Jump to content
  • articles
    6,946
  • comments
    82
  • views
    5,208,737

Contributors to this article

About this News

Articles in the news

Trust sent domestic abuse victim’s address to ex-partner, says regulator

A trust has been reprimanded by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for exposing a domestic abuse victim to risk by disclosing their address to an ex-partner.

University Hospitals Dorset Foundation Trust is one of only seven organisations in the UK – and the only NHS organisation – to have received a reprimand since July 2022 for a data breach involving a victim of domestic abuse.

According to new details released by the ICO, University Hospitals Dorset received a reprimand in April this year over a procedure it had in place that, when sending correspondence by letter, would include the full addresses of all recipients of that letter without their consent to do so.

In the case that was referred to the ICO, the subject of the data breach had their full address revealed to their ex-partner despite previous allegations of abuse, which has created a “risk of unwanted contact which will remain”.

The ICO concluded that, while the subject did not request their address be withheld, it would not be a reasonable expectation that personal information would be shared without prior consent.

The report raised concerns that UHD did not have a clear policy in place for managing situations where there are parental disputes and that no formal training was provided to administrative staff for dealing with such circumstances.

Read full story (paywalled)

Source: HSJ, 2 October 2023

Read more

Mum fears her son could die waiting for life changing surgery

The mother of a four-year-old boy with complex needs said she fears he could die waiting for life-changing surgery.

Collette Mullan made the claim to BBC Spotlight as it examined the scale of hospital waiting lists.

Northern Ireland has the worst waiting times in the UK, with more than half a million cases queued for an outpatient or inpatient appointment.

The Department of Health has described current waiting lists as "entirely unacceptable".

Óisín, from County Londonderry, has a number of health conditions including cerebral palsy, and is currently waiting for two procedures.

He is fed with a tube that carries his food through his nose into his stomach, but since it was inserted six months ago, his mum Collette said he has struggled to breathe.

Óisín is now waiting to have the nasogastric tube removed and replaced by a different feeding system which goes directly to his stomach.

Collette said she was told it could be a three-year wait for the procedure.

She is concerned that Óisín's cerebral palsy puts him at a greater risk of complications, saying she had been warned there was a danger he could aspirate.

"He could die. Anything going into his lung really, it could be very dangerous," she said.

Read full story

Source: BBC News, 3 October 2023

 

Read more

Trusts and ICBs asked to give ‘honest’ assessment of their ‘improvement culture’

Trust leaders have been asked to “self-assess” the quality of their “improvement culture” as part of an initiative launched by NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard in the spring to lead the service's new improvement drive.

The call came from NHS Impact, led by former Modernisation Agency chief David Fillingham, who along with NHS Impact’s deputy chair – University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire Foundation Trust CEO Andy Hardy – has written to service leaders, setting out the first stage in the improvement drive.

They have asked the boards and CEOs of trusts and integerated care boards to “engage directly” with a new self-assessment tool and maturity matrix created by NHS Impact. This is designed to gauge their progress on adopting the five practices that NHS IMPACT claim “form the DNA of an improvement culture”.

Those five practices are:

  • A shared purpose and vision which are widely spread and guide all improvement effort.
  • Investment in people and in building an improvement focused culture.
  • Leaders at every level who understand improvement and practise it in their daily work.
  • The consistent use of an appropriate suite of improvement methods.
  • The embedding of improvement into management processes so that it becomes the way in which we lead and run our organisations and systems.

Read full story (paywalled)

Source: HSJ, 29 September 2023

.

Read more

Murder detective among ex-police hired by NHS trust in move that could deter whistleblowers

Former police officers, including a murder detective, have been hired by NHS hospitals in a move that campaigners have warned risks discouraging whistleblowers.

The Sunday Telegraph has revealted that retired officers have been employed by a trust currently under scrutiny for its treatment of doctors who raise patient safety concerns.

One of them has taken up a patient safety incident investigator role worth up to £57,349 a year. Meanwhile a senior detective has been called into multiple trusts on an ad hoc basis to conduct investigations.

Last night a leading patient group called on the NHS to be transparent about exactly how such personnel are being used, “given the ongoing concerns about how such roles interact with whistleblowers”.

Paul Whiteing, chief executive of the charity Action Against Medical Accidents (AvMA), said: “We at AvMA welcome any steps taken by Trusts to professionalise the investigation of patient safety incidents. This is long overdue. 

“But given the on-going concerns about how such roles interact with whistleblowers, to maintain trust and confidence of all of the staff, trusts need to be clear, open and transparent about why they are making such appointments and the role and duties of those they employ to fulfil them, whatever their backgrounds.”

Campaigners have warned that some NHS trusts deliberately seek to conflate patient safety issues with staff workplace investigations.

Read full story (paywalled)

Source: The Telegraph, 30 September 2023

Read more

Historical sexual harassment claims not acted on by doctors’ watchdog

More than 1 in 10 sexual harassment complaints against doctors are not investigated by the General Medical Council because of an “arbitary” rule, the Observer has revealed.

According to data obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, 13% of sexual misconduct complaints made between the years 2017-18 and 2021-22 were closed without investigation because the GMC is prevented from considering alleged incidents more than five years after the event.

As part of the council’s remit to protect patient safety and improve medical education and practice across the UK it investigates any kind of complaint against doctors.

The figures show the GMC refused to investigate 170 complaints relating to sexual assault, attempted rape, and rape in the period analysed. In 22 of those cases the five-year rule was cited. It received 566 sexual harassment complaints in the same period.

Anthony Omo, the GMC’s general counsel and director of fitness to practise, told the Observer: “We can and do waive the five-year rule where there are grave allegations involving sexual assault or rape. In many cases involving sexual allegations, the GMC’s position will be that such serious misconduct is incompatible with continued registration.”

A government consultation in February heard that the five-year-rule was “arbitrary” and “a barrier to public protection” as it allowed doctors who may be guilty of inappropriate behaviour to continue practising. However, despite commitments from the Department of Health and Social Care to scrap the limitation as a “top priority”, no date has been set.

Read full story

Source: The Guardian, 30 September 2023

Read more

Doctors used to diagnosing men may not spot 35,000 women with diabetes

Thousands of women may be missing out on a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes because the thresholds are geared towards men, research suggests.

Scientists assessed test results from more than one million patients across the country and concluded that the bar for diagnosis might be set too high for women. They calculated that, if thresholds were lowered slightly, an extra 35,000 women under the age of 50 in England would be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes — increasing the number in this age group with the condition by 17%.

Under the present guidelines, those 35,000 women would be given the all-clear and would miss out on the chance of earlier treatment and lifestyle advice, increasing their risk of complications in later life.

The team, led by doctors at the University of Manchester and including researchers from hospitals nationwide, stressed that their findings were preliminary, and needed further assessment before their hypothesis was confirmed. But, if proved correct, they believe that about 65 young women may be dying of diabetes each year without a diagnosis.

Read full story (paywalled)

Source: The Times, 1 October 2023

 

Read more
 

Nottingham University Hospitals Trust failed to send 400,000 letters

An NHS hospital trust in Nottingham failed to send more than 400,000 digital letters and documents to GPs and patients, BBC News can reveal.

A former employee has told of "a lack of responsibility" over a new computer system.

Patient body Healthwatch said it was "deeply concerned" by the scale of the incident and the impact on care.

The trust says a full investigation took place in 2017 and found no significant harm to patients.

But it has now said it will carry out a review of that investigation and take any further action needed.

The healthcare regulator the Care Quality Commission (CQC) said it was not aware of the incident and would be following up with the trust.

This is the second major incident in England involving unsent NHS letters uncovered by the BBC recently.

Read full story

Source: BBC News, 30 September 2023

Read more

NHS data breach: trusts shared patient details with Facebook without consent

NHS trusts are sharing intimate details about patients’ medical conditions, appointments and treatments with Facebook without consent and despite promising never to do so.

An Observer investigation has uncovered a covert tracking tool in the websites of 20 NHS trusts which has for years collected browsing information and shared it with the tech giant in a major breach of privacy.

The data includes granular details of pages viewed, buttons clicked and keywords searched. It is matched to the user’s IP address – an identifier linked to an individual or household – and in many cases details of their Facebook account.

Information extracted by Meta Pixel can be used by Facebook’s parent company, Meta, for its own business purposes – including improving its targeted advertising services.

Records of information sent to the firm by NHS websites reveal it includes data which – when linked to an individual – could reveal personal medical details.

It was collected from patients who visited hundreds of NHS webpages about HIV, self-harm, gender identity services, sexual health, cancer, children’s treatment and more.

It also includes details of when web users clicked buttons to book an appointment, order a repeat prescription, request a referral or to complete an online counselling course. Millions of patients are potentially affected.

Read full story

Source: The Guardian, 27 May 2023

Read more

GPs asked to contact ADHD patients to discuss medicines shortage

Prescribers should not start any new patients on some ADHD medicines because of a national shortage, the Department for Health and Social Care has warned.

GPs are also being asked to identify and contact all patients currently prescribed the medicines to ensure they have supplies to last.

A national patient safety alert said there were ‘supply disruptions’ of various strengths of methylphenidate, lisdexamfetamine and guanfacine.

It follows a previous alert about shortages of atomoxetine capsules in August which is set to resolve next month, DHSC said.

The shortages are due to a combination of manufacturing issues and an increased global demand, the alert explained.

With the latest issues expected to continue to December for some medicines, new patients should not be started on the products affected by shortages until the supply issue resolves, the guidance sent to healthcare professionals said.

Where patients do not have enough to last until the re-supply date – which differs depending on the medicine in question – GPs are being asked to contact pharmacies to find out about stocks and reach out to the patient’s specialist team for advice if a product cannot be sourced.

Read full story

Source: Pulse, 28 September 2023

Read more

NHS only gains one ‘full-time’ GP for every two trainees, report finds

The NHS has to train two GPs to produce one full-time family doctor because so many have started to work part-time, new research reveals.

The finding helps explain why GP surgeries are still struggling to give patients appointments as quickly as they would like, despite growing numbers of doctors training to become a GP.

The disclosure is contained in a report by the Nuffield Trust health thinktank that lays bare the large number of nurses, midwives and doctors who quit during their training or early in their careers.

“These high dropout rates are in nobody’s interest,” said Dr Billy Palmer, a senior fellow at the thinktank and co-author of the report. “They’re wasteful for the taxpayer, often distressing for the students and staff who leave, stressful for the staff left behind, and ultimately erode the NHS’s ability to deliver safe and high-quality care.”

Read full story

Source: The Guardian, 28 September 2023

Read more

Parents in England urged to ensure children get MMR jab amid uptake drop

Parents are being urged to get their children vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) after a “worrying” drop in uptake of key vaccines.

Figures from NHS England and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) show 92.5% of children had had the first dose of the MMR jab at five years old by 2022-23, the lowest since 2010-11.

The proportion of five-year-olds who had had the second jab by 2022-23 was 84.5%, also the lowest level since 2010-11.

Vaccination programmes across England failed to meet the uptake recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for the year 2022-23. WHO recommends that, nationally, at least 95% of children should be inoculated for diseases that can be stopped by vaccines, in order to prevent outbreaks.

NHS data showed no routine vaccine programme met the threshold during the 12-month period. Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, a consultant medical epidemiologist at UKHSA, said the downward trend was a “serious concern”.

“The diseases that these vaccines protect against, such as measles, polio and meningitis, can be life-changing and even deadly,” she said. “No parent wants this for their child especially when these diseases are easily preventable. Please don’t put this off, check now that your children are fully up to date with all their vaccines due. Check your child’s red book and get in touch with your GP surgery if you are not sure.”

Read full story

Source: The Guardian, 29 September 2023

Read more

Births being delayed by strikes, says CEO

Women have faced delays in giving birth due to the ongoing strikes, a major trust’s chief executive has said.

Matthew Hopkins, who joined Mid and South Essex Foundation Trust last month, told a board meeting on Thursday that industrial action was having a “significant and growing” impact on patients.

He added that this extended beyond delays to outpatient appointments and elective operations, saying: “It is also delaying mums giving birth, because we are seeing delays now in being able to conduct our elective Caesarian sections.”

Mr Hopkins said the impact was also “really significant” on staff, with those covering for colleagues “very, very tired”.

“It is important we give a very clear message to the two sides of the argument – government and the [British Medical Association] – that we need a light at the end of the tunnel, and staff need a light at the end of the tunnel.

“Going into winter, with this continuing disruption for our patients and our staff, is in my view unacceptable.”

Read full story (paywalled)

Source: HSJ, 28 September 2023

Read more

Safer brain surgery using AI possible within two years

Brain surgery using artificial intelligence could be possible within two years, making it safer and more effective, a leading neurosurgeon says.

Trainee surgeons are working with the new AI technology, to learn more precise keyhole brain surgery.

Developed at University College London, it highlights small tumours and critical structures such as blood vessels at the centre of the brain.

The government says it could be "a real game-changer" for healthcare in the UK.

Brain surgery is precise and painstaking - straying a millimetre the wrong way could kill a patient instantly.

Avoiding damaging the pituitary gland, the size of a grape, at the centre of the brain, is critical. It controls all the body's hormones - and any problems with it can cause blindness.

Read full story

Source: BBC News, 28 September 2023

Read more

Thousands of women left waiting for induction due to staff shortages

Thousands of women are having induction of labour delayed because of a shortage of staff, raising concerns about the safety of them and their babies, HSJ has found.

The issue has been highlighted at seven hospitals in Care Quality Commission reports over the past six months, and HSJ has identified a further three trusts declaring they are concerned about it in their own board papers over the same period. 

 At University Hospitals of Leicester Trust, more than 1,300 “red flags” were raised in a five-month period due to delays in the induction of labour, linked to staffing levels, the CQC said earlier this month. Most were dealys in continuing inductions, and a smaller number were delays between admission and beginning an induction. UHL indicated it had set its own “red flag” bar locally, so all the delays did not represent a national alert. 

Carolyn Jenkinson, CQC deputy director of secondary and specialist healthcare, told HSJ: “At some maternity services we’ve found women having to wait long periods of time to be induced or for transfer to a labour ward once the induction process has started, and in some cases a lack of effective monitoring during periods of delay.

“Where we have found concerns about delayed treatment – including induction of labour – we have made clear to those trusts that effective oversight of the issue is vital and that all action possible should be taken to mitigate any risk and keep people using the service safe.”

Read full story (paywalled)

Source: HSJ, 27 September 2023

Read more

Millions wrongly labelled with penicillin allergy, pharmacists warn

Millions of people wrongly believe they are allergic to penicillin, which could mean they take longer to recover after an infection, pharmacists say.

About four million people in the UK have the drug allergy on their medical record - but when tested, 90% of them are not allergic, research suggests.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society says many people confuse antibiotic side-effects with an allergic reaction.

Common allergic symptoms include itchy skin, a raised rash and swelling. Nausea, breathlessness, coughing, diarrhoea and a runny nose are some of the others.

But antibiotics, which treat bacterial infections, can themselves cause nausea or diarrhoea and the underlying infection can also lead to a rash.

And this means people often mistakenly believe they are allergic to penicillin, which is in many good, common antibiotics.

These are used to treat chest, skin and urinary tract infections - but if people are labelled allergic, they are given second-choice antibiotics, which can be less effective.

Read full story

Source: BBC News, 28 September 2023

Read more

University Hospitals Birmingham: Half of staff felt bullied

More than half of staff at a hospital trust that has been under fire for its "toxic culture" have said they felt bullied or harassed.

The findings come from an independent review commissioned by University Hospitals Birmingham (UHB) NHS Trust.

It has been at the centre of NHS scrutiny after a culture of fear was uncovered in a BBC Newsnight investigation.

UHB has apologised for "unacceptable behaviours". It added it was committed to changing the working environment.

Of 2,884 respondents to a staff survey, 53% said they had felt bullied or harassed at work, while only 16% believed their concerns would be taken up by their employer.

Many said they were fearful to complain "as they believed it could worsen the situation," the review team found.

Read full story

Source: BBC News, 27 September 2023

Read more

US Department of Health and Human Services awards $45 million in grants to expand access to care for people with Long Covid

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), announced nine grant awards of $1 million each for up to 5 years to support existing multidisciplinary Long COVID clinics across the country to expand access to comprehensive, coordinated, and person-centered care for people with Long COVID, particularly underserved, rural, vulnerable, and minority populations that are disproportionately impacted by the effects of Long COVID.

The grants are a first of their kind. They are designed to expand access and care, develop, and implement new or improved care delivery models, foster best practices for Long COVID management, and support the primary care community in Long COVID education. This initiative is part of the Biden-Harris Administration's whole-government effort to accelerate scientific progress and provide individuals with Long COVID the support and services they need.

“The Biden-Harris Administration is supporting patients, doctors and caregivers by providing science-based best practices for treating long COVID, maintaining access to insurance coverage, and protecting the rights of workers as they return to jobs while coping with the uncertainties of their illness,” said Secretary Xavier Becerra. “Treatment of Long COVID is a major focus for HHS, and AHRQ is helping lead the way through grants to investigate best practices and get useful guidance to doctors, hospitals, and patients.”

Read full story

Source: AHRQ, 20 September 2023

Read more

‘Feminist approach’ to cancer could save lives of 800,000 women a year

Health experts are calling for a “feminist approach” to cancer to eliminate inequalities, as research reveals 800,000 women worldwide are dying needlessly every year because they are denied optimal care.

Cancer is one of the biggest killers of women and ranks in their top three causes of premature deaths in almost every country on every continent.

But gender inequality and discrimination are reducing women’s opportunities to avoid cancer risks and impeding their ability to get a timely diagnosis and quality care, according to a new Lancet Commission on women, power and cancer.

The largest report of its kind, which studied women and cancer in 185 countries, found unequal power dynamics across society globally were having “resounding negative impacts” on how women experience cancer prevention and treatment.

Gender inequalities are also hindering women’s professional advancement as leaders in cancer research, practice and policymaking, which in turn perpetuates the lack of women-centred cancer prevention and care, the report adds.

It is calling for a new feminist agenda for cancer care to eliminate gender inequality.

Read full story

Source: The Guardian, 26 September 2023

 

Read more

Scotland: MSPs to vote on patient safety commissioner plan

MSPs are set to vote on a new law to establish a patient safety commissioner.

The bill to create an "independent public advocate" for patients will go through its final stage on Wednesday.

Public Health Minister Jenny Minto has said the commissioner would be able to challenge the healthcare system and ensure patient voices were heard.

The Scottish government has been told the new watchdog must have the power to prevent future scandals.

In 2020, former UK Health Minister Baroness Julia Cumberlege published a review into the safety of medicines and medical devices like Primodos, transvaginal mesh and the epilepsy drug sodium valproate.

She told the House of Lords: "Warnings ignored. Patients' concerns ignored. A system that seemed unwilling or unable to listen let alone respond, unwilling or unable to stop the harm."

Her findings led to the recommendation for a patient safety commissioner.

Speaking ahead of the vote on the Patient Safety Commissioner for Scotland Bill, Ms Minto said the watchdog would listen to patients' views.

"I think it's a really important role for us to have in Scotland," she said.

"There's been a number of inquiries or situations where the patient's voice really needs to be listened to and that's what a patient safety commissioner will do."

Read full story

Source: BBC News, 27 September 2023

Read more

NHS whistleblower tells tribunal he faced ‘brutal retaliatory victimisation’

A consultant obstetrician has claimed he was sacked from his hospital for raising whistleblowing concerns about patient safety over fears they would cause “reputational damage”.

Martyn Pitman told an employment tribunal in Southampton that managers dismissed his concerns and he was “subjected to brutal retaliatory victimisation” after he criticised senior midwife colleagues.

He said: “On a daily basis there was evidence of deteriorating standards of care. We were certain that the situation posed a direct threat to both patients’ safety and staff wellbeing. Concern was expressed that there was a genuine risk that we could start to see avoidable patient disasters.”

Rather than addressing these, Pitman said the trust had considered it “the path of least resistance to take out [the] whistleblower”.

Pitman was dismissed this year from his job at the Royal Hampshire County hospital (RHCH) in Winchester, where he had worked as a consultant for 20 years. He is claiming he suffered a detriment due to exercising rights under the Public Interest Disclosure Act.

He said he “fought against [an] absolute barrage of completely unprofessional assaults on me” after he raised concerns about foetal monitoring problems that resulted in the death of a baby and the delivery of another with severe cerebral palsy.

Read full story

Source: The Guardian, 26 September 2023

Read more
 

Vapes '95% safer' than cigarettes messaging backfired

The message that vaping is 95% safer than smoking has backfired, encouraging some children to vape, says a top health expert.

Dr Mike McKean treats children with lung conditions and is vice-president for policy at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. He says the 2015 public messaging should have been clearer - vapes are only for adults addicted to cigarettes.

Evidence on the possible health risks of vaping is still being gathered.

In an exclusive interview with the BBC, Dr McKean said: "Vaping is not for children and young people. In fact it could be very bad for you," although he stresses that it is not making lots of children very sick, and serious complications are rare.

"Vaping is only a tool for adults who are addicted to cigarettes."

He says the 95% safe messaging was "a very unwise thing to have done and it's opened the door to significant chaos".

"There are many children, young people who have taken up vaping who never intended to smoke and are now likely addicted to vaping. And I think it's absolutely shocking that we've allowed that to happen."

Read full story

Source: BBC News, 26 September 2023

Read more

Thousands with breathing problems undiagnosed due to lack of tests in England

Thousands of people with asthma and other lung problems are going undiagnosed because most GPs in England do not offer tests for them, according to a new report.

The failure to diagnose and start treating people with breathing problems threatens to create “a deluge of hospital admissions this winter” when the NHS is under intense pressure.

Sarah Woolnough, the chief executive of charity Asthma and Lung UK, said: “The abysmal lack of testing and patchy basic care is causing avoidable harm to people with lung conditions and the NHS.”

The report, which the Charity Commissioned from consultants PricewaterhouseCoopers, found that most GP surgeries in England do not provide basic lung function tests.

Patients’ inability to access a test to check if they have asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) represents a “crisis in care” that could lead to many being hospitalised this winter “as respiratory viruses take hold and people struggle to heat their homes”, Asthma and Lung UK added.

Read full story

Source: The Guardian, 26 September 2023

Read more

Some police have stopped answering mental health calls, with no alternative support in place, experts warn

Police forces in parts of the UK have stopped answering urgent calls related to mental health even before alternative support is available to people, under a policy designed to free up officers’ time, MPs were told last week.

The move means many vulnerable people are being left without help in areas where the necessary services and arrangements with other agencies are not yet in place, warned Sarah Hughes, chief executive of the mental health charity Mind.

Giving evidence to the House of Commons health select committee on Tuesday 19 September, Hughes said, “We know of local Mind and local trust partners who are already experiencing people having no response because the police are saying they no longer respond to mental health calls.”

The policy, Right Care, Right Person, which was developed by Humberside Police over nearly three years, is being rolled out in England and Wales from the end of October at varying speeds. Backed by the government and police representative bodies, it aims to ensure that patients in a mental health crisis are treated by the most appropriate agency, rather than have police act as default responder, when they may not be best suited to help.

But the Royal College of Psychiatrists is among the organisations to have raised concerns over the levels of preparation and resourcing for the policy and the absence of evaluation of clinical outcomes or benefits and harms to the population.

Read full story (paywalled)

Source: BMJ, 25 September 2023

Read more
 

As a physio, Bev was sure she had a DVT - but it was only diagnosed after she nearly died

One of the most serious complications of a DVT is when a part of the clot breaks off and travels through the bloodstream to the lungs, leading to a blockage called a pulmonary embolism — this can cause chest pain, breathing difficulties, a faster heartbeat, coughing up blood, and can be life-threatening if not treated quickly.

Worryingly, research suggests 40 per cent of patients who die from a pulmonary embolism complained of nagging symptoms for weeks before their death.

For every pulmonary embolism diagnosed in time, there are at least another two where the diagnosis was missed and resulted in sudden death, according to the charity Thrombosis UK.

Read full story

Source: Daily Mail, 25 September 2023

Read more
 

24,000 hospital letters lost in computer error

A hospital trust failed to send out 24,000 letters from senior doctors to patients and their GPs after they became lost in a new computer system, the BBC has learned.

Newcastle Hospitals warned the problem, dating back to 2018, is significant.

The BBC has been told the problems occurred when letters requiring sign-off from a senior doctor were placed into a folder few staff knew existed.

The healthcare regulator has sought urgent assurances over patient safety.

Most of the letters explain what should happen when patients are discharged from hospital. But a significant number of the unsent letters are written by specialist clinics spelling out care that is needed for patients. It means that some crucial tests and results may have been missed by patients.

Staff have been told to record any resulting incidents of patient harm and ensure these are addressed.

Following a routine inspection by the regulator - the Care Quality Commission (CQC) - in the summer, staff at the trust raised concerns about delays in sending out correspondence.

A subsequent review of the trust's consultants revealed that most had unsent letters in their electronic records.

Read full story

Source: BBC News, 26 September 2023

Read more
×
×
  • Create New...