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NHS needs to learn lessons from negligence cases

The costs of clinical negligence cases have been falling for the past two years, according to the last two NHS Resolution annual reports, and we need an open debate about the true facts regarding this litigation.

Specialist lawyers and their experience of dealing with an array of claims have something valuable to add to the debate around the failures of patient-safety learning across the whole of the health service.

The problem is that claims are not seen for the learning opportunities that they present. In addition, assessment of lessons regarding safety is disjointed across the NHS into numerous separate trusts.

That is why specialist claimant legal firms in this field have come together to use their experience of litigation to propose a beneficial scheme.

Fixation on costs could backfire as specialist law firms may leave the field, says Paul Rumley, chairman of the Society of Clinical Injury Lawyers and a partner at the law firm Royds Withy King. "It is better for the government and MPs to look at our scheme and continue with the success of current collaboration, while assessing wider structural reform of the NHS to deliver more co-ordinated lessons around patient safety."

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Source: The Times, 7 October 2021

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Better diagnosis of FASD in children needed

An adoptive mother is calling for the NHS to improve its diagnosis for children exposed to alcohol in the womb, so their families can be helped.

Amanda Boorman's two sons have Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) but they were not diagnosed correctly. She said: "This is a brain and body condition that is lifelong so really the professionals need to step up."

Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) covers the various health and mental issues which can affect children.

A spokesperson for the Department for Health and Social Care said: "We are committed to reducing future cases of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and we have asked NICE [National Institute for Healthcare Excellence] to produce a Quality Standard in England for FASD to help the health and care system improve diagnosis and care of those affected.

"We have also published England's first Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Health Needs Assessment to improve the lives of families living with it and increase understanding amongst clinicians and policy makers."

Mrs Boorman, from Brent Knoll in Somerset, said: "There's no way an adoptive parent should ever have to go to a chief executive of a hospital and say 'what is your strategy for diagnosing FASD?' What needs to happen is that clinical commissioning groups, the boards of those, chief executives in hospitals, directors of children's services, social care and education need to be much more proactive."

"What we've seen is reactive or just not really knowing - it's complete ignorance."

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Source: BBC News. 7 October 2021

 

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More than one million waiting for mental health treatment with one in 10 doctor posts empty

One in 10 posts for consultant psychiatrists in England are vacant with growing waiting times for people needing mental health treatment, experts have warned.

A census of the current situations across England by the Royal College of Psychiatrists has found there is just one psychiatrist for every 12,567 people in England.

Health service bosses at NHS England have acknowledged there are an estimated 1.5 million people who are waiting for mental health support amid fears the situation will worsen as the effects of the Covid pandemic become clear. This is on top of the 5.6 million patients waiting for routine operations and treatments for physical illness.

The Royal College said there was a shortage of 568 empty consultant posts in the NHS out of a total of 5,367 which it said meant patients would have to wait longer for treatment. In total there are 4,500 full time consultants working in the NHS.

The highest rates of unfilled positions are in the fields of addiction, eating disorders and child and adolescent psychiatry.

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Source: The Independent, 6 October 2021

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Inquest hears evidence of mistakes in Nightingale patients’ care

An inquest into the death of a London bus driver at London’s Nightingale Hospital during the first wave of coronavirus has heard evidence about equipment mistakes which may have harmed patients.

Kishorkumar Patel, aged 58, was one of the first patients to be admitted to the field hospital at London’s Excel Conference Centre in April last year.

An inquest at East London Coroner’s Court was told doctors and nurses were forced to work “leanly” because of limited staff and ventilators to help patients breathe.

Mr Patel is one of 10 patients who had the wrong filter used on the ventilator machines which it is thought triggered a cardiac arrest in Mr Patel, a father of six.

A serious incident report identified 10 patients were affected by the use of the wrong filter, with three said to have been harmed as a result. 

Read coroner's report

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Source: The Independent, 6 October 2021

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Historic go-ahead for malaria vaccine to protect African children

Children across much of Africa are to be vaccinated against malaria in a historic moment in the fight against the deadly disease.

Malaria has been one of the biggest scourges on humanity for millennia and mostly kills babies and infants. Having a vaccine - after more than a century of trying - is among medicine's greatest achievements.

The vaccine - called RTS,S - was proven effective six years ago.

Now, after the success of pilot immunisation programmes in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi, the World Health Organization says the vaccine should be rolled out across sub-Saharan Africa and in other regions with moderate to high malaria transmission.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the WHO, said it was "a historic moment".

"The long-awaited malaria vaccine for children is a breakthrough for science, child health and malaria control," he said. "[It] could save tens of thousands of young lives each year."

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Source: BBC News, 6 October 2021

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"I have never seen this level of abuse"

The abuse of staff at GP surgeries has "no place in the NHS", a healthcare boss has said, following complaints it has risen during the pandemic.

Dr Joanne Watt, GP chairwoman of the Northamptonshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), said she understood patients' frustrations as surgeries battle with increased demand.

But she said the reports of abuse were "extremely upsetting and demoralising".

A receptionist told the BBC she had "never seen this level of abuse".

Claire, who works at Harborough Field surgery in Rushden and has been employed by the NHS for 34 years, said staff were being verbally abused on a daily basis and it was "becoming the norm and it shouldn't be". "We work within the rules we're given. It's very upsetting, we've been reduced to tears," she said.

The latest NHS staff survey found one in three staff claimed to have experienced at least one incident of bullying, harassment or abuse from service users, their relatives or other members of the public, in the year to March 2021.

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Source: BBC News, 7 October 2021

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Women have struggled to get help with the menopause for decades but it’s about to change

HRT used to be a dirty word. Now it’s a battle cry. Women will begathering in Parliament Square in London later this month to support the menopause bill to demand free prescriptions for hormone replacement therapy in England. The bill could help thousands more women to access this life-changing treatment and will put the menopause under the microscope.

For years, a combination of medical sexism, hysterical reporting and outdated science has held women back from asking for the health care they need. HRT replenishes the oestrogen, progesterone (and sometimes testosterone) that women lose when having the menopause. As a result of previous misleading reports linking the treatment to a risk of breast cancer and dementia, HRT has long been considered controversial.

Last week, however, a BMJ paper studying more than 100,000 HRT users over two decades in the UK found that there was no overall association between hormone replacement and an increased risk of developing dementia. Meanwhile, the science lumping the many different types of HRT together in one “causes-breast-cancer” basket is being questioned by menopause experts.

A sexist, ageist culture has kept the menopause – and the stigma associated with it – hidden for decades. In a TUC survey of 4,000 women, 85% said the menopause affected their working life. Many women have lost their health, jobs, relationships and even their lives at the time of their menopause, when rates of suicide peak.

But now, Labour MP Carolyn Harris is pushing the second reading of her menopause bill through parliament later this month. Aside from making HRT free in England (it’s already free in Scotland and Wales), the bill will also cover broader issues around menopause rights and education, particularly in the workplace.

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Source: The Guardian, 6 October 2021

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Symptoms to watch for as 10% of secondary pupils suffer long Covid

More than one in ten secondary school pupils and over a third of school staff who had COVID-19 have suffered ongoing symptoms, figures suggest.

The most common symptom reported by staff and pupils was weakness/tiredness, while staff were more likely to experience shortness of breath than pupils, according to a small study of schools in England.

The survey from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates that about 35.7% of staff and 12.3% of secondary school pupils with a previously confirmed Covid-19 infection reported experiencing ongoing symptoms more than four weeks from the start of the infection.

Among those experiencing ongoing symptoms, 15.5% of staff and 9.4% of secondary school pupils said their ability to carry out day-to-day activities had been significantly reduced.

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “This survey data reveals the largely hidden long-term effects of Covid on both students and school and college staff.

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Source: Wales Online, 28 September 2021

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Health secretary to act on racial bias in effectiveness of medical devices

Sajid Javid has said medical device manufacturers should check their products work well for people of all ethnic backgrounds, citing problems that those with dark skin have experienced when using pulse oximeters.

Several studies have found oximeters are not as good at identifying hypoxia in people with darker skin. The devices have been widely used during the covid pandemic to monitor people at risk of deteriorating at home. They are meant to trigger a response when needed. Official guidance was updated this summer to encourage caution in their use. 

The health and social care secretary has identified health inequalities as one of his priorities. He gave the issue as an example of racial bias in healthcare when speaking at the Conservative party conference on Tuesday evening.

He said: “It turned out that pulse oximeters, all of them that exist in the world, were giving often the wrong reading for people with dark skin, because they were designed by companies where basically all they were thinking about were white people. Why is that? Because the companies, their market was white countries with a majority of white people.”

Mr Javid, who has a British Pakistani background, continued: “They just weren’t thinking whether these things could work on people with a skin colour like mine or just darker skin, and that’s not right.

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Source: HSJ, 6 October 2021

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First new treatment for sickle cell in 20 years

The first new sickle-cell treatment in 20 years will help keep thousands of people out of hospital over the next three years, NHS England has said.

Sickle-cell disease is incurable and affects 15,000 people in the UK.

And the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence said the hope of reducing health inequalities for black people, who are predominantly affected and often have poorer health to start with, made the drug worth recommending.

It called it "an innovative treatment".

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Source: BBC News, 5 October 2021

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A third of stillbirths in Cwm Taf maternity units 'could have been prevented', review finds

A third of stillbirths at two south Wales hospitals could have been prevented with better care or treatment, an investigation has concluded.

It emerged two years ago that more than 60 women suffered the heartbreak of a stillbirth at at the Royal Glamorgan, Llantrisant, and Prince Charles Hospital, Merthyr Tydfil, and that many of these were never reported or investigated.

An independent panel set up by the Welsh Government to oversee improvements in these maternity units has now concluded that many of these babies could have been saved.

It looked at whether the care provided to women and their babies between January 2016 and September 2018 fell below the standards expected. The failures were split into different levels of severity, known in the report as "modifiable factors".

Their investigation looked at 63 stillbirths between January 1, 2016, and September 30, 2018, and discovered that 21 (33%) of them had at least one "major modifiable factor", meaning the stillbirth could potentially have been avoided.

More than half (59%) of the 63 had at least one "minor modifiable factor" while in three-quarters (76%) of them "wider learning" was required. In only four of the 63 stillbirths the panel found no modifiable factors.

The panel also discovered that "areas for learning" were identified in 59 of the 63 episodes of care reviewed.

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Source: Wales Online, 5 October 2021

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GPs in England failing to urgently refer patients with ‘red flag’ signs of cancer

GPs are failing to urgently refer patients with “red flag” signs of suspected cancer to a specialist, research suggests.

Six out of 10 patients in England with key symptoms indicating possible cancer did not receive an urgent referral for specialist assessment within two weeks, as recommended in clinical guidelines, according to a new study.

Nearly 4% of these patients were subsequently diagnosed with cancer within the next 12 months. The findings were published in the journal BMJ Quality & Safety.

In the study, researchers analysed records from almost 49,000 patients who consulted their GP with one of the warning signs for cancer that should warrant referral under clinical guidelines. Of the 29,045 patients not referred, 1,047 developed cancer within a year (3.6%).

Early diagnosis and prompt treatment is crucial to survival chances. Every four-week delay in cancer treatment increases the risk of death by 10%.

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Source: The Guardian, 5 October 2021

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Government launches new mental wellbeing campaign for general public

As part of the UK Government’s efforts to tackle health problems, including mental health, earlier in the cycle, the newly-created Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) has launched the latest Better Health – Every Mind Matters campaign to improve the general public’s mental wellbeing.

The new campaign aims to empower members of the general public to look after their mental health through tips and practical advice, helping to find what works for them in reducing stress and anxiety, boosting their mood, sleeping better, and feeling in greater control of their lives.

New research commissioned by OHID revealed nearly half of adults (49%) in England said the Covid-19 pandemic had a negative impact on their mental wellbeing. In the same research, more than a third of all adults in England (34%) said they did not know what to do to improve their mental wellbeing. That equated to 15.1 million people. Younger adults were the most significantly affected group with their mental health, with 57% of 18-34 year olds suggesting the pandemic had negatively impacted their mental health. Just under half (44%) reported not knowing what to do to help improve it.

This is the first campaign delivered by OHID since being officially launched on October 1, 2021. They have been set up with the aim of tackling health inequalities across the country.

Minister for Care and Mental Health, Gillian Keegan, said: “The public showed great resilience throughout the pandemic, but it has served as a stark reminder that we all need to look after ourselves not only physically, but mentally. “There are simple steps we can all be taking to improve our mental wellbeing and reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. For anyone who is unsure what they can do, I urge you to visit Every Mind Matters and take advantage of the expert advice and practical tips available to you.”

Claire Murdoch, NHS National Director for Mental Health, added: “The last year has taken its toll on people’s mental health but NHS staff have responded rapidly to treat more people with mental health issues than ever before – rolling out 24/7 crisis lines across the country and mental health support teams in schools during the pandemic. “The NHS is here for you, so if you’re struggling with anxiety and depression our rapidly expanding talking therapy services are available, while anyone who needs urgent help can access our 24/7 NHS crisis lines – available to people of all ages. “I would encourage everyone to look after their mental health, and by answering 5 simple questions, get a tailored ‘mind plan’ which will give you tips to help boost your mood, sleep better and deal with stress and anxiety.”

Over 3.4 million individual Mind Plans have already been created since the campaign was first launched in October 2019.

Original source: National Health Executive

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50% rise in number of women in UK who have not had vital breast screening since services restarted

The number of women in the UK who have not had vital NHS breast screening, which can stop people dying from breast cancer, has risen by an estimated 50% - to nearly 1.5 million women - since services resumed, the leading UK breast cancer charity warns during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  

Breast Cancer Now reveals an alarming increase of around half a million women who haven’t been screened since services restarted in summer 2020, estimating that around 1,480,000 fewer women in the UK had breast screening between March 2020 and May 2021, compared to pre-pandemic levels. This comes a year after the charity reported that almost one million women had missed breast screening due to COVID-19 seeing services paused.

According to the charity, nearly 12,000 people in the UK could have been living with undiagnosed breast cancer at the end of May 2021, due to the impact of the pandemic on breast screening services and fewer women being referred to specialists with possible symptoms of the disease since March 2020 – a frightening prospect when early detection can stop people dying from the disease.

Full article here
Source: Breast Cancer Now

Also covered in the Independent

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Baby died after hospital’s ‘catalogue of failings’, NHS inquiry finds

Bristol Children’s hospital tried to ‘deceive’ Ben Condon’s parents about his death, NHS ombudsman says

An eight-week-old baby died after “a catalogue of failings” in his treatment at a children’s hospital, which then tried to “deceive” his parents about his death, an official inquiry has found.

Doctors failed to spot that Ben Condon was suffering from a deadly bacterial infection and did not give him antibiotics until an hour before he died, the NHS ombudsman said.

“We found that Ben and his family suffered serious injustice in consequence of the failings we found in his care and treatment,” the parliamentary and health service ombudsman said in a report that contained damning criticisms of Bristol Children’s hospital. The errors were all “lost opportunities” to help Ben recover from his illness and so increased the risk of him dying.

Read the full article here
Source: The Guardian
Also covered in the Independent

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Stanford Center for Digital Health newsletter - Digital Health Equity

Where Healthcare Is Improving and Where It Needs More Work

While the public discourse on health equity has increased in recent years, there are still many problems in health disparities research and in care delivery. Health systems are struggling to tackle health equity issues as highlighted by a recent study that evaluated online consumer reviews of hospitals and experiences of racism. 

However, organizations are making a positive impact toward health equity in a variety of areas. Walmart is partnering with virtual care company Grand Rounds Health and Doctor On Demand on a digital health program aimed at tackling health disparities among African American workers. Women's health company Tia is looking to welcome female-identifying patients in an effort to improve inclusivity in health tech. For more content on companies that are addressing health equity gaps, including specialized care for women and individuals with female biologies, check out the recent blog post where we collaborated with Rock Health: Building comprehensive women+ digital health: Eight sectors serving women+ needs. 

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UK launches new office to tackle health inequalities

The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) has been officially launched by the UK Government, aimed at preventing health disparities across the country and supporting people to live longer, healthier, and happier lives.

OHID will focus on stopping debilitating health conditions before they develop and represents a distinct step-change in focus from the Government towards a more preventative, rather than reactionary, approach to health.

One of the key intentions of this is to reduce the backlog and also put social care on a long-term sustainable footing, tackling health issues much earlier in their presentation, tackling the underlying causes of many of these, or preventing them altogether.

The new government office will see Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer, provide professional leadership to the organisation.

Announcing the official launch of OHID, the Government pointed to some of the clear trends shown in recent figures, which highlight how geographical location can play a significant role in a person’s life expectancy and the years that they can expect to live a healthy life. For example:

  • men in the most deprived areas in England are expected to live nearly 10 years fewer than those in the least deprived. Women in the same areas can expect to live 7 years fewer
  • smoking is more prevalent in more deprived areas and one of the leading causes of inequalities in life expectancy; an international study found it accounts for half the difference in mortality between the least and most deprived men aged 35 to 69
  • obesity is widespread but more prevalent among the most deprived areas; prevalence is almost 8% higher among those living in the most deprived decile of local authorities (66.6%) compared to those in the least deprived areas (58.8%)

Under its new remit, OHID will work to coordinate across local and central government, the NHS and wider society – utilising expert advice, analysis, and evidence – to drive improvements in the public’s health which may be able to have preventative roles and level up health across the UK.

Preventative approaches to health can, it is intended, reduce the pressure on existing healthcare services, saving significant resource and money, and ensure that record investments into health and social care services can go further.

Source: National Health Executive

Health and Social Care Secretary, Sajid Javid said: “The pandemic has laid bare the health disparities we face not only as a country, but as communities and individuals.

“This must change, and this body marks a new era of preventative healthcare to help people live healthier, happier and longer lives.

“The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities will be the driving force across government, supported by communities, academics, industry and employers, to level up the health of our nation, which will reduce the pressure on our NHS and care services.”

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Mental health services in the England are being ‘Uberised’ – and that’s bad for patients and therapists

There is a mental health crisis in England, with rates of depression doubling since the COVID pandemic began. Strategies of “speaking up”, mindfulness sessions at work, and national “happiness” campaigns have been touted as an effective approach to tackling mental health at work, but therapists are unconvinced.

But what of mental health services offered by the state? This has been equally unconvincing. Over the past decade or so, mental health services in England have been undergoing a process of “Uberisation”. This refers to how services are effectively treated as commodities marketed through online platforms, changing the way they are delivered as well as making the jobs of the people delivering them more precarious – similar to the effect of ride-hailing apps on taxi drivers.

Specifically, this has happened through the introduction of a standardised and digitalised model of therapy called Increased Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT). This Uberisation appears to be contributing to a mental health crisis within the therapy profession itself.

IAPT, which was introduced in 2008, provides psychotherapy for depression and anxiety to over a million people each year – the largest NHS programme in England. It uses a model of cognitive behavioural therapy – made up of short-term interventions of four to 12 sessions – that use techniques, such as relaxation exercises, to encourage positive mood and behaviour.

With extremely high levels of depression and anxiety among therapists, there is a genuine question about patient safety that is being overlooked. If the mental health model itself is broken, are services deepening the mental health crisis, rather than solving it?

Read the full article here
Source: The Conversation

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Enhancing patient safety and outcomes in high-risk surgery

A team of world-leading medical experts have collaborated to improve patient safety and outcomes following high-risk surgery.

The endeavour, which includes industry specialists such as anaesthetists, surgeons, and patient representatives, is called the Improving Patient Outcomes (ImPrOve) Think Tank. The ImPrOve team has recently published its European report that highlights and looks to address a severe patient safety and health issue in which death and serious complication rates in the 30-days following high-risk surgery are alarmingly high.

The insightful report outlines an array of practices and innovations in the health sector that can improve patient safety and outcomes. These include calling for better physician training on the latest guidelines, funding for modern digital monitoring, utilisation of data from current technologies in health policies, and the right for patients to be involved in the discussion of the management of their procedure.

Perils of high-risk surgery

Around 2.4 million patients undergo high-risk surgery annually in Europe alone, with UK evidence indicating that 80% of postoperative deaths occur in a 10% sub-population of high-risk patients. If this startling trend continues throughout Europe, it is estimated that a staggering 192,000 people will die within the 30-day period following their surgery, demonstrating the immense dangers posed to patient safety and outcomes. There is an array of challenges during high-risk surgery; however, the ImPrOve Think Tank believes that potentially the most alarming complication is haemodynamic instability, which manifests as drops in blood pressure (known as IOH).

Mitigating risks and increasing patient safety

Professor Olivier Huet, the ImPrOve Chair and Professor of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, said: “Our mission is to work collaboratively with patient representatives, clinicians and policymakers to improve perioperative patient safety and experience with the help of advanced haemodynamic monitoring technologies.

Full article here
Source: Health Europa

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New edition of The Journal of Patient Safety issued

The latest edition of the Wolters Kluwer Journal of Patient Safety has just been published.

Original studies include:

  • Is There a Mismatch Between the Perspectives of Patients and Regulators on Healthcare Quality? A Survey Study
  • The Ideal Hospital Discharge Summary: A Survey of U.S. Physicians
  • Impact of an Original Methodological Tool on the Identification of Corrective and Preventive Actions After Root Cause Analysis of Adverse Events in Health Care Facilities: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Detach Yourself: The Positive Effect of Psychological Detachment on Patient Safety in Long-Term Care
  • Patient Safety Activity Under the Social Insurance Medical Fee Schedule in Japan: An Overview of the 2010 Nationwide Survey
  • Sustaining Teamwork Behaviors Through Reinforcement of TeamSTEPPS Principles
  • Prescribing Errors With Low-Molecular-Weight Heparins
  • Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the Speaking Up About Patient Safety Questionnaire
  • Descriptive Analysis of Patient Misidentification From Incident Report System Data in a Large Academic Hospital Federation
  • Medication Errors at Hospital Admission and Discharge: Risk Factors and Impact of Medication Reconciliation Process to Improve Healthcare
  • Reducing and Sustaining Duplicate Medical Record Creation by Usability Testing and System Redesign

Full articles are payalled but the abstracts may be viewed free of charge.

Access the Journal here

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NHS trust apologises to families of patients who died after catching Covid at hospital

Queen Elizabeth Hospital Kings Lynn carried out a transparent review of 389 Covid infections

An NHS trust has apologised to hundreds of families whose relatives caught Covid-19 in hospital and died, after a review found a lack of private rooms contributed to the spread of the virus.

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) in Kings Lynn, Norfolk, has carried out a review of all 389 cases of patients who either definitely or probably contracted Covid while in the hospital between March 2020 and February this year. Of those, 151 patients died. 

The trust is the only NHS trust to have carried out a full and transparent review of hospital acquired infections of Covid-19 with staff speaking with each family to understand their concerns and views.

Read full article here
Source: Independent

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Government launches landmark review of health and social care leadership

The government has launched a review of leadership in health and social care. The review will be led by former Vice Chief of the Defence Staff General Sir Gordon Messenger, and will report back to Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Sajid Javid, in early 2022.

The Health and Social Care Leadership Review will look to improve processes and strengthen the leadership of health and social care in England. Working with the health and care systems, retired General Sir Gordon Messenger will have a team from DHSC and the NHS to support him led by Dame Linda Pollard, chair of Leeds Teaching Hospital.

The review comes as the government invests a record £36 billion to put health and social care on a sustainable financial footing and deliver the biggest catch-up programme in NHS history. Any recommendations made as the review progresses will be considered carefully and could be rapidly implemented to make every penny of taxpayer’s money count.

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Sajid Javid, said:

"I am determined to make sure the NHS and social care delivers for the people of this country for years to come and leadership is so important to that mission.

We are committed to providing the resources health and social care needs but that must come with change for the better.

This review will shine a light on the outstanding leaders in health and social care to drive efficiency and innovation. It will help make sure individuals and families get the care and treatment they need, wherever they are in the country, as we build back better."

Read full story

Source: Department of Health and Social Care, 2 October 2021

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£7.5m Covid-19 vaccine study for pregnant women launches in Manchester

The country’s largest clinical study is being launched in Greater Manchester to investigate the best gap between first and second Covid-19 vaccine doses for pregnant women.

Led by St George’s, University of London, the Preg-CoV study will provide vital clinical trial data on the immune response to vaccination at different dose intervals – either four to six weeks or eight to 12 weeks. This data will help determine the best dosage interval and reveal more about how the vaccine works to protect pregnant mothers and their babies against Covid-19.

Pregnant women are more likely to develop severe Covid-19 or die from the disease but are excluded from clinical trials with new vaccines. This means there are currently very limited clinical trial data on the immune response and side effects caused by the vaccines for these women.

Read the full story here
Source: National Health Executive

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‘A bit of a nightmare’: fuel shortages starting to affect vulnerable patients

Patients are starting to suffer because health and care workers are unable to purchase fuel.

The fuel crisis is starting to have an effect on the care of vulnerable patients, community and mental health service providers have warned. Many petrol stations are running short of fuel as a result of panic buying, after the oil firm BP warned that it would have to close some of its petrol stations because of the lack of lorry drivers. Currently there is a shortage of about 100,000 HGV drivers.

Crystal Oldman, chief executive for the Queen’s Nursing Institute, which represents community nurses, told the journal HSJ that the fuel shortage was already affecting them: “This potentially means nurses cannot get to the patients they need to if they are unable to access fuel. At the very least, it will mean more time searching for petrol stations that have a supply, taking valuable time from their working day and more unpaid overtime will be undertaken as nurses will always prioritise their patient care.”

Patient transport has also been affected. A source at a patient transport provider in the West Midlands told HSJ that it had been “a bit of a nightmare”. The provider had had to turn down a request for a patient going to London because of the fuel shortage and because of climate protesters disrupting motorway transport: “Ultimately those patients are either at home and distressed carrying a big risk in the community or [accident and emergency] departments which [are not] the right settings.”

Read the full article here
Source: Future Care Capital

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Pent up demand for care risks further inflating NHS backlog

New analysis published by the Health Foundation shows that while the waiting list for hospital care continues to grow, so too does the number of ‘missing' patients who have not yet been added to the list. There were 7.5 million fewer people referred for routine hospital care between January 2020 and July 2021 than would have been expected based on numbers prior to the pandemic. These ‘missing patients’ are in addition to the record 5.6 million people already on the waiting list.  

This lower than expected number of people referred for hospital care, including for routine procedures such as hip or knee surgery, is likely to be due to a number of reasons. Some people may not have sought treatment for health concerns during the pandemic, while others may have seen their GP but not yet been referred due to the pressure on hospital services during the pandemic. In some instances, care may no longer be needed. 

The analysis comes alongside a BBC Panorama documentary (Monday 27 September) revealing the scale of the elective care backlog and the impact delays are having on people’s lives. The Health Foundation analysis, shared with Panorama, also shows that the pandemic had a much worse effect on the hospital care provided in some areas of England than it did in others. The analysis of 42 local integrated care systems (ICSs) shows that the pandemic significantly reduced the level of routine hospital care performed across the country – in the worst affected area routine hospital care dropped by 37% while in the least affected area there was a 13% reduction.  

Read the full article here
Source: The Health Foundation

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