the closure of GIDS] to meet the needs of all young people with gender dysphoria.”

The letter suggests: “An alternative interpretation is that it is possible to provide support for distress related to gender identity where mental health needs and neurodiversity are also present, and remain cognisant of all factors within formulation-based practice”.

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Source: The Guardian, 2 November 2022

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Gender identity development service for children rated inadequate

The UK’s main gender identity development service for children is leaving thousands of vulnerable young people at risk of self-harm as they wait years for their first appointment, according to a highly critical report.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) took immediate enforcement action against the Tavistock and Portman NHS foundation trust when it completed the inspection in November, which rated the service overall “inadequate” and highlighted overwhelming caseloads, deficient record-keeping and poor leadership.

The commission, which heard from young people using the service, parents, carers and staff in the course of its inspection, told the trust that services and waiting times in the Gender Identity Development Services (GIDS) in both their London and Leeds clinics “must improve significantly”, demanding monthly updates on numbers on waiting lists and actions to reduce them.

The service has faced major scrutiny in recent years, with some former staff and campaigners raising concerns about the “overdiagnosing” of gender dysphoria, the consequences of early medical interventions and the significant increase in referrals of girls questioning their gender identity.

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Source: The Guardian, 20 January 2021

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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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Gen X issued health warning after millions miss out on vital ‘mid-life MOT’

A watchdog has urged greater awareness for the NHS Health Check after revealing over a third of adults are unfamiliar with the service.

The screening is commonly referred to as the "mid-life MOT." But Healthwatch England found 36% of adults unaware of the vital screening.

A new poll further indicates that many eligible individuals are not receiving invitations. The Savanta survey of 7,407 adults in England found 55% of eligible men and 53% of eligible women have never been invited for the "vital" check-up.

However, around three in five respondents (62% of men and 60% of women) reported attending every health check they were invited to.

“The NHS Health Check is a vital prevention tool, but it only works if people are invited, understand its purpose, and feel motivated to attend,” said Louise Ansari, chief executive at Healthwatch England.

“Our research shows we must ensure that everyone eligible for the Health Check receives an invitation and is given clear information on why it is important.

“Key to this will be using trusted sources like GPs to reach those most at risk.”

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Source: The Independent, 18 September 2025

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Gaza’s collapsing health system shows struggles of medical care in war

The Gaza Strip’s health-care system stands on the brink of collapse as bombings damage hospitals and ambulances and as generators run out of fuel, highlighting how quality medical care is a casualty of war.

Dire scenarios await Gaza’s medical professionals. They face dwindling basic resources such as power, water and anesthesia, compelling doctors to confront wrenching decisions on whose lives to save. The growing humanitarian crisis is plunging health-care workers into the critical emergency planning that follows both human-made and natural disasters — assessing staffing and other resources, managing existing health needs on top of gruesome new ones, and looking out for their own welfare.

“When we are in a disaster setting or conflict, we usually have more patients than resources. We have to be very creative to be able to provide the best care for the most number of people,” said Lindsey Ryan Martin, who is director of global disaster response and humanitarian action at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and has been monitoring the situation in Gaza.

The health-care crisis extends beyond Tuesday’s deadly blast at al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City. Aid organizations say the war continues to imperil an already beleaguered health-care system.

Gaza’s Health Ministry said five hospitals were out of service as of Thursday and an additional 14 health facilities have closed because they lack fuel and electricity.

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Source: The Washington Post, 19 October 2023

 

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Gas and air ban in hospitals leaves mums-to-be in agony

When Amy Fantis gave birth to her first child two years ago, the labour was rapid, lasting only about four hours, and she was reliant on gas and air. Her second baby is due in just a few days — but the hospital has, like others around Britain, imposed a ban on the popular form of pain relief.

Fantis, 36, from Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, is one of many women affected by the decision of several NHS trusts to suspend the use of the gas because of fears that midwives and doctors have been exposed to unsafe levels for prolonged periods. In some hospitals, levels of the nitrous oxide and oxygen mix are more than 50 times higher than the safe workplace exposure limits.

In a survey of more than 16,600 women who gave birth last year, the Care Quality Commission found that 76% of respondents used gas and air at some point during labour.

Although short-term use of the gas in childbirth is harmless to women and their babies, long-term exposure for midwives and doctors can affect the body’s ability to absorb vitamin B12, damaging nerves and red blood cells and causing anaemia. It is not believed that any NHS staff have become ill as a result of long-term exposure to gas and air.

NHS England and the Health and Safety Executive recently warned other hospitals that they need to check the ventilation on maternity wards and ensure staff are kept safe. NHS England is planning to send out new guidance to trusts on the issue after a series of hospitals had to stop using the gas.

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Source: The Times, 25 February 2023

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Gap in crisis services risks future deaths

Only 10 integrated care boards have set up a mental health crisis text service, leaving a “gap” in service provision that could risk future deaths, a coroner has warned.

Joanne Kearsley, senior coroner for Manchester North, raised this concern in a Prevention of Future Deaths report relating to 27-year-old Jessica Smithson, who died by suicide last August. 

During the inquest, the coroner discovered that before her death Ms Smithson, who was under the care of Pennine Care Foundation Trust, contacted Shout, a mental health crisis text message service, after making an allegation of sexual assault to Greater Manchester Police.

Ms Kearsley noted that Shout receives 1,500 to 2,000 crisis texts per day and is contacting police forces with, on average, 28 cases per day where there is an immediate risk to life.

The coroner found that the text crisis service did not know Ms Smithson’s name or location but had an arrangement with the Metropolitan Police, who have the power to try to locate anyone who is at “real immediate risk”.

It was found the service did not contact the police but should have done, although Ms Smithson’s death would not have been averted even if contact was made, Ms Kearsley said.

However, Greater Manchester ICB is one of about 30 ICBs which have not commissioned a local crisis text service, and the coroner warned that this created a “gap” across much of the country, which is being filled by more informal services run by charities. These are not connected to local healthcare providers, and have different policies if someone’s life is at risk, resulting in a “lack of consistency”. 

The coroner warned: “As they are not linked into local NHS trusts, [these [providers] have limited ability to understand local mental health NHS pathways or to offer a more co-ordinated response where someone is already under local mental health services.”

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Source: HSJ, 5 September 2025

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Gap in care for chronically ill prisoners

Prisoners are at risk of being transferred without crucial medication, according to the latest Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) report.

The report reveals errors and delays in the prison healthcare system. The investigation looks into the case study of Martin, a 43-year old inmate, who suffered multiple seizures after his epilepsy medication wasn’t transferred with him to a new prison.

Each day around 120 prisoners with ongoing medication needs are moved between jails. Martin’s case is just one example of a serious outcome when medication was missed. Prisoners may also need to be treated in the community at local hospitals, with prison security staff being taken away from planned duties to accompany them.

Dr Lesley Kay, Deputy Medical Director at HSIB and a Consultant Rheumatologist, has experience of working with prisoners that have long-term conditions: “I have seen first-hand the impact that the lack of medication management can have on patients, particularly when they have long-term conditions. This also places additional pressure on an already stretched NHS and prison service.

“With over 2,400 transfers a month where medication is needed, we recognise how busy prison healthcare staff are and how challenging it is to get medication to the right place at the right time. We know that the system needs to be better and the recommendations we have made are aimed at making the whole process smoother and safer for everyone.”

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Source: HSIB, 10 October 2019

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Gang culture at neurosurgery department, doctor alleges

A "gang culture" existed at an NHS neurosurgery department, a doctor has claimed at his employment tribunal.

Neurosurgeon Mansoor Foroughi is one of two surgeons who alleges patients were put at risk at University Hospitals Sussex, where police are investigating 105 cases of alleged medical negligence.

Four whistleblowers at the trust previously told BBC Newsnight that patients had died unnecessarily while others were "effectively maimed".

They also complained of a "Mafia-like" management culture.

Mansoor Foroughi alleges one colleague was approved to perform complex spinal surgery without adequate training.

He claims a second surgeon undertook procedures that led to a "disproportionate" level of deaths.

Mr Foroughi says a third surgeon undertook private work whilst on call to the NHS, which if true would be a breach of the NHS Code of Conduct.

Universities Hospitals Sussex dismissed Mr Foroughi following a disciplinary hearing which upheld three allegations against him. He alleges the trust punished him because he raised these safety concerns.

The trust said it would "vigorously contest" his claims.

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Source: BBC News, 11 April 2024

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Game-changing ventilators have yet to be given approval by medical regulator

None of the new life-saving mechanical ventilators ordered last month to cope with the increase in coronavirus patients has so far been awarded safety approval.

Models by manufacturers such as Dyson have yet to get the green light from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the Financial Times reported.

It comes a month after the Government issued a rallying cry to put non-medical manufacturers such as Dyson on a "war footing" to make additional machines.

The lag is thought to be due in part to changing clinical understanding of how best to manage the virus.

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Source: The Times, 14 April 2020

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G7 presidency statement – patient safety: from vision to reality

On Monday 22 November, the UK under its G7 Presidency convened a meeting on ‘Patient safety: from vision to reality’, co-sponsored with the World Health Organization (WHO). Patient safety is a critical global public health issue and is essential if health systems are to advance and achieve universal health coverage (UHC). This event provided an important opportunity to demonstrate the continued importance of patient safety as an urgent global endeavour, facilitate international collaboration, and support strategic initiatives designed to eliminate avoidable harm in healthcare globally.

Since 2016, the UK has worked closely with international partners, including in the G7, to raise the profile of patient safety issues and work together to drive solutions. This engagement led to the establishment of the annual Global Ministerial Summit on Patient Safety and adoption by the 72nd World Health Assembly (2019) of a UK co-led Resolution on ‘Global Action on Patient Safety’ (creating an annual World Patient Safety Day on 17 September) and WHO’s ‘Global Patient Safety Action Plan 2021 to 2030’ by the 74th World Health Assembly (2021).

The event on 22 November brought together G7 countries, UK devolved administrations, system partners and patient advocates to share learning and reaffirm the importance of this critical issue. With the unprecedented coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, patient safety has become an even more crucial area for international cooperation, and the event underlined the importance of countries continuing to work together to maintain momentum on improving patient safety worldwide.

The event was chaired by Dr Aidan Fowler, National Director of Patient Safety for NHS England and NHS Improvement, and was very well attended by global experts. The importance of continued international work to improve patient safety was underlined in the keynote speeches from Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of WHO, as well as Sajid Javid, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, and Jeremy Hunt, Chair of the Health and Social Care Committee.

The event also provided an important opportunity for sharing learning from around the world; and highlighted the need for and value of continued collaboration between countries on health issues. Interventions from G7 countries and UK devolved administrations provided important insights into how different countries are tackling this shared aim of eliminating avoidable harm in healthcare. It was clear that although health systems differ from country to country, many threats to patient safety have similar causes and similar solutions.

 

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Source: Department of Health and Social Care, 23 November 2021

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