Jump to content
  • articles
    9,862
  • comments
    83
  • views
    12,529,525

Contributors to this article

About this News

Articles in the news

People with long Covid facing months-long wait for treatment at specialist NHS clinics

Only 5,000 people a month are being referred to specialist long Covid clinics each month despite more than a million people having the condition – and a third of those are having to wait at least 15 weeks for their first appointment, NHS figures reveal.

Over the last year the NHS has set up dozens of specialist long Covid clinics in England to assess and diagnose people who visit their GPs with symptoms of the condition.

The Office for National Statistics estimates there are 1.2 million people in the UK – about a million of them in England – with long Covid, meaning they have had symptoms for 12 weeks or more. However, only 4,846 to 5,182 patients a month were referred to the clinics from July to September this year, the first period for which figures are available.

Of those patients who are referred, 33% are having to wait at least 15 weeks to be seen for their first assessment – with another 15% waiting for 10 to 14 weeks, the figures show.

Sarah Woolnough, chief executive of Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation, said she was extremely concerned by the NHS figures – which tally with anecdotal evidence and her foundation’s own research.

“We’ve heard first-hand from thousands of people whose lives have been turned upside down by long Covid, who have had to quit their jobs and most-loved hobbies as they battle wide-ranging and disabling symptoms like persistent breathlessness,” she said.

“If that wasn’t tough enough, many people are then forced to deal with the debilitating effects of long Covid on their own, because of a lack of support and huge wait times for specialist care,” she added.

“The Government needs to train and recruit more specialist NHS staff, so that people with long Covid can access the specialist care they so desperately need.”

Read full story

Source: iNews, 20 November 2021

Read more
 

Covid: Sajid Javid orders review of medical device racial bias

A review into whether medical devices are equally effective regardless of the patient's ethnicity has been ordered by Health Secretary Sajid Javid.

Research suggests oximeters, which are clipped to a person's finger, can overstate the level of oxygen in the blood of people from ethnic minorities.

Ministers want to know whether bias could have prevented patients receiving appropriate Covid treatment.

Mr Javid said any bias was "totally unacceptable".

But the doctors' union the British Medical Association (BMA) said the review should not simply look at equipment, but also "structural issues" within healthcare that affect ethnic minorities.

Mr Javid announced the review in the Sunday Times, saying he was determined to "close the chasms that the pandemic has exposed".

Asked later on the BBC's Andrew Marr show whether he thought people had died of Covid because of pulse oximeters, Mr Javid said: "I think possibly yes, yes. I don't have the full facts."

He said there was racial bias in some medical instruments, adding: "It's unintentional but it exists."

"And the reason is that a lot of these medical devices, even some of the drugs, some of the procedures, some of the textbooks, most of them are put together in majority white countries and I think this is a systemic issue around this," he said.

Read full story

Source: BBC News, 21 November 2021

Read more
 

Trust fined £2.5m after deaths of two patients

An acute trust has been fined £2.5m after pleading guilty to charges of failing to provide safe care after the deaths of two patients.

The Care Quality Commission brought charges against The Dudley Group Foundation Trust earlier this year over care failings in two separate cases which the regulator said exposed two patients to “significant risk of avoidable harm”.

The trust pleaded guilty to the charges in July and was fined during a sentencing hearing today.

The cases, involving 33-year-old mother of six Natalie Billingham, and 14-year-old Kaysie-Jane Bland [also known as Kaysie-Jayne Robinson], were both in 2018 and  related to care at the trust’s Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley.

Ms Billingham was admitted to Dudley’s Russells Hall Hospital with numbness in her right foot on 28 February 2018 and died on 2 March of organ failure caused by a “time critical” infection.

The court was told she was initially thought to have a deep vein thrombosis after a three-minute triage that failed to identify "disordered" observations. The hospital then had multiple reasons to reconsider the initial diagnosis, but opportunities for review were "missed or ignored".

In the case of Kaysie-Jane, who had cerebral palsy, an "early warning score" was inaccurate, meaning a sepsis screening tool was not triggered.

The CQC said the care both patients received at Russells Hall Hospital was undermined by the Dudley Group’s failure to address known safety failings which the regulator repeatedly raised with the trust in the months before their deaths. The CQC said the trust did not take all reasonable steps to make improvements, despite its intervention. The trust has denied it did not react to the concerns raised. 

Failings included errors in the hospital’s initial assessments and monitoring of both patients, which hindered the timely escalation of concerns.

A lawyer acting on behalf of the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust had admitted the trust failed to provide treatment in a safe way, resulting in harm, in February and March 2018.

Read full story (paywalled)

Source: HSJ, 19 November 2021

Read more

NHSE pushing for four-hour target to be scrapped in April

System leaders are pushing for their new bundle of urgent and emergency standards to replace the four-hour target from April, HSJ has learned

Well-placed senior sources said the NHS is seeking to persuade the government that a new package of measures can be introduced from the start of 2022-23.

The new package of targets, which include ambulance response and handover times, as well as arrival to admission times, have some traction among ministers but have not yet got the green light from the top of government.

The new ‘bundle of ten standards’:

Pre-hospital

  • Response times for ambulances.
  • Reducing avoidable trips (conveyance rates) to emergency departments by 999 ambulances.
  • Proportion of contacts via NHS 111 that receive clinical input.

A&E

  • Percentage of ambulance handovers (from ambulance to A&E) within 15 minutes.
  • Time to initial assessment — percentage within 15 minutes.
  • Average (mean) time in department — for non-admitted patients.

Hospital

  • Average (mean) time in department — for admitted patients.
  • Clinically ready to proceed (time from when decision is made to admit or discharge, and patient is admitted or discharged).

Whole system

  • Patients spending more than 12 hours in A&E.
  • Critical time standards — aimed at ensuring the highest priority patients get care within a set timeframe such as an hour.

Read full story (paywalled)

Source: HSJ, 18 November 2021

Read more

Campaigners say ‘decolonise the curriculum’ to help solve UK maternity inequalities

The increased risk of black and minority ethnic women dying during pregnancy needs to be seen as a whole system problem and not limited to just maternity departments, according to experts on an exclusive panel hosted by The Independent.

Professor Marian Knight, from Oxford University told the virtual event on Wednesday night that the health service needed to change its approach to caring for ethnic minority women in a wider context.

Campaigners Tinuke Awe and Clotilde Rebecca Abe, from the Fivexmore campaign, called for changes to the way midwives were trained and demanded it was time to “decolonise the curriculum” so it recognised the physiological differences between some ethnic minority women and white women.

Dr Mary Ross-Davie, from the Royal College of Midwives, said work was underway to ensure the voices of black women and other minorities were represented in its work and it was examining how it could deliver better training to midwives.

The data on maternity deaths in the UK show black women are four times more likely to die during pregnancy in the UK than white women. For Asian women, they are twice as likely to die.

Read full story and watch video of event

Source: The Independent, 18 November 2021

Read more

'Dads can get postnatal depression too'

Becoming a father can be the happiest time in a man's life, but for some it can bring unexpected feelings of anxiety, stress and guilt. Until recently, mental health concerns for new dads were little understood and, often, went unaired. But some men who have experienced postnatal depression hope telling their stories will encourage others to open up.

When Stephen's daughter was born five years ago he knew he was meant to feel happy but instead began to think his wife and newborn child might be better off without him.

"You don't get a chance to sit back, take it in, relax and enjoy it," he said. "I'd come home on a weekend after a long week, tired out, and my wife was back at work, working weekends."

"It just affects you, you don't see each other, you don't have the chance to enjoy it, and all the stress and anxiety builds up. I got to such a low point I considered my family were better off without me."

An international study in 2010 suggested that as many as one in 10 men struggle with postnatal depression (PND). More recently, in 2015, a survey by the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) found one in three new fathers had concerns about their mental health.

The NCT has called for more recognition around mental health issues affecting new dads. It has set up Parents in Mind: Partners Project, which offers support to everyone who has an active role raising a child under two.

"Becoming a parent is an emotional rollercoaster," said Catherine Briars, who runs the project in St Helens.

"Fathers sometimes feel uncomfortable opening up about their feelings but we encourage them to do so if they're struggling. It's often the first step to recovering and regaining good mental health."

She said they encourage men to talk to someone they trust or their GP.

Read full story

Source: BBC News, 19 November 2021

Read more

Covid: UK government wasn't ready for pandemic, report finds

The UK government was not properly prepared for a pandemic like COVID-19, a new report has found.

The report by the National Audit Office (NAO) said the government lacked detailed plans on shielding, job support schemes and school disruption.

The spending watchdog added that lessons needed to be learned.

In response, the government said the unprecedented pandemic had challenged health systems around the world - not just the UK.

The NAO said preparations for a flu pandemic or highly infectious diseases like Ebola were prioritised over diseases with similar characteristics to Covid.

The watchdog said the UK government did not have specific plans to tackle a disease like COVID-19, which has a lower mortality rate than Ebola but has the ability to spread in communities with asymptomatic infected people.

The report suggests the government had some mitigations in place for a pandemic, like a stockpile of personal protective equipment, but it lacked preparation for "wide-ranging impacts" coronavirus and other pandemic-inducing viruses can have on society and the economy.

A government spokesperson said: "We have always said there are lessons to be learned from the pandemic and have committed to a full public inquiry in spring.

"We prepare for a range of scenarios and while there were extensive arrangements in place, this is an unprecedented pandemic that has challenged health systems around the world."

Labour's shadow Cabinet Office minister Fleur Anderson, said the report showed "Conservative ministers failed to prepare and they failed the public".

Read full story

Source: BBC News, 19 November 2021

Read more
 

Oral drug for spinal muscular atrophy to be available on NHS in England

The NHS is to introduce a revolutionary new treatment to tackle the leading genetic cause of death among babies and young children.

About 1,500 patients in England with certain types of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) are expected to benefit from risdiplam, after a recommendation from the health watchdog. The drug, also called Evrysdi and made by Roche, is a syrup that can be taken at home and is the first non-injectable treatment for the condition.

SMA is a progressive neuromuscular condition affecting the nerves in the spinal cord controlling movement and can cause paralysis, muscle weakness and progressive loss of mobility.

The NHS England chief executive, Amanda Pritchard, said: “In the last three years the NHS has revolutionised care for people with SMA, by securing access to a trio of innovative treatments – Spinraza, Zolgensma and now risdiplam – where three years ago clinicians had no effective medicines at all.

“Spinal muscular atrophy is a cruel disease and the leading genetic cause of death among babies and young children, which is why NHS England has been determined to make these treatments available to people as soon as possible to help transform the lives of patients and their families.”

Meindert Boysen, the deputy chief executive of NICE, said the watchdog was pleased to recommend a “convenient oral treatment for people with SMA that can be administered at home”.

He said: “This will not only be less burdensome, and therefore have a positive impact on the lives of both people with SMA and their caregivers, but it will also reduce the treatment administration requirements for the NHS.

“In practical terms, the availability of an oral drug should lead to greater adherence to treatment, along with giving access to a treatment to those who aren’t able to have other currently recommended options.”

Read full story

Source: The Guardian, 19 November 2021

Read more

Long-acting HIV jabs to replace daily pills in ‘great step forward’

The NHS has been given the green light to offer people living with HIV the first "long-acting injectable" to keep the virus at bay.

Charities have hailed the "incredible news" which offers an alternative to adults living with HIV who have to take daily antiretroviral drugs.

Many people living with HIV can keep the virus at very low levels by taking antiretroviral tablets each day. These drugs keep the number of virus particles in the blood - also known as the viral load - so low that it cannot be detected or transmitted between people.

But now an estimated 13,000 people will be eligible for the injectable treatment in England which means they no longer need daily treatment but will have two injections every two months. This means they can reduce the days they receive treatment from 365 to 6 per year.

Meindert Boysen, deputy chief executive NICE, said: "Despite scientific advances HIV is still incurable, but the virus can be controlled by modern treatment. However, for some people, having to take daily multi-tablet regimens can be difficult because of drug-related side effects, toxicity, and other psychosocial issues such as stigma or changes in lifestyle."

"We're pleased therefore to be able to recommend cabotegravir with rilpivirine as a valuable treatment option for people who already have good levels of adherence to daily tablets, but who might prefer an injectable regimen with less frequent dosing."

Read full story

Source: 18 November 2021

Read more

A&E overcrowding in UK ‘killing thousands a year’, say doctors

Thousands of patients a year are dying because of overcrowding in A&E units in Britain, and more fatalities will follow this winter, emergency care doctors claim.

An estimated 4,519 people in England died in 2020-21 as a direct result of people receiving less than ideal care while delayed in A&E waiting to start treatment in the hospital.

“To say this figure is shocking is an understatement. Quite simply, crowding kills,” said Dr Adrian Boyle, a vice-president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM).

There have also been 709 deaths in Wales and 303 in Scotland so far this year for the same reason, according to a report by the college. Another 566 excess deaths caused by overcrowding occurred in Northern Ireland in 2020-21. The 4,519 in England “may be an underestimate”, it adds.

The four figures taken together mean the college has identified at least 6,097 deaths across the four home nations that it believes occurred because overcrowding hampered the person’s treatment.

“There’s a lot of human misery behind these figures. It’s uncomfortable and unbearable that people are being put through this. It’s impossible not to feel upset and angry about this,” Boyle said.

Read full story

Source: The Guardian, 18 November 2021

Read more
 

'Some progress' made at failing Shropshire hospital trust

An inspection at a failing hospital trust has identified "some progress" but its services are still inadequate.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspected the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) in August. The Trust has been in special measures since 2018 and its maternity services are subject of a review following a high rate of baby and maternal deaths.

The CQC said SaTH still had "significant work to do" to improve its patient care and safety standards.

Inspectors highlighted particular concerns around risk management at the Trust which it said was "inconsistent" and and urgent and emergency care where patients "did not always receive timely assessment".

The CQC also reported a shortage of staff working in end-of-life care and midwifery, however maternity staff were said to have "an exceptionally dedicated and caring approach".

"I recognise the enormous pressure NHS services are under across the country and that usual expectations cannot always be maintained, but it is important they do all they can to mitigate risks to patient safety while facing these pressures," chief inspector of hospitals, Ted Baker, said.

"While the trust continues to have significant work to do to provide care that meets standards people have a right to expect, it is providing more effective care overall.

"However, its risk management remains inconsistent and we are not assured it is doing all it can to ensure people's safety."

Read full story

Source: BBC News, 18 November 2021

 

Read more

'It's not just physical': suicidal thoughts common in those living with spinal cord injury

Suicidal thoughts are three times as common in those living with a spinal cord injury in the UK, according to new research

And yet, it’s estimated that only one third of people living with a spinal cord injury (SCI) are getting access to mental health support, and of those, 68% do not feel that support services available are able to meet their needs.

These alarming statistics are taken from a new report, ‘It’s not just physical’ which was presented to parliament yesterday (17 November).  The report shines a light on the mental health problems faced by people with spinal cord injuries in the UK today.

It's calling on the NHS, government and other health policy makers to provide better mental health support services for people with spinal cord injuries – and their unpaid carers – as a matter of urgency.  Nik Hartley, Spinal Injuries Association CEO said:

“We are at risk of failing thousands of people in the UK living with a spinal cord injury. Our new report highlights that psychological damage caused by a SCI is, at best, considered as an afterthought, and at worst, completely ignored by the medical profession. We need urgent action and for services to be sufficiently specialised to support the thousands of people living with this type of injury before it is too late.”

Read full story

Source: Spinal Injuries Association, 17 November 2021

Read more
 

Widow demands answers over Covid official's death

The widow of a top Scottish government official, who died after contracting Covid, believes the full details of his illness were concealed to protect the reputation of a troubled hospital.

Andrew Slorance, Scottish government's head of response and communication unit, in charge of its handling of the Covid pandemic, went into Glasgow's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital for cancer treatment a year ago.

His wife Louise believes he caught Covid there as well as another life-threatening infection. 

Andrew went in to the £850m flagship Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QUEH) at the end of October 2020 for a stem cell transplant and chemotherapy as part of treatment for Mantle Cell Lymphoma (MCL). 

He died nearly six weeks into his stay, with the cause of his death listed as Covid pneumonia. But after requesting a copy of his medical notes, Mrs Slorance discovered her husband had also been treated for an infection caused by a fungus called aspergillus, which had not been discussed with either of them during his hospital stay.

The infection is common in the environment but can be extremely dangerous for people with weak immune systems.

Mrs Slorance questions whether it may have played a part in her husband's death, and if so, why she was not told?

She told the BBC: "I think somebody and probably a number of people have made an active decision not to inform his family of that infection, either during his admission or post-death."

Mrs Slorance believes that officials wanted to protect the hospital, which is already the subject of a public inquiry, and its reputation, "no matter what the cost".

Mrs Slorance says a full investigation should take place into incidences of aspergillus at the hospital campus.

In response, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said: "We are sorry that the family are unhappy with aspects of Mr Slorance's treatment, details of which were discussed with the family at the time.

"While we cannot comment on individual patients, we do not recognise the claims being made. We are confident that the appropriate care was provided. There has been a clinical review of this case and we would like to reassure the family that we have been open and honest and there has been no attempt to conceal any information from them."

Read full story

Source: BBC News, 18 November 2021

Read more
 

Bereaved left in limbo by report delays, says mum

The mother of a man who took his own life said bereaved families would be left "in limbo" by a mental health trust's serious incident report delays.

Local health officials have raised concerns over the "timeliness" of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust's (CPFT) reports.

Maria Nowshadi, whose son James died in 2020, said they should be done quickly "so there's answers for families".

Ms Nowshadi said: "These investigations should happen in a timely, quick manner so there's answers for families, but also in case there's any learning to be had... to make sure there's no further deaths that happen in the same way, because of any errors within the system."

She said when the original date the report was due to be completed passed, she "reached the stage where I was looking at the mailbox every day". She said she told a patient liaison officer: "This is actually starting to affect my mental health.

The chief nurse at Cambridgeshire and Peterborough's Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), Carol Anderson, said there were "concerns... [around] serious incident processes and reporting" at CPFT.

A CCG spokeswoman added they had agreed an extension with CPFT "for the completion of serious incident reports due to additional pressures due to the pandemic and staff redeployment".

"Our overall concern is the timeliness of serious incident reporting, so that we can ensure that learning is put in place as soon as possible," she added.

Read full story

Source: BBC News, 17 November 2021

Read more

‘Bullying, intimidation and reprisals’ undermined patient care at trust, review concludes

A ‘culture of distrust’ between consultants and the use of incident reporting as a tool of ‘reprisal’ impacted patient care at a trust’s cardiology department, a review has concluded.

An external review undertaken for Hull University Teaching Hospitals Trust has made a series of recommendations after looking into allegations of bullying and several examples of poor care within its cardiology services.

In a report published in the trust’s board papers, the Royal College of Physicians reported a “perceived tendency to downplay clinical incidents, and, to undermine those who wanted to raise patient safety issues”.

It added: “We met a group of individual consultants who did not work well as a team. There is a culture of distrust, a lack of departmental cohesion and allegations of bullying in the department. All of which reinforce a clear divide between the interventional and non-interventional consultant cardiologists."

“There have been a number of allegations of belittling, intimidation and undermining…The review team heard accounts of a culture where datix has been used as a tool for possible personal reprisal along with ignoring/downplaying incidents that have been raised.”

The review concludes: “This behaviour is impacting on patient care and therefore, all medical staff should be reminded of good medical practice as the [General Medical Council] code of conduct of how doctors must work collaboratively with colleagues.”

Read full story (paywalled)

Source: HSJ, 16 November 2021

Read more
 

Hidden pandemic of antibiotic-resistant infections, health officials warn

UK health officials are warning of a "hidden pandemic" of antibiotic-resistant infections if people fail to act responsibly after Covid.

Cold symptoms will be more common this winter, with social mixing - but taking antibiotics is not the answer. This could encourage harmful bacteria to evade treatment and put everyone's health at risk, the UK Health Security Agency says.

One in five people with an infection in 2020 had an antibiotic-resistant one. And if the bacteria causing their infection no longer responds to treatment with these common medicines, this can cause serious complications and lead to hospital admission.

Antibiotics should be taken or prescribed only when really needed, for example to treat bacterial infections such as sepsis, meningitis or pneumonia. They can also help protect against infection during chemotherapy, Caesarean sections and other common surgeries.

However they are sometimes prescribed to treat coughs, earache and sore throats, on which they have little or no effect.

UKHSA chief medical adviser Dr Susan Hopkins said antimicrobial resistance was a "hidden pandemic" and it was important "we do not come out of Covid-19 and enter into another crisis".

Serious antibiotic-resistant infections "will rise once again if we don't act responsibly", she added.

"As we head into winter, with increasing amounts of respiratory infections in circulation, it is important to remember that antibiotics are not needed for many cold-like symptoms.

"Stay at home if you feel unwell," she said.

"Taking antibiotics when you do not need them only puts you and your loved ones at more risk in the future, so please listen to your GP, nurse, dentist or pharmacist's advice."

Read full story

Source: BBC News, 17 November 2021

Read more

Artificial Intelligence plan to reduce harm to pregnant black women

Researchers are to use artificial intelligence (AI) in the hope of reducing risk to pregnant black women.

Loughborough University experts are to work with the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) to identify patterns in its recent investigations.

Research has suggested black women are more than four times more likely to die in pregnancy or childbirth than white women in the UK.

The researchers plan to look at more than 600 of HSIB's recent investigations into adverse outcomes during pregnancy and birth.

The research team will develop a machine learning system capable of identifying factors, based on a set of codes, that contribute to harm during pregnancy and birth experienced by black families. These include biological factors, such as obesity or birth history; social and economic factors such as language barriers and unemployment; and the quality of care and communication with the mother.

It will look at how these elements interact with and influence each other, and help researchers design ways to improve the care of black mothers and babies.

Dr Patrick Waterson, from the university, who is helping to lead the project, said: "Ultimately, we believe the outcomes from our research have the potential to transform the NHS's ability to reduce maternal harm amongst mothers from black ethnic groups."

He added that in the longer term, the research could improve patient safety for all mothers.

Read full story

Source: BBC News, 17 November 2021

Read more

Major COVID-19 booster trial looks at how best to improve immunity against coronavirus in vulnerable people

Researchers have launched a major clinical trial investigating whether people on long-term immune-suppressing medicines can mount a more robust immune response to COVID-19 booster jabs by interrupting their treatment.

The VROOM trial will have implications for people on immune-suppressing medicines, who are among the millions of clinically vulnerable patients advised to ‘shield’ during the pandemic. The study is funded by an NIHR and the Medical Research Council (MRC) partnership, and led by a team at the University of Nottingham.

Approximately 1.3 million people in the UK are prescribed the immune-suppressing drug methotrexate for inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, and skin conditions such as psoriasis. Many of them were among the 2.2 million clinically extremely vulnerable people advised to shield during the first phase of the pandemic, depending on specialist advice and on their risk factors.

While methotrexate is effective at controlling these conditions and has emerged as first line therapy for many illnesses, it reduces the body’s ability to generate robust responses to flu and pneumonia vaccines.

Researchers will recruit 560 patients currently taking methotrexate, to investigate whether taking a two week break in this drug immediately after they receive the COVID-19 booster jab improves their immune response to vaccination, while preventing flare-ups of their long-term illness. The study will take between one to two years to complete. All participants will have had the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine as their third jab, as part of the national vaccination programme against COVID-19.

Professor Andy Ustianowski, NIHR Clinical Lead for the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme and Joint National Infection Specialty Lead, said: “Although the vaccine rollout has saved many lives and helped drive down the effects of the pandemic, there are still groups of vulnerable people who can’t always mount robust immunity against the virus. "

“It’s important to establish if people can safely improve protection from their booster jabs by taking a break from their immune-supressing medicines, and this pivotal study will help develop our understanding of immune responses in people taking this widely prescribed medicine."

Read full story

Source: NIHR, 12 November 2021

Read more
 

"Animals treated better": Patient made to sleep on hospital floor

A patient suffering a mental health crisis was made to sleep overnight on the floor of an NHS hospital because it had no spare beds, The Independent has learned.

On Sunday, Mr Ben Ashcroft was given a mattress on the floor at Barnsley Hospital where he had been admitted after waiting for 36 hours at a different mental health hospital.

He described the situation as being “treated like a prisoner”, adding: “An animal is treated better than this. I’m poorly and you think this acceptable to put me in room like this. This all I have in room. Rather be in prison.”

Mr Ashcroft was detained, earlier in the week, under the Mental Health Act at Calderdale Royal Hospital, in West Yorkshire.

But this hospital had no beds available and transferred him to another site in Barnsley where he was taken to a room with just a mattress.

In a statement to The Independent, the trust said demand for beds over the weekend was “exceptionally high” adding “with this level of demand we took short-term measures to ensure all our service users were kept safe”.

Read full story

Source: 15 November 2021

Read more
 

NHS bosses advise all hospitals to review security after Liverpool blast

NHS chiefs are advising all hospitals to review their security arrangements in the wake of Sunday’s terrorist incident at Liverpool Women’s hospital, the Guardian can reveal.

NHS England is finalising new guidance to send to all 213 health trusts in England, which between them provide services at more than 500 hospital sites.

It will tell them to check that their security measures are adequate and also to ensure that their staff know what to do and how to stay safe if their hospital is targeted by terrorists.

It is being finalised and will be sent imminently to hospital bosses, who are still taking in the implications of the taxi explosion outside Europe’s largest maternity hospital.

Many hospitals have beefed up their security over the last year in response to numerous incursions by Covid deniers and anti-lockdown activists and the growing abuse of frontline staff.

But Sunday’s incident has prompted NHS England to write to all trusts urging them to take any steps needed to ensure they are protected.

Read full story

Source: The Guardian, 16 November 2021

Read more
 

New children’s obesity clinics to open after pandemic shone ‘harsh light’ on crisis

NHS England is set to launch 15 new specialist clinics for children living with severe obesity after the Covid pandemic shone a ‘harsh light’ on the crisis among vulnerable young people.

Obesity currently affects one in five children in the UK. Each year, around one thousand children between the age of two to 18-years-old, and their family members, will benefit from the pilot scheme.

The scheme will also offer access to dietitians, psychologists, specialist nurses, social workers, youth workers and a children’s doctor.

Amanda Pritchard, chief executive of the NHS in England, described the coronavirus pandemic said: “The pandemic has shone a harsh light on obesity - with many vulnerable young people struggling with weight gain during the pandemic.

“Left unchecked, obesity can have other very serious consequences, ranging from diabetes to cancer.

“This early intervention scheme aims to prevent children and young people enduring a lifetime of ill-health.

“The NHS Long Term Plan committed to take more action to help children and young people with their physical and mental health and these new services are a landmark moment in efforts to help them lead longer, healthier and happier lives.”

Read full story

Source: The Independent, 15 November 2021

Read more

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.”

Read full story

Source: BMJ, 12 November 2021

Read more
 

160,000 risk harm each year from ambulance handover delays

 

Ambulance handover delays could harm 160,000 patients a year, 12,000 of them severely, according to a structured clinical review of cases by service bosses earlier this year.

The Association of Ambulance Chief Executives examined a sample of 470 cases where handover to A&E was delayed for an hour or more on 4 January this year. The review, whose findings were shared with HSJ, involved every mainland ambulance service in England.

It found that 85% of those who waited more than an hour suffered potential harm, with nine per cent potentially severely harmed. 

Extrapolated across an entire year, using levels of delays up to September 2021, this suggests 160,000 patients are potentially harmed annually. Patients who waited the longest for handover were at greatest risk of some level of harm, and the risk of severe harm more than tripled for those waiting more than four hours compared with those waiting for 60 to 90 minutes.

Read full story

Source: HSJ, 14 November 2021

 

Read more

Staffing agencies triple rates as care homes and NHS fight over nurses

Nursing shortages are allowing “profiteering” staffing agencies to triple their rates, care leaders have warned, raising the risk of vulnerable patients being forced to move care homes and increasing the burden on the NHS.

The crisis is forcing some nursing homes to become standard residential care homes without support for people with chronic diseases.

The shortage also makes it harder for NHS hospitals to discharge patients. Some hospitals have redeployed their own staff into nursing homes to free beds in hospitals. In other places, NHS trusts are competing for staff with care providers.

Geoff Butcher, director of Blackadder Corporation, which runs six homes in the West Midlands, said that he paid nurses about £19.50 an hour, slightly higher than the NHS rate of £16.52. “Two of our nurses resigned recently and they’ve gone to an agency for £35 an hour,” he said. “And that agency then came to us and said we can have these staff back at £52 an hour. They want £95 an hour for those nurses on a bank holiday nightshift. It’s utterly unaffordable.

“Because the NHS can’t recruit they are having to use these agencies as well. So the NHS is bidding against us, therefore they’re pushing the rates up, and the whole thing has gone into a completely crazy spiral. The agencies are just grossly profiteering out of it."

Read full story

Source: The Guardian, 14 November 2021

Read more
 

Landmark sickle cell disease inquiry finds evidence of racism in patient care

A groundbreaking inquiry into sickle cell disease has found “serious care failings” in acute services and evidence of attitudes underpinned by racism.

The report by the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia, led by Pat McFadden MP, found evidence of sub-standard care for sickle cell patients admitted to general wards or attending A&E departments.

The inquiry also found widespread lack of adherence to national care standards, low awareness of sickle cell among healthcare professionals and clear examples of inadequate training and insufficient investment in sickle cell care.

The report notes frequent disclosures of negative attitudes towards sickle cell patients, who are more likely to be people with an African or Caribbean background, and evidence to suggest that such attitudes are often underpinned by racism.

The inquiry also found that these concerns have led to a fear and avoidance of hospitals for many people living with sickle cell.

Care failings have led to patient deaths and “near misses” are not uncommon, leading to a cross-party call for urgent changes into care for sickle cell patients.

Read full story

Source: The Independent, 15 November 2021

Read more

© 2026 Patient Safety Learning. All rights reserved.

Patient Safety Learning is registered as a charity with the Charity Commission Registration number 1180689.

×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.