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Digital GP service provider secures biggest ever deal with NHS

Nearly 2 million NHS patients are to be given access to video consultations with doctors employed by a digital healthcare supplier as a result of a series of deals signed with NHS commissioners.Nearly 2 million NHS patients are to be given access to video consultations with doctors employed by a digital healthcare supplier as a result of a series of deals signed with NHS commissioners.

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Source: HSJ, 12 August 2019

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Digital Clinical Safety Strategy a ‘vote of confidence’ in technology

One week ago NHSX published the first of its kind Digital Clinical Safety Strategy – but what do industry leaders  think of the framework?

The strategy aims to help the NHS provide a safer service when using digital technology, including through training and better use of data.

Speaking to Digital Health News, Natasha Phillips, CNIO and director of patient safety at NHSX, said there was a clear demand for training in digital clinical safety in the NHS and that frontline staff were “excited” about learning more on using technology to improve safety.

The strategy aims to set out a “clear vision” and recommendations on how to use digital to improve safety, as well as expanding staff access to digital safety.

Sarah Hanbridge, chair of the Digital Health chief nursing information officer (CNIO) Network, welcomed the strategy but warned not to “underestimate” organisational changes it will require.

“Patient safety is all our responsibilities, as nurses and AHP’s [allied health professionals] delivering safe care is at the heart of what we do every day, proactively taking steps to prevent avoidable harm,” she told Digital Health News. “The Digital Clinical Safety Strategy has been welcomed by our [Digital Health] CNIO Network, as we know the benefits of how digital technologies can enhance patient safety in delivering care."

Reaction from suppliers has followed a similar pattern, with a recognition that safety needs to be embedded in the heart of digital.

Dr Constantin Jabarin, chief clinical information officer (CCIO) at Allscripts, said the strategy was a “vote of confidence” for digital health tools.

“As a clinician who also works for a technology company, I see the Digital Clinical Safety Strategy as a vote of confidence for digital solutions, rather than an obstacle, for improving patient safety issues,” he told Digital Health News.

“As a clinical user I can’t stress how important it is to design systems with the user and the patient in mind to ensure they contribute towards safer clinical practice.”

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Source: Digital Health News, 24 September 2021

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Dido Harding to speak tomorrow (Thursday) at HSJ provider summit

NHS Test and Trace chief Baroness Dido Harding will be interviewed by HSJ editor Alastair McLellan at 9am tomorrow  as part of HSJ’s virtual provider summit.

HSJ’s subscribers working in the NHS or a non-profit organisation can register to attend the summit here.

Other speakers will include new Health Education England chief executive Navina Evans and King’s Fund chief executive Richard Murray. The subjects due to be covered include how the NHS will tackle the drive to recover routine care, the service’s workforce challenges and how forthcoming legislation may impact the governance of the service.

Full details of the programme can be seen here.

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Did the NHS 111 Covid helpline fail hundreds of families?

Hundreds of people believe the 111 helpline failed their relatives. Now the Guardian reports that they are demanding a full inquiry into the service.

When the coronavirus outbreak hit in March, the NHS feared hospitals could be overwhelmed and so patients with suspected symptoms were directed to call the designated 111 helpline. Call volumes were massive and waiting times were often over an hour.

The Guardian’s David Conn has spent months talking to bereaved relatives about that difficult time and during his conversations he found many were deeply unhappy about the service they felt had been provided by the 111 helpline.

Lena Vincent’s partner Patrick McManus died from the virus in April following a short period in hospital. He had called 111 three times and had not been advised to seek further medical help. Lena tells Anushka she wants to know who is accountable for the service.

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Source: The Guardian, 28 September 2020

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Did early focus on hand washing and not masks aid spread of COVID-19?

From the moment coronavirus reached UK shores, public health advice stressed the importance of washing hands and deep-cleaning surfaces to reduce the risk of becoming infected.

The advice was informed by mountains of research into the transmission of other respiratory viruses: it was the best scientists could do with such a new pathogen. But as the pandemic spread and data rolled in, some scientists began to question whether the focus on hand hygiene was as crucial as it seemed.

The issue has resurfaced after Monica Gandhi, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, told the US science magazine Nautilus that the easiest way to catch the virus was through droplets and aerosols sprayed from an infected person’s mouth or nose.

“It’s not through surfaces,” she said. “We now know the root of the spread is not from touching surfaces and touching your eye. It’s from being close to someone spewing virus from their nose and mouth, without in most cases knowing they are doing so.”

Gandhi’s is not a lone voice. Her comments follow a prominent paper in the Lancet from Emanuel Goldman, a professor of microbiology at Rutgers University in New Jersey. He was sceptical about the relevance of scientific studies that showed the virus could survive on surfaces for days at a time.

“In my opinion,” he wrote, “the chance of transmission through inanimate surfaces is very small, and only in instances where an infected person coughs or sneezes on the surface, and someone else touches that surface soon after the cough or sneeze.” He defined soon as within one to two hours.

Dr Julian Tang, an honorary associate professor of respiratory sciences at the University of Leicester, thinks hand washing should stay but agrees the risk from contaminated surfaces has been overplayed.

He points to documents from the UK government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) that estimate hand washing can reduce acute respiratory infections by only 16%. Meanwhile, he adds, the World Health Organization has warned about surfaces being a likely route of transmission while conceding there are no reports demonstrating infection this way.

Tang believes that a preoccupation with contaminated surfaces distracted countries from taking airborne transmission seriously and played down the necessity of wearing masks. “What we’ve always said is that the virus transmits by all routes. There might be some transmission by hand and fomites and we’re not opposed to hand washing, but the emphasis is wrong,” he told the Guardian.

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Source: 5 October 2020

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Did bad vaccine advice cost Samantha Willis her life?

When the UK’s jab programme began, expectant mothers were told to steer clear – so Samantha decided to wait until she had had her baby. Two weeks after giving birth, she died in hospital from Covid.

Samantha was unvaccinated – she had received advice against getting jabbed at an antenatal appointment.

When the Covid vaccine programme began in the UK on 8 December 2020, pregnant women were told not to get vaccinated. 

But in October 2020, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) published guidance warning that “intensive care admission may be more common in pregnant women with Covid-19 than in non-pregnant women of the same age” and that pregnant women with Covid were three times more likely to have a preterm birth.

Further evidence emerged in 2021 indicating that pregnant women were particularly vulnerable to Covid, especially in their final trimester. Research from the University of Washington, published in January, found that pregnant women were 13 times more likely to die from Covid than people of a similar age who were not pregnant.

But throughout February and March, the JCVI’s scientists did not appear especially concerned about examining the case for vaccinating pregnant women. Priority in the early stages of the vaccine programme was being given to older people, so many pregnant women remained towards the back of the queue.

The maternity campaign group Pregnant Then Screwed said: “If you look at who was on the Covid war cabinet and leading the daily briefing, it was nearly all men,” says Joeli Brearley, its founder. “Pregnant women were treated as if they were very similar to the general population, rather than being seen as a special cohort that needs special consideration. They were just not a priority.”

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Source: The Guardian, 23 November 2021

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Diabetic patient used social media to find insulin

A woman living with type 1 diabetes is calling for better communication on the supply of essential medication after she had to turn to social media for help in finding some.

Gwen Edwards, 27, from Anglesey, takes insulin and has been using Fiasp FlexTouch, a type of insulin that comes in a disposable pen.

A shortage notice about supplies of the insulin that she uses was sent to all surgeries and pharmacies in Wales in March, but Gwen said she was not made aware of this.

According to her, she normally gets a prescription two weeks before her medicine runs out, but recently it became clear that there was a problem with the stock.

"I had to go and look for insulin. One chemist told me that they had run out and that there was no stock at all, so I was a bit worried," she said.

Despite the low stock, she said she was not aware of the shortage.

"I went with the prescription to other places to look for the insulin. Five chemists later they told me that the insulin was out of stock."

Her GP practice said it could not comment on individual cases, but the health board for north Wales said local pharmacies would not "routinely contact patients directly" about shortages of medicines because most would not see any disruption.

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Source: BBC News, 15 July 2024

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Diabetic patient found dead on hospital roof after medics ejected him while he was in shock

A diabetic pensioner died on the roof of a hospital after staff physically ejected him despite being in a “confused” state.

Stephen McManus, a long-term Type 1 diabetes patient, had earlier been rushed to Charing Cross Hospital in west London while suffering a hypoglycaemic episode.

Despite colleagues having expressed concerns about his slurred speech and erratic behaviour, a junior doctor decided the 60-year-old had the mental capacity to go home.

He was wheeled out of the building by security guards, despite having no phone, money and being in his slippers. His family had not been contacted to inform them he was being discharged.

Some time later Mr McManus re-entered the building and managed to gain access to a construction area, somehow finding his way onto the roof.

He was found dead the next morning following a police search after his family reported him missing.

An inquest has begun trying to establish why Stephen was allowed to leave the hospital in the first place and how he was able to access a potentially dangerous zone.

Mr McManus’s family say the case raises profound questions about the treatment of diabetic patients in the NHS.

“My father was an extremely vulnerable patient and the nature of his removal from the hospital is inexplicable, Jonathan McManus, his son, told The Telegraph.

“Had he been kept in hospital he would no doubt be alive today.”

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Source: Yahoo News, 19 February 2022

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Diabetes: Warning that missing eye test appointments risks sight loss

Diabetes patients have been warned that non-attendance at eye-test appointments puts them at greater risk of developing unnecessary sight loss.

The Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) has described the attendance rates at clinics in Northern Ireland as "alarmingly low" .

It said 20% to 40% of patients were not showing up for their appointments on any given day.

Prof Tunde Peto, clinical lead for the NI Diabetic Eye Screening Programme, said the most common of many complications caused by diabetes was diabetic eye disease.

Diabetes can cause cataracts early on but it can also affect the retina at the back of the eye, "which will eventually lead to sight loss if not treated on time," Prof Peto explained.

"Diabetic retinopathy causes no symptoms until it can be just about too late to treat," she said.

Ian Catlin from Ballymoney has experienced sight loss due to diabetic retinopathy.

He has had Type 1 diabetes since childhood and became aware of problems with his eyesight in his mid-30s.

Mr Catlin said he put off asking for medical help because of the fear of what he would be told."I did eventually go, but you're scared and you put your head in the sand," he said.Read full story

Source: BBC News, 15 June 2022

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Diabetes technology: specialists are blocking access for some patients, say experts

Diabetes teams in some NHS trusts are blocking patients’ access to new technologies that could improve their care, clinical leaders have said.

A Westminster Health Forum session on diabetes and technology on 16 October heard that there was unwarranted variation across the country in access to insulin pumps and other clinically effective devices. Poorer access often stemmed from a lack of understanding among individual consultants and departments and a reluctance to offer new devices to patients, the experts said.

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Source: BMJ, 17 October 2019

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Diabetes patients to be offered artificial-pancreas technology

Tens of thousands of people with type 1 diabetes in England are to be offered a new technology, dubbed an artificial pancreas, to help manage the condition.

The system uses a glucose sensor under the skin to automatically calculate how much insulin is delivered via a pump.

Later this month, the NHS will start contacting adults and children who could benefit from the system.

But NHS bosses warned it could take five years before everyone eligible had the opportunity to have one.

This is because of challenges sourcing enough of the devices, plus the need to train more staff in how to use them.

In trials, the technology - known as a hybrid closed loop system - improved quality of life and reduced the risk of long-term health complications.

And at the end of last year, the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (Nice) said the NHS should start using it.

Prof Partha Kar, NHS national speciality advisor for diabetes, said the move was "great news for everyone with type 1 diabetes".

"This futuristic technology not only improves medical care but also enhances the quality of life for those affected," he added.

Source: BBC News, 2 April 2024

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Diabetes patients struggling without 'wonder drug'

Diabetes patients have told the BBC they are struggling without what they have called a "wonder drug".

Experts estimate about 400,000 people with Type 2 diabetes could have been affected by a national supply shortage caused by rising demand.

The new generation of medicines - GLP-1 receptor agonists - mimic a hormone that not only controls blood sugar levels but also suppresses appetite.

The government said it was trying to help resolve the supply chain issues.

NHS England has issued a National Patient Safety Alert for the drugs.

The NHS alerts require action to be taken by healthcare providers to reduce the risk of death or disability.

The diabetes medicines in short supply are Ozempic, Trulicity, Victoza, Byetta, and Bydureon. They work via injections instead of tablets.

The group of medicines has been used by the NHS for diabetes for around a decade but in recent years there has been a growth in private clinics prescribing the same drugs for weight loss for people who do not have diabetes, pushing up demand.

Novo Nordisk, which manufactures Ozempic and Victoza, told the BBC it was experiencing shortages of its medicines for people in the UK with Type 2 diabetes due to "unprecedented levels of demand".

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Source: BBC News, 26 January 2024

Have you (or a loved one) ever been prescribed medication that you were then unable to get hold of at the pharmacy or in hospital? To help us understand how these issues impact the lives of patients and families, please share your experience and insights in our hub community thread on the topic here or drop a comment below. You'll need to register with the hub first, its free and easy to do.

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Diabetes kills 100 000 Americans for second year in a row

Diabetes is killing an increasing number of Americans and has accounted for more than 100 000 US deaths in each of the past two years. A national commission has called on the federal government to take a broad approach to the problem, similar to the fight against AIDS.

Lisa Murdock of the American Diabetes Association told The BMJ that diabetes was the most common underlying condition in the US and that Covid-19 was an exacerbating factor. Some 40% of Americans who died from Covid-19 had diabetes, she said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that 37.3 million Americans—11.3% of the US population—have diabetes, including 8.3 million who have not had it diagnosed.

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Source: BMJ, 3 February 2022

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DHSC-NHSE merger timetable revealed

The Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England have revealed a full timetable for merging their functions.

An update to staff late on Tuesday, seen by HSJ, says the organisations are aiming for the legal abolition of NHSE to be complete by April 2027, although it requires legislation to pass in time.

The prime minister first announced that NHSE would be abolished in March last year.

A new “target operating model” is being developed and is expected to be published by the end of May (see timeline chart left).

The DHSC plans to launch a 45-day consultation from October on the “detailed design proposals for the new DHSC and on any potential future downsizing”.

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Source: HSJ, 27 January 2026

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DHSC to review clinical risk standards for digital health tech

The Department of Health and Social Care will launch a consultation on the clinical risk standards for the use of digital health technologies in 2024/2025, the minister for patient safety has confirmed.

In a letter to Patient Safety Learning, Baroness Gillian Merron said there will be a review of standards DCB0129 and DCB0160, which provide guidelines to help healthcare providers manage and mitigate risks associated with healthcare IT systems.

She wrote to the charity in response its report, ‘Electronic patient record systems: Putting patient safety at the heart of implementation’, published on 31 July 2024, which sets out “significant patient safety risks” relating to EPR rollouts in the NHS.

In a letter dated 17 September 2024, seen by Digital Health News, Baroness Merron said that clinical risk standards play a “crucial role” in patient safety when using EPRs.

“The standards, published in 2012, require organisations to ensure that clinical risk management is embedded in the deployment of EPRs and throughout the life cycle of the technology, including version upgrades.

“NHS England is responsible for ensuring the continued effectiveness of the clinical risk standards.

“A comprehensive review of both standards is planned for 2024/2025, which will involve a public consultation and wide stakeholder engagement,” Baroness Merron said.

Helen Hughes, chief executive of Patient Safety Learning, welcomed the forthcoming consultation, adding that it is “vital” that patient safety is at the core of EPR implementation.

“We welcome proposed steps by NHSE to undertake further analysis aimed at identifying new and under-recognised patient safety issues relating to EPR systems.

“Patient Safety Learning believes there must be transparency in reporting of unintended harm and that such insights lead to learning from EPR implementations, with action taken to directly support front line clinicians in their work and the delivery of safe care.

“It is also important that there are robust safety standards in digital health to keep apace with new technologies as they evolve.

“These standards should be accompanied by strong quality assurance and accountability mechanisms with patient safety at their core,” Hughes said.

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Source: Digital Health, 30 September 2024

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DHSC tells care homes to destroy batch of COVID-19 tests over safety fears

Care homes have been ordered to destroy a batch of faulty COVID-19 test kits after it was discovered that the swabs could break off while being used to gather samples from residents’ tonsils and noses.

Care home managers were told on Sunday not to use the tests because they had “brittle stems at risk of snapping”. The kits were manufactured by Citotest, a company based in China, and were distributed by the government’s COVID-19 care home testing programme. It is tasked with providing tests for all staff and residents in care settings, not just people displaying symptoms.

The affected batch should be destroyed or kept in a safe area clearly marked with warnings not to use them, officials said, adding that the problem emerged on Saturday and they were working as quickly as possible to resolve it.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said the batch could have contained tens of thousands of tests and that a complaint had been raised with the manufacturer, with whom discussions were ongoing.

“We are aware of an issue with one batch of swab sticks which are being replaced where needed but this does not affect any tests, or the results of tests, previously taken,” a DHSC spokesperson said. “Testing is unaffected and people should still arrive for their booked tests.”

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Source: The Guardian, 15 June 2020

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DHSC sets first targets for neighbourhood health

The first targets for neighbourhood health have been set in long-awaited government guidance.

The neighbourhood health framework, published on Tuesday afternoon, gives several national targets related to GP, elective outpatient and community services.

They include:

  • At least 25% diversion rate from outpatient referrals through “single points of access” in at least 10 high‑volume specialties by next March;
  • Reduce secondary care outpatient follow-up appointments by at least 10% by next March;
  • A 10% reduction in acute outpatient appointments for under‑16s by March 2029;
  • A new target date of March next year for GPs to see 90% of clinically urgent patients the same day – an objective first announced last autumn;
  • A 10% reduction in non‑elective admissions and bed days for people with mid to severe frailty, care home residents and housebound patients by March 2029;
  • A 10% increase in people identified as approaching end of life and a 10% reduction in their non‑elective admissions and bed days by March 2029;
  • At least a 10% improvement in evidence‑based clinical outcomes for people with CVD, diabetes, COPD, mental health conditions and dementia; and
  • A 10% cent increase in patients with diabetes receiving all eight recommended care‑process elements.

In addition, the framework says that each area – “through” health and wellbeing boards – should agree local priorities and measures, which are likely to focus more on prevention and wider public services.

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Source: HSJ, 17 March 2026

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DHSC review ‘compounded mother’s suffering’, concludes watchdog

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has been criticised by the national health ombudsman for the ‘maladministration’ of a 2018 review into the death of a teenage girl under the care of one of England’s top specialist hospitals, HSJ can reveal.

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) came to the conclusion after investigating a DHSC review into the 1996 death of 17-year-old Krista Ocloo which had been requested by her mother.

Krista died at home of acute heart failure in December 1996. She had been admitted to the Royal Brompton Hospital with chest pains in January of that year. The PHSO report states her mother was told “there was no cause for concern” and that another appointment would be scheduled in six months. This follow-up appointment did not happen.

The young woman’s death was considered by the hospital’s complaints process, an independent panel review and an inquiry into the hospital’s paediatric cardiac services. They concluded the doctor involved was not responsible for Krista’s death – though the paediatric services inquiry criticised the hospital for poor communication. A coroner declined to open an inquest into the case.

Civil action against the hospital, brought by Ms Ocloo, found Krista’s death could not have been prevented. However, a High Court judge found that the failure to arrange appropriate follow-up by the RBH was “negligent”.

A spokeswoman for PHSO said: “Our investigation found maladministration by the Department for Health and Social Care, which should have been more transparent in its communication. The department’s failure to be open and clear compounded the suffering of a parent who was already grieving the loss of her child.”

A DHSC spokeswoman said: “We profoundly regret any distress caused to Ms Ocloo.

“[The PHSO] report found that in communicating with Ms Ocloo the department’s actions were – in places – not consistent with relevant guidance. The department has writen to Ms Ocloo to apologise for this and provide further information about the review.”

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Source: HSJ, 12 November 2020

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DHSC board will block unfunded safety recommendations

A “revamped, revitalised and reinforced” National Quality Board will decide what safety and quality recommendations the NHS will adopt, with an eye to their cost-effectiveness, the long-awaited Dash Review has said.

Penny Dash’s review into patient safety suggests the NQB – which has existed since 2009 – should be co-chaired by herself as chair of NHS England, with Care Quality Commission chair Sir Mike Richards. When NHSE is abolished it will be co-chaired by the Department of Health and Social Care’s lead non-executive director for quality.

The new board will act as a “clearing house” to coordinate and prioritise recommendations, avoiding “unfunded mandates being imposed on the system without due consideration”, Dr Dash recommended. It cites “those arising from reports, reviews, inquiries, investigations, guidance and activities of various bodies” being “imposed on providers without due diligence”.

The NQB should have a role in monitoring the implementation and impact of recommendations from previous reviews and inquiries, the report added. 

Dr Dash’s report, which had been widely trailed, is highly critical of what health and social care secretary Wes Streeting has described as a “labyrinth” of regulators and patient bodies and the “mission creep” pursued by some of them.

The report says that, over the last decade, there has been a shift towards patient safety over other areas of quality of care, but “relatively small improvements have been seen” in safety.

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Source: HSJ, 8 July 2025

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Devon carer who murdered woman had violent crime history

A carer who murdered the elderly woman he was employed to look after had a history of violent crime including actual bodily harm, a report found.

A safeguarding adults review over the death of a 77-year-old Devon woman in 2021 criticised working practices among organisations involved in her care.

Devon and Cornwall Police did not disclose information about domestic abuse callouts involving the killer in a DBS check by the care provider.

He was jailed for life in July 2022.

The woman had seen her killer as "a grandson" figure, it said.

The 35-year-old killer attacked his victim after she discovered he had stolen several thousand pounds from her.

The had no previous employment experience of care before being taken on as her sole carer by Complete Quality Care Ltd, an independent care provider.

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Source: BBC News, 24 November 2022

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Devastated parents describe how they watched one-year-old die after hospital made 24 'unbelievable' mistakes

The parents of a one-year-old girl who died after 'gross neglect' have called the mistakes made at a hospital where she was being cared for 'unbelievable'. Eleanor Aldred-Owen, from Mold, was diagnosed with bicoronal craniosynostosis at just 12 weeks old.

This condition meant that the sutures, the fibrous tissue joints connecting the bones of the skull, had fused prematurely, preventing normal growth and necessitating surgery to alleviate potential pressure on her brain. An inquest into Eleanor's death held at Gerard Majella Coroner's Courthouse in Liverpool on Wednesday (December 18) heard how Eleanor attended Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool for surgery on September 29 2023, but complications arose and the hospital missed crucial opportunities to address them.

Eleanor’s parents Rachel and Chaz have now issued a heartbreaking statement following the inquest saying their lives are "empty and quiet" without their daughter. 

"We have found the failings in care identified by the hospital and recognised by the Coroner as unbelievable. We thought Eleanor would be cared for by specialists, instead there were 24 identified lessons to be learned in relation to her post operative care.

"The process of the Trust investigation was not an experience we found helpful and in particular we found the stance taken in preparation for the inquest and in the Trusts submissions to the Coroner only made this worse.

"We are intensely grateful to the Coroner for her thorough investigation and her conclusion that Eleanor died as a result of numerous gross failures to provide her basic medical care, of course none of this changes the fact we have to continue our lives without Eleanor.”

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Source: Wales Online, 19 December 2024

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Detectives consider corporate manslaughter charge in NHS maternity scandal involving 200 families

Detectives are examining a series of baby deaths at a troubled NHS trust as the number of cases being investigated by an independent inquiry nears 200 – making it one of the worst maternity scandals in NHS history.

The Independent has learned officers in the serious crime directorate at Kent Police are looking at unsafe maternity care at the East Kent Hospitals University Trust and have held a series of high-level meetings, including with the Crown Prosecution Service.

The discussions are believed to centre on the possibility of opening a criminal investigation and bringing charges related to corporate manslaughter and/or gross negligence manslaughter.

If this goes ahead, it would be only the second time an NHS trust had faced a corporate manslaughter charge.

Today, former health secretary Jeremy Hunt said he was “deeply concerned” about the new revelations and added that this latest scandal showed “deep-seated cultural and systemic issues” in maternity care.

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Source: The Independent, 24 May 2021

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Desperate NHS pays up to £2,500 for nursing shifts

NHS bosses are increasingly paying premium rates for agency staff to plug holes in rotas, the BBC has found.

Spending in this area rose by 20% last year to hit £3bn in England.

For many shifts, bosses have been so short-staffed they have been willing to breach the government pay caps for these agency workers, most of whom are doctors and nurses.

Separate data supplied by Labour showed some NHS trusts had paid as much as £2,500 to nurses to fill shifts.

Out of 60 responses from trusts, 10 reported the most expensive shift cost over £2,000, and for another 13 it was between £1,000-2,000.

The BBC spoke to one cancer doctor who was offered work for £130 an hour - well above the cap for his role - and described the fees available as "astonishing" and a reflection of "desperation by management".

Chief executive of Colchester hospital, Nick Hulme, says a combination of factors is playing a role, including the need to open extra wards to cope with rising demand, as well as staffing shortages.

Some people are even leaving their jobs, only to return later as agency workers.

He says while many agency workers do fantastic work on the wards, he would still prefer to be able to use his own staff. "We know that's best for patient care, best for patient experience. Agency staff require more supervision and tasks such as handovers take longer."

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Source: BBC News, 11 November 2022

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Design of new breathing aid developed by Mercedes to be made freely available

The designs of a new breathing aid developed by engineers at the Mercedes F1 team, University College London (UCL), and clinicians at UCL Hospital have been made freely available to support the global response to COVID-19. It's the latest development in Formula 1’s Project Pitlane effort to help fight coronavirus.

The Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) devices, which help coronavirus patients with lung infections to breathe more easily, were developed by engineers at the Mercedes team and University College London (UCL), and clinicians at UCL Hospital after a round-the-clock effort to reverse engineer a device that could be manufactured rapidly by the thousands.

After patient evaluations at UCLH and across sister hospitals in the London area, the device received regulatory approval last week. An order for up to 10,000 has now been placed by the British National Health Service, and the Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains technology centre in Brixworth – the facility where the F1 team’s highly successful power units are developed and built – is now building 1,000 devices per day.

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Source: F1, 7 April 2020

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Derriford Hospital trials routine pregnancy Group B Strep tests

A trial testing for Group B Strep during pregnancies has been welcomed by a mum who lost her son to the bacterial infection.

The trial at Derriford Hospital will see routine testing for the bacteria that can put newborns at risk.

Dawn Byly lost her third child Leo to the infection a day after he was born in Truro in 2003. "I would love to think this might help prevent other families going through such a traumatic loss," she said.

About one in four pregnant women are carriers of Group B Strep. Most do not have any symptoms, but it can spread to their child during labour and in a small number of cases the infection can be life-threatening.

Currently only women identified as being at risk are tested and if positive are offered antibiotics during labour and birth.

Tests are available privately and involve a late swab in pregnancy.

"Suffering the loss of a child is a tragedy and we are committed to making sure all women get the right support and best possible maternity care," said the Department of Health and Social Care.

"The UK National Screening Committee reviewed the evidence to screen for Group B Strep at 35 to 37 weeks of pregnancy in 2017 and concluded there was insufficient evidence to introduce a national screening programme," it added.

Dr Alexander Taylor, from Derriford Hospital in Plymouth, said: "It's felt uncomfortable as an obstetrician in the UK knowing America, Canada and many of our European neighbours have been routinely screening for Group B Strep.

"This large trial aims to uncover both the clinical effectiveness but also the cost effectiveness of instituting a programme like this."

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Source: BBC News, 9 November 2021

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