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Woman accused of faking symptoms of debilitating illness dies aged 33

A 33-year-old New Zealand woman who was accused of faking debilitating symptoms has died of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS).

Stephanie Aston became an advocate for patients' rights after doctors refused to take her EDS symptoms seriously and blamed them on mental illness. She was just 25 when those symptoms began in October 2015. At the time, she did not know she had inherited the health condition.

EDS refers to a group of inherited disorders caused by gene mutations that weaken the connective tissues. There are at least 13 different types of EDS, and the conditions range from mild to life-threatening. EDS is extremely rare.

Aston sought medical help after her symptoms—which included severe migraines, abdominal pain, joint dislocations, easy bruising, iron deficiency, fainting, tachycardia, and multiple injuries—began in 2015, per the New Zealand Herald. She was referred to Auckland Hospital, where a doctor accused her of causing her own illness.

Because of his accusations, Aston was placed on psychiatric watch. She had to undergo rectal examinations and was accused of practising self-harming behaviours. She was suspected of faking fainting spells, fevers, and coughing fits, and there were also suggestions that her mother was physically harming her.

There was no basis for the doctor’s accusations that her illness was caused by psychiatric issues, Aston told the New Zealand Herald. “There was no evaluation prior to this, no psych consultation, nothing,” she said.

She eventually complained to the Auckland District Health Board and the Health and Disability Commissioner of New Zealand. “I feel like I have had my dignity stripped and my rights seriously breached,” she said.

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Source: The Independent, 6 September 2023

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A grandad went into hospital with stomach problems and had to have both legs and a hand amputated

A grandfather who went into hospital with stomach problems needed both of his legs and his left hand amputating after contracting a life-threatening infection.

Stephen Hughes, from Edmondstown, had been admitted to the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Llantrisant, in March 2022, with gallstones and aggressive stomach inflammation. This led to pancreatitis corroding a hole in the duodenum which caused a significant bleed into his gut. The 56-year-old's condition deteriorated and he was transferred to the ICU at the University Hospital of Wales as a patient in critical condition.

Whilst at UHW, his family said that the NHS staff worked tirelessly to stop the internal bleeding he was suffering. His gallbladder was removed on September 8th, 2022, and stents were placed along his arteries. Although these operations were successful, his family claims that Mr Hughes caught sepsis from the feeding tube in his neck on 11 September 2022 whilst recovering.

Stephen’s body prioritised sending blood to his vital organs which resulted in his outer limbs being deprived of blood and oxygen. Stephen then had to have life-altering operations, which resulted in both of his legs being amputated towards the end of September, and his left hand being amputated at the start of October. He was later discharged on 31 October.

A spokesperson for Cardiff and Vale University Health Board said: “As a Health Board we are unable to comment on individual patient cases, however we appreciate how life altering operations are particularly distressing for the individual and also their loved ones.

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Source: Wales Online, 9 September 2023

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You can pay for private healthcare — but can you trust it?

More than a quarter of million people dipped into their savings or took a loan to pay for a private hospital operation or appointment last year — a record high. This year could exceed that.

And who can blame them? With the NHS waiting list at a staggering 7.6 million and monthly strikes by doctors lengthening waiting times, patients are increasingly prepared to jump the queue and pay hard cash to do so.

In an effort to cut waits and expand choice for patients, Rishi Sunak is funnelling thousands more NHS patients into the private sector.

Yet private healthcare is not without risks, many of which are not fully understood. There is a difference between the NHS, which — for all its faults — has been a dependable, free at the point of use health service for more than 75 years, and the sometimes murky world of private doctors and hospital companies who use them.

Can you trust your private doctor? When you look under the bonnet of private healthcare, beyond the glossy adverts, things can get a little uncertain.

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Source: The Times, 10 September 2023

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MPs to investigate sexual harassment of female surgeons

MPs will investigate the sexual harassment and sexual assault of female surgeons taking place within the NHS.

BBC News reported women being sexually assaulted even in the operating theatre, while surgery took place.

And the first major report into the problem found female trainees being abused by senior male surgeons.

The Health and Social Care Committee said it would look into the issue and its chair, Steve Brine, said the revelations were "shocking".

"The NHS has a duty to ensure that hospitals are safe spaces for all staff to work in and to hold managers to account to ensure that action is taken against those responsible," Mr Brine said.

"We expect to look into this when we consider leadership in the NHS in our future work."

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Source: BBC News, 13 September 2023

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Trust ‘led with integrity’ in face of maternity scandal, says CQC

A trust facing a police investigation into one of the NHS’s largest ever maternity scandals is no longer rated ‘inadequate’ by the Care Quality Commission in its well-led and maternity domains.

Nottingham University Hospitals Trust was rated “inadequate” for its leadership and maternity services during inspections in 2021 and 2022, following serious care failings exposed by staff and patients during this period. The Nottinghamshire police confirmed last week they were opening an investigation.

But the regulator noted improvements after its well-led and maternity inspections which took place in April and June.

The well-led rating has gone up from “inadequate” to “requires improvement” and maternity services at both hospitals have also gone up to “requirements improvement”.

Greg Rielly, CQC deputy director of operations in the Midlands, said: “During this inspection, we saw a team that consistently led with integrity who were open and honest in their approach.”

However, he stressed that while the culture across the trust was improving, some staff still didn’t feel able to raise concerns without fear of retribution.

“Leaders were aware of this and were working to create a workplace that is free from bullying, harassment, racism, and discrimination so we hope to see an improved picture soon,” he said.

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Source: HSJ, 13 September 2023

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Patients feel misled by pledge of cannabis on NHS

A high-profile government climbdown which legalised a type of cannabis medicine on the NHS five years ago misled patients, campaigners say.

It was thought the law change would mean the unlicensed drug, which treats a range of conditions, could be freely prescribed by specialist doctors.

But fewer than five NHS patients have been given the medicine, leaving others to either pay privately or miss out.

The government says safety needs to be proven before a wider rollout.

Legalisation of whole-cannabis medicine was hailed as a breakthrough for patients - giving either NHS or private specialist doctors the option to prescribe it if they believed their patients would benefit.

But patients are being turned away, say campaigners, because doctors often do not know about the medicine, which is not on NHS trusts' approved lists. Some specialists who do know about it say there is insufficient evidence of the drug's safety and benefits to support prescribing.

Senior paediatric consultant Dr David McCormick, from King's College Hospital in London, says it was "disingenuous" of the government to suggest in 2018 that NHS prescribing was ready to take place.

"Parents were clamouring at our door, or phoning all the time, as they believed we were able to prescribe and that was not the case.

"The message went out, 'doctors can now prescribe cannabis products' and that put us in a difficult position, because in truth we need to apply for that to be approved by NHS England."

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Source: BBC News, 13 September 2023

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BBL surgery: Woman who died in Turkey 'not told of risks'

A woman who died during an operation for a buttock enlargement in Turkey was not given enough information to make a safe decision about the procedure, a coroner has concluded.

Melissa Kerr, 31, from Gorleston, Norfolk, died at the private Medicana Haznedar Hospital in Istanbul, in 2019.

Ms Kerr had gone abroad to have what is commonly referred to as a Brazilian butt-lift or BBL, the Norwich inquest heard.

The inquest was told Brazilian butt-lift operations carried the highest risk of all cosmetic surgery procedures.

The UK has an agreed moratorium on carrying out such operations due to the dangers involved, expert witness and plastic surgeon Simon Withey said in a report for the inquest.

Mr Withey said if the risk of the procedure had been explained to Ms Kerr before she had financially committed to the procedure she would not "in all probability" have gone through with it.

Coroner Jaqueline Lake said she would be writing a report for the health secretary to try and prevent further deaths from this "risky" procedure. She said she was "concerned patients are not being made aware of the risks or the mortality rate associated with such surgery".

She added, while the UK government had no control over what happens in other countries, "the danger to citizens who continue to travel abroad for such procedures continues... and I'm of the view future deaths can be prevented by way of better information".

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Source: BBC News, 12 September 2023

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Sussex police widen inquiry into Brighton hospital deaths

A police investigation into allegations of cover-up and medical negligence over dozens of deaths at the Royal Sussex county hospital (RSCH) in Brighton has been expanded to include more recent cases, amid internal claims about dangerous surgery.

In June the Guardian revealed that Sussex police were investigating the deaths of about 40 patients in the general surgery and neurosurgery departments at the RSCH.

The force initially said the investigation, since named Operation Bramber, related to allegations of medical negligence in these departments between 2015 and 2020.

It has now extended the scope of the investigation to more recent cases, amid internal allegations that the departments continue to be unsafe and fail to properly review serious incidents.

An insider said the police should review what was considered to be an avoidable death after a procedure in July. The source said some of the surgeons remained a danger to the public. “You would not want your family members touched by these people,” they said.

They added: “This is not a historic issue, it is ongoing. The same surgeons that were involved in previous problems remain in place.” They cited a woman who lost the power of speech in April after an alleged mistake in surgery to remove a brain tumour led to a stroke, and a man who was left with a brain abscess in May after being operated on despite a heightened risk of infection.

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Source: The Guardian, 13 September 2023

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ChatGPT could help reduce A&E wait times

ChatGPT could be used to diagnose patients in a bid to reduce waiting times in emergency departments, researchers have suggested.

It comes after a study found the language model, powered by artificial intelligence (AI), “performed well” in generating a list of diagnoses for patients and suggesting the most likely option.

Researchers in the Netherlands entered the records of 30 patients who visited an emergency department in 2022, as well as anonymous doctors’ notes, into ChatGPT versions 3.5 and 4.0.

The AI analysis was compared to two clinicians who made a diagnosis based on the same information, both with and without laboratory data.

When lab data was included, doctors had the correct answer in their top five differential diagnoses in 87% of cases, compared with 97% for ChatGPT 3.5 and 87% for ChatGPT 4.0.

There was a 60% overlap between the differential diagnoses by clinicians and ChatGPT.

The team said that while ChatGPT was “able to suggest medical diagnoses much like a human doctor would”, more work is needed before it is applied in the real world.

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Source: The Independent, 13 September 2023

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Trusts admit ‘severe’ harm to children

Children have suffered severe harm at two further hospital trusts as a result of failures in paediatric audiology, HSJ has revealed.

HSJ reported in July that three children at Croydon Health Service Trust may have come to “severe harm” – meaning they may have suffered permanent damage – following failures in the trust’s processes in audiology.

Now East and North Hertfordshire Trust and North West Anglia Foundation Trust have also confirmed a small number of cases of severe or serious harm; while some trusts have yet to confirm findings from case reviews they have carried out.

Major problems emerged earlier this year, initially in Scotland, of poor quality checks missing children with hearing problems who should have received support, and of a failure to inspect the services.

NHS England ordered a review of data from the national newborn screening programme which, alongside other review work, identified six English trusts as having likely failures in their service: Croydon, East and North Herts, North West Anglia, Warrington and Halton Hospitals, North Lincolnshire and Goole, and Worcestershire Acute Hospitals.

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Source: HSJ, 14 September 2023

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Launch of new centre to promote patient safety in NI

A new regional centre which promotes the reporting of suspected safety concerns associated with healthcare products has been launched in Northern Ireland.

The Yellow Card centre for Northern Ireland will bring together a dedicated team to increase awareness, educate, and promote reporting of suspected adverse events to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) Yellow Card scheme.

The Yellow Card scheme provides a mechanism for patients, care givers and healthcare staff to report suspected safety concerns associated with healthcare products.

Speaking at the launch of the new service, Northern Ireland Chief Pharmaceutical Officer Professor Cathy Harrison said: “Collecting and monitoring information on possible adverse effects of medications and healthcare products is vital to ensuring patient safety.

"It is fitting that the launch of the Yellow Card centre for Northern Ireland coincides with World Patient Safety Day on 17 September, with this year’s theme of "Engaging patients for patient safety".

"The Yellow Card scheme puts the patient voice at its heart. By voluntarily reporting issues, patients, families and care givers can play a crucial role in their own care, and the safety of healthcare as a whole. I welcome the launch of the new regional centre and would encourage anyone who has suspected safety concerns to report them.”

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Source: Department of Health (Northern Ireland), 13 September 2023

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Health Secretary backs Martha’s Rule giving right to second medical opinion

The government has backed Martha’s rule, a campaign to give families and patients the right to a second assessment if they feel their concerns are not being taken seriously.

Health secretary Steve Barclay said ministers are “committed” to implementing the rule, insisting the case for it is “compelling”.

Martha Mills died after developing sepsis while under the care of King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in south London.

Mr Barclay said the case set out by Ms Mills, was “compelling”.

“For everyone that has heard it, it is an absolutely heartbreaking case,” he told the BBC.

Mr Barclay said: “I’m determined that we ensure we learn the lessons from it and very keen to learn from best international practice.”

Mr Barclay said there are “international lessons”, particularly from Ryan’s Rule in Australia, giving patients a direct line to a second opinion.

“And I particularly want to give much more credence to the voice of patients,” Mr Barclay said.

He added: “I think a key part of this measure is ensuring that patients feel heard and can get a second opinion.”

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Source: The Independent, 14 September 2023

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A&E handover delays ‘still getting worse at some hospitals’

Ambulance chiefs say handover delays have got worse at some trusts in recent months, despite the picture improving nationally since last winter.

A report from the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives says there are continuing concerns about handover delays at emergency departments.

Jason Killens, the body’s lead chief executive for operations, told HSJ: “There’s been some improvement [at some sites] since February, but what we’ve also seen is a commensurate or bigger decay in other sites across that same period.”

Mr Killens said “it’s difficult to be precise” about why some trusts have struggled more than others but that challenged hospitals are often affected by “pathway issues” including delayed discharges.

“And then maybe there are challenges around stable leadership or the visibility of the leadership, the culture there about managing that risk dynamically, and so on,” he added.

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Source: HSJ, 14 September 2023

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NHS waiting list in England rises to record 7.7m

A record 7.68 million people are on a hospital waiting list in England, figures show.

The total at the end of July represents nearly one in seven people and is a jump of more than 100,000 in a month.

The rising number means the prime minister's pledge to bring down waiting lists is under threat. The government has blamed strikes for adding to the pressures facing the NHS.

It comes as ministers have announced an extra £200m for the NHS this winter.

Health Secretary Steve Barclay said he wanted to see "high impact" interventions to help the NHS get through winter.

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Source: BBC News, 14 September 2023

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Millions of women in UK face severe period pain but symptoms dismissed

Millions of women and girls experience debilitating periods, yet nearly one-third never seek medical help, and more than half say their symptoms are not taken seriously, according to research.

A survey of 3,000 women and girls for the Wellbeing of Women charity found that they are often dismissed as “just having a period”, despite experiencing severe pain, heavy bleeding and irregular cycles that can lead to mental health problems.

Almost all of those surveyed, who were between 16 and 40 years old and based in the UK, had experienced period pain (96%), with 59% saying their pain was severe. 91% had experienced heavy periods, with 49% saying their bleeding was severe. 

Prof Dame Lesley Regan, the chair of Wellbeing of Women, said: “It’s simply unacceptable that anyone is expected to suffer with period symptoms that disrupt their lives, including taking time off school, work, or their caring responsibilities, all of which may result in avoidable mental health problems.

“Periods should not affect women’s lives in this way. If they do, it can be a sign of a gynaecological condition that requires attention and ongoing support – not dismissal.”

Wellbeing of Women has launched its “Just a Period” campaign, which Regan said aims to address “the many years of medical bias, neglect and stigma in women’s health”. This includes tips on how to get the most out of seeing your GP and what women should do if they feel they have been dismissed.

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Source: The Guardian, 14 September 2023

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‘Staggering’ paper use revealed as NHS told electronic records safer

The NHS still relies heavily on paper notes, with experts warning they are not as safe or efficient as electronic records.

It comes after a survey by the British Medical Journal (BMJ) found the majority of NHS trusts are still using paper, despite 88% of all trusts in England being equipped with electronic patient record (EPR) systems.

Of 182 trusts, 4% said they only use paper notes, while 25% are fully electronic. Some 71% use both paper and an EPR system.

Of the 172 trusts that responded to questions on prescriptions, 9% said they only use paper drug charts, 27% are fully electronic, and 64% use a mixture.

Writing for the BMJ, freelance journalist and doctor Jo Best argued that the continued reliance on paper is less safe and efficient, while difficulties around sharing electronic records could be preventing even the most advanced trusts from realising their full potential.

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Source: The Independent, 14 September 2023

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Women 'failed at every stage' of maternity care with 'many made to feel they were to blame'

Women are being "failed at every stage" when it comes to maternity care, say campaigners, as they call for more support for those experiencing traumatic births.

Mumsnet found 79% of the 1,000 women who answered their questionnaire had experienced some form of birth trauma, with 53% saying it had put them off from having more children.

And according to the snapshot of UK mothers, 44% also said healthcare professionals had used language implying they were "a failure or to blame" for what happened.

Conservative MP Theo Clarke is leading calls for more action after her own experience, where she thought she was "going to die" after suffering a third degree tear and needing emergency surgery.

Now, she has set up an all party parliamentary group on birth trauma.

She said: "[It is] clear that more compassion, education and better after-care for mothers who suffer birth trauma are desperately needed if we are to see an improvement in mums' physical wellbeing and mental health.

"It is vitally important women receive the help and support they deserve."

Chief executive of Mumsnet, Justine Roberts, said the trauma had "long-lasting effects", adding: "It's clear that women are being failed at every stage of the maternity care process - with too little information provided beforehand, a lack of compassion from staff during birth, and substandard postnatal care for mothers' physical and mental health."

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Source: Sky News, 15 September 2023

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Global stakeholders agree to a new charter on patient safety rights

The WHO-hosted global conference on patient safety and patient engagement concluded yesterday with agreement across a broad range of stakeholders on a first-ever Patient safety rights charter. It outlines the core rights of all patients in the context of safety of healthcare and seeks to assist governments and other stakeholders to ensure that the voices of patients are heard and their right to safe health care is protected. 

“Patient safety is a collective responsibility. Health systems must work hand-in-hand with patients, families, and communities, so that patients can be informed advocates in their own care, and every person can receive the safe, dignified, and compassionate care they deserve,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “Because if it’s not safe, it’s not care.”

"Our health systems are stronger, our work is empowered, and our care is safer when patients and families are alongside us,” said Sir Liam Donaldson, WHO Patient Safety Envoy. “The journey to eliminate avoidable harm in health care has been a long one, and the stories of courage and compassion from patients and families who have suffered harm are pivotal to driving change and learning to be even safer." 

The global conference on patient engagement for patient safety was the key event to mark World Patient Safety Day (WPSD) which will be observed on 17 September under the theme “Engaging patients for patient safety”. Meaningful involvement of patients, families and caregivers in the provision of health care, and their experiences and perspectives, can contribute to enhancing health care safety and quality, saving lives and reducing costs, and the WPSD aims to promote and accelerate better patient and family engagement in the design and delivery of safe health services. 

At the conference, held on 12 and 13 September, WHO unveiled two new resources to support key stakeholders in implementing involvement of patients, families and caregivers in the provision of health care. Drawing on the power of patient stories, which is one of the most effective mechanisms for driving improvements in patient safety, a storytelling toolkit will guide patients and families through the process of sharing their experiences, especially those related to harmful events within health care. The Global Knowledge Sharing Platform, created as part of a strategic partnership with SingHealth Institute for Patient Safety and Quality Singapore, supports the exchange of global resources, best practices, tools and resources related to patient safety, acknowledging the pivotal role of knowledge sharing in advancing safety.

“Patient engagement and empowerment is at the core of the Global Patient Safety Action Plan 2021–2030. It is one of the most powerful tools to improve patient safety and the quality of care, but it remains an untapped resource in many countries, and the weakest link in the implementation of patient safety measures and strategies. With this World Patient Safety Day and the focus on patient engagement, we want to change that”, said Dr Neelam Dhingra, head of the WHO Patient Safety Flagship.

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Source: WHO, 14 September 2023

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Staff feel ‘frozen out and ignored’ at ‘inadequate’ services

Leaders of two maternity services have been told to take urgent action, after inspectors found understaffing and declining levels of care, despite safety warnings from midwives. 

Maternity services at University Hospital North Durham and Darlington Memorial Hospital have been downgraded from “good” to “inadequate” in Care Quality Commission reports, published today. 

The CQC noted a “concerning deterioration” in the care the two services provided, despite midwives telling managers they felt the service was unsafe.

Sue Jacques, chief executive of County Durham and Darlington Foundation Trust, which runs the hospitals, said the CQC’s findings would be taken “extremely seriously”.

The reports also said staff reported “feeling ‘frozen out’ or that their concerns were ignored by leaders” and that staff felt “‘continuity of carer’ was the trust’s main focus, despite depleted safe staffing levels, skill mix, and staff being pulled in to cover acute areas on a frequent basis”. Last year, trusts were told not to pursue continuity of carer models – which were previously championed by NHS England – unless they had adequate staffing levels to do so safely. 

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Source: HSJ, 15 September 2023

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Consumer genetic test results ‘causing unnecessary breast cancer alarm’

Women are being unnecessarily alarmed about their risk of breast cancer by consumer genetic test results that do not take family history into account, researchers have said.

Women who discover outside a clinical setting that they carry a disease-causing variant of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes may be told that their risk of breast cancer is 60-80%. But analysis of UK Biobank data suggests the risk could be less than 20% for those who do not have a close relative with the condition.

Dr Leigh Jackson, of the University of Exeter’s medical school, who is the lead author of the analysis published in the journal eClinical Medicine, said that in extreme cases this could result in women unnecessarily undergoing surgery.

“Being told you are at high genetic risk of disease can really influence levels of fear of a particular condition and the resulting action you may take,” he said. “Up to 80% risk of developing breast cancer is very different from 20%.”

Until recently, women who received BRCA results did so because they had attended clinic due to symptoms or a family history of disease. However, an increasing number are now learning of their genetic risk after paying for home DNA testing kits or taking part in genetic research, without ever having any personal link with breast cancer. 

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Source: The Guardian, 15 September 2023

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Improve NHS mental health funding or more children will die by suicide, says coroner

A London coroner has warned the health secretary that preventable child suicides are likely to increase unless the government provides more funding for mental health services.

Nadia Persaud, the east London area coroner, told Steve Barclay that the suicide of Allison Aules, 12, in July 2022 highlighted the risk of similar deaths “unless action is taken”.

In a damning prevention of future deaths report addressed to Barclay, NHS England and two royal colleges, Persaud said the “under-resourcing of CAMHS [child and adolescent mental health services] contributed to delays in Allison being assessed by the mental health team”.

An inquest into Allison’s death last month found that a series of failures by North East London NHS foundation trust (NELFT) contributed to her death.

In her report, Persaud said delays and errors that emerged in the inquest exposed wider concerns about funding and recruitment problems in mental health services.

“The failings occurred with a children and adolescent mental health service which was significantly under-resourced. Under-resourcing of CAMHS services is not confined to this local trust but is a matter of national concern,” she said.

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Source: The Guardian, 14 September 2023

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Unvaccinated children to face isolation for 21 days during measles surge

Children who have not been vaccinated against measles may have to enter isolation for 21 days if a classmate becomes infected.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) predict the capital alone could see 160,000 cases occur as measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination rates are at the lowest in a decade.

Both Haringey and Barnet Council wrote to parents to tell them any unvaccinated child who comes into close contact with a measles case could be asked to self-isolate for up to 21 days.

This week statistics from NHS England show that across the country more than 102,000 children aged four and five starting in reception are not protected against catching measles, mumps and rubella.

32,000 children in London alone aren’t vaccinated, reveal NHS England, and just three-quarters of children in the capital have received the two required doses of the MMR jab, which protects against measles. This is 10% lower than the national average.

Measles is highly infectious and if left unvaccinated nine out of ten children in a classroom will catch the disease if just one child is infectious.

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Source: The Independent, 15 September 2023

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Derby and Burton's maternity services among 'most challenged in England'

Derby and Burton’s maternity services are now among the “most challenged in England”, requiring national involvement to boost improvements. The University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust joins 31 other NHS trusts across England which are now under closer scrutiny aimed at improving the quality of maternity services.

A report from the trust details that it asked to be added to the national NHS England Maternity Safety Support Programme (MSSP) "voluntarily". Midwifery and obstetric improvement advisors have now been allocated to the trust to spend two days a week on the trust’s sites and also to provide “virtual” assistance.

A letter to Stephen Posey, the trust’s chief executive, sent by Sascha Wells-Munro, the deputy chief midwifery officer for NHS England, details that the organisation’s addition to the national support programme comes after a number of concerning reports – not just its request. It references the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch report, published in February, which highlighted the cases of seven women and their babies between January 2021 and May 2022, with three mothers and a baby dying and four mothers suffering extreme consequences.

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Source: Derbyshire Live, 13 September 2023

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Sick children’s health worsening as record numbers wait for NHS care in England

Sick children’s health problems are getting worse as record numbers wait up to 18 months for NHS care, doctors treating them have warned.

The number of under-18s on the waiting list for paediatric care in England has soared to 423,500, the highest on record. Of those, 23,396 have been forced to wait over a year for their appointment.

Delays facing children and young people are now so common that Dr Jeanette Dickson, the chair of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, the body representing all UK doctors professionally, warned that children are “the forgotten casualties of the NHS’s waiting list crisis”.

“As a paediatrician, I’ve seen first hand the damaging impact that long waiting times have on children, on their education and overall wellbeing, and of course on their families,” said Dr Camilla Kingdon, the president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH).

The figures came from the RCPCH’s analysis of official performance data recently published by NHS England.

The health of some children was deteriorating while they languished on the waiting list because their illness and age meant they needed to have their treatment fast, Kingdon added. “Many treatments and interventions must be administered within specific age or developmental stages. No one wants to wait for treatment, but children’s care is frequently time-critical.”

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Source: The Guardian, 17 September 2023

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‘We’ve got no magic fix’ admits director of trust with ‘culture of fear’

The deputy leader of a trust rated ‘inadequate’ by a health watchdog four times in the past decade has admitted the necessary changes to its culture may take a further four years.

Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust staved off calls to break it up earlier this year after the Care Quality Commission raised its rating from “inadequate” to “requires improvement”.

However, it has come under increased scrutiny in recent months after a review found it lost track of patient deaths, and a subsequent BBC Newsnight investigation discovered the report was edited to remove criticism of its leadership.

The BBC found earlier drafts removed references to a “culture of fear” highlighted by some staff.

Now deputy CEO Cath Byford has addressed growing concerns about the morale of staff working at the organisation, and their ability to speak up, at a meeting of Norfolk County Council’s health overview and scrutiny committee.

During the meeting, she revealed the results of an anonymous survey which received 18,000 staff interactions. Most feedback was “not positive” admitted Ms Byford.

She said many staff reported bullying and harassment, unfairness, inequality, and nepotism. This was particularly the case in recruitment, with staff feeling jobs were being lined up for certain individuals.

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Source: HSJ, 15 September 2023

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