Jump to content
  • articles
    9,853
  • comments
    83
  • views
    12,495,470

Contributors to this article

About this News

Articles in the news

BMA calls for inquiry into PAs replacing doctors on rotas

The BMA has called for an independent inquiry into the use of physician associates (PAs) on medical rotas in place of doctors.

The union said that health secretary Victoria Atkins must launch the investigation ‘to get to the bottom of the scale’ of the issue across the NHS, as doctors have been reporting instances where gaps in medical rotas are being filled by PAs.  

This is happening on top of NHS England ‘investing heavily’ in the use of PAs in primary care, ‘instead of qualified experienced doctors’, the BMA added.

On Friday The Telegraph reported  on leaked rotas from more than 30 hospitals showing physician associates taking on doctors’ shifts.

This coincided with new NHS England guidance to ‘emphasise that PAs are not substitutes for doctors’, as they are ‘supplementary members’ of the team and they ‘should not be used as replacements for doctors on a rota’.

BMA chair of council Professor Philip Banfield said: ‘We know from our members’ experiences that hospitals are putting physician assistants on medical rotas, in place of medically qualified doctors.

‘This is on top of NHS England investing heavily in the use of physician associates in primary care, instead of qualified experienced doctors.

"In our view, Victoria Atkins now has a duty to patients and a duty to medically qualified staff – doctors – to establish how widespread this practice is and more importantly, stop it."

Read full story

Source: Pulse, 18 March 2024

Further reading on the hub:

 

Read more

BMA calls for immediate pause on recruitment of physician associates

The BMA has called for an immediate halt to the recruitment of Medical Associate Professionals (MAPs) in the UK including Physician Associates (PAs) and Anaesthetic Associates (AAs).

Doctors from across the UK who make up the BMA’s UK Council have passed a Motion which calls for the moratorium on the grounds of patient safety. They want the pause to last until the government and NHS put guarantees in place to make sure that MAPs are properly regulated and supervised. The move follows a number of recent cases in which patients have not always known they were being treated by a physician associate and tragically have come to harm.

Professor Phil Banfield, BMA chair of council, said:

“Doctors across the UK are getting more and more worried about the relentless expansion of the medical associate professions, brought into sharp focus by terrible cases of patients suffering serious harm after getting the wrong care from MAPs. Now is the time for the Government to listen before it is too late. We are clear: until there is clarity and material assurances about the role of MAPs, they should not be recruited in the NHS.  

“We have always been clear that MAPs can play an important part in NHS teams, and doctors will continue to value, respect and support individual staff they work with. But MAPs roles and responsibilities are not clearly defined. We are seeing increased instances of MAPs encroaching on the role of doctors; they are not doctors, do not have a medical degree and do not have the extensive training and depth of knowledge that doctors do. As doctors, we are worried that patients and public do not understand what this could mean in respect of the level of experience and expertise in care they receive.

“The General Medical Council is the exclusive regulator of doctors in the UK. Adding staff who are not doctors and do not have a medical degree to the GMC register brings into question the competence and qualification of the whole medical profession. The Government may view this as a price worth paying for a shortcut to solving the workforce crisis they have presided over. We know otherwise. GMC regulation of MAPs will only add to the confusion and uncertainty that patients face.

“Ministers may hope that by using secondary legislation, which may not even require the vote of MPs, they can avoid raising the alarm. But patients want doctors to remain doctors, regulated by a dedicated body, and they have a right to have confidence in the expert medical care they receive. There must be no doubt that when a patient goes to see a doctor, they are going to see a doctor. This blurring of roles and the confusion caused to patients must stop now.”

Source: BMA, 16 November 2023

Read more

BMA calls for ban on puberty blockers to be lifted

The British Medical Association (BMA) has called for the ban on puberty blockers for under-18s to be lifted.

The doctors’ union also wants a pause on the implementation of a landmark review into gender care for children and young people.

It said it wanted to undertake an evaluation of the Cass Review after academics expressed concern about its approach.

The review, commissioned by NHS England, called for a move away from medical interventions for children struggling with their gender identity and advocated a more holistic model incorporating better mental health support.

The review was led by leading paediatrician Dr Hilary Cass and prompted the last government to ban the use of puberty blockers for under-18s questioning their gender – a move which was then supported by Labour when they won the election.

These drugs suppress the natural production of hormones and delay the onset of puberty.

The ban applied to private clinics, because the NHS had already stopped using them outside of clinical trials, and was challenged in the High Court by campaign group TransActual.

The BMA said members of its Council, its top decision-making body, voted in favour of a motion last month that was critical of the Cass Review and called on the union to "publicly critique" it.

The BMA said it was concerned about its impact on transgender healthcare provision because of its "unsubstantiated recommendations".

Read full story

Source: BBC News, 1 August 2024

Read more

BMA ‘rate card’ wipes out elective recovery gains, claims trust

A struggling acute trust says its failure to hit its elective care targets is directly linked to doctors’ demanding overtime rates in line with the British Medical Association’s rate cards, as national tensions around the issue intensify.

University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay Foundation Trust’s January performance report said its elective activity was down by around 1,000 cases over a two-month period, due to the issue.

Last summer, the BMA published a “rate card” outlining the “minimum” hourly pay consultants should receive for additional work, such as waiting list initiatives and weekend shifts. Some accused the union of “acting like football agents” by trying to inflate their members’ pay.

NHS chiefs have long been warning of the risk the rate card poses to elective recovery. But there are few examples of a trust making such an explicit link between their struggle to staff overtime shifts because of the rate card and subsequent failure to hit their elective targets, and placing a number on how many patients they were forced to add to the list because of the issue.

Read full story (paywalled)

Source: HSJ, 1 March 2023

Read more

Blunder sees dozens given only half of their third Covid vaccine

Scotland's booster jag rollout has hit a major snag after some of the country's most vulnerable people were given half their third vaccine.

In total, 140 people who were given their extra dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine in the Gorebridge vaccine centre in Midlothian were affected by the error.

Health authorities have maintained there is no risk to individuals due to the error and that half a dose will provide sufficient protection.

The individuals affected were all immunosuppressed, the Midlothian Health and Social Care Partnership said, meaning they are more vulnerable to infection and at higher risk from serious complications caused by COVID-19.

The Midlothian Health and Social Care Partnership apologised for the mistake and any anxiety caused.

Read full story

Source: The Scotsman, 19 October 2021

Read more

Blowing whistle on trust CEO ‘hardest thing I’ve had to do’, says his successor

A trust chief who blew the whistle on her predecessor’s ‘aggressive’ behaviour and lack of interest in patient safety says it was the hardest thing she has had to do in her career.

Janelle Holmes, who is now chief executive of Wirral University Teaching Hospital Foundation Trust, was among four Wirral University Teaching Hospital Foundation Trust senior executives who wrote to regulators in 2017 about the behaviour of the trust’s then CEO David Allison.

They said he would react with “dismay and aggression” to concerns being raised about service quality, and staff were afraid to speak up as a result. The intervention led to Mr Allison’s departure and a subsequent independent investigation found “deep systemic cultural issues”. Mr Allison always denied his behaviour was inappropriate.

In an interview with HSJ, Ms Holmes talked of the difficulties in taking those actions, and the subsequent efforts to overhaul the trust’s culture.

She said: “From a personal integrity perspective, it was the right thing to do…and I [also] felt I had a personal responsibility to make it right afterwards.

“But yes, it was the most difficult thing I’ve ever had to do.”

She said: “I remember watching Sir David Dalton (the ex-Salford CEO) probably more than 10 years ago… say ‘we are harming patients’.. it was like ’you can’t say that’.

“But actually [there was a] complete sea change and [it became] an organisation where [speaking out] was the right thing to do. That’s the only way you can ensure you’re delivering good quality high standard services. If you’re acknowledging mistakes happen, you’re learning from them, you’re correcting things… I think that then starts to shape how our clinicians and staff feel.

Read full story (paywalled)

Source: HSJ, 12 May 2022

Read more

Blood-inquiry families heckle PM over compensation

Rishi Sunak says the government will wait for the Infected Blood Inquiry's final report before responding to questions around victim compensation.

Bereaved families heckled the prime minister when he told the inquiry the government would act as "quickly as possible".

Mr Sunak told the inquiry people infected and affected by the scandal had "suffered for decades" and he wanted a resolution to "this appalling tragedy".

But although policy work was progressing and the government in a position to move quickly, the work had "not been concluded".

He indicated there was a range of complicated issues to work through.

"If it was a simple matter, no-one would have called for an inquiry," Mr Sunak said.

Campaign group Factor 8 said Mr Sunak had offered "neither new information not commitments" to the victims and bereaved families, which felt "like a betrayal".

Haemophilia Society chief executive Kate Burt said: "This final delay is demeaning, insulting and immensely damaging.

"We urge the prime minister to find the will to do the right thing and finally deliver compensation which recognises the suffering that has been caused."

Read full story

Source: BBC News, 26 July 2023

Read more
 

Blood tube shortage: Healthcare staff should not be asked to delay tests, says BMA

On 10 August NHS England issued guidance for healthcare workers, including medical directors and GPs, in the light of global shortages of blood tube products, now, doctors have raised concerns about the effects that a shortage of blood tubes in England will have on patient care and the NHS, which already faces backlogs.

Read full story (paywalled).

Source: BMJ, 24 August 2021

Read more
 

Blood transfusion trial begins for COVID-19 patients in UK

Trials have begun in the UK to test the effectiveness of blood plasma transfusions in treating patients suffering from COVID-19.

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) have started delivering the first units of convalescent plasma, which contains the antibodies of people who have recovered from coronavirus, to hospitals in England. In total, 14 units have been supplied to Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust.

The first transfusions have been administered, NHSBT confirmed on Wednesday, though the efficacy of the treatment will not be known until the trial ends.

Seven hospitals are currently taking part in the trials, which will assess a patient’s speed of recovery and chances of survival, with more expected to join in the coming months as the number of people eligible to donate blood plasma increases.

As of Tuesday, more than 6,500 people had signed up while around 400 donations had been made. Gail Miflin, Chief Medical Officer for NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “We’re delighted the first patients are receiving convalescent plasma transfusions thanks to the generosity of our donors."

Read full story

Source: The Independent, 7 May 2020

Read more
 

Blood tests rationed amid equipment shortage

A national shortage in blood collection tubes has meant trusts are having to limit blood tests, with some trusts advising doctors to only order blood tests if they deem it absolutely necessary or using the same tubes for different tests rather than using a different tube of blood for each test.

It has also been reported that the global disruption to the supply chain may mean shortages could continue before the supply lines recover. The NHS Supply Chain, has said there was “some improvement in the supply position in September” but that controls on the products "are likely to continue to be applied beyond this until supply stabilises”.

Read full story (paywalled).

Source: HSJ, 9 August 2021

Read more

Blood test to detect 50 types of cancer could be given to 1m people on NHS

A blood test which can detect 50 cancers before symptoms start to show could be offered to a million people in a pilot programme from next summer, according to the head of the NHS.

Amanda Pritchard, NHS chief executive, said the Galleri test has the potential to “transform cancer care forever”, according to reports.

The liquid biopsy detects tiny fragments of tumour DNA in the bloodstream and alerts doctors as to whether a cancer signal has been detected and predicts where in the body that signal may have originated.

If early results are successful, a pilot screening programme involving one million patients over two years is scheduled to begin next summer.

The test is expected to find 5,000 potential cases of the disease every year.

Read full story

Source: The Guardian, 15 June 2023

Read more

Blood test for Alzheimer's disease is highly accurate, researchers say

Researchers say a new blood test for Alzheimer's disease has been shown to be highly accurate in detecting people with early symptoms.

Scientists looked for two proteins - amyloid beta 42/40 and p-tau217 - and found the test was 95% accurate in identifying patients with existing cognitive impairment linked to the condition.

The US study involved 509 patients in an outpatient memory clinic in Florida and was published in the medical journal Alzheimer's and Dementia.

The test, which has already been approved by the US regulator, was also 82% accurate for specificity, which means it could rule out people without dementia.

Dr Gregg Day, who led the study, said the test was as good as existing, but more invasive, tests.

He said the next step was to extend the test to a wider range of patients, including those with early Alzheimer's who do not have any cognitive symptoms.

Read full story

Source: Sky News, 7 June 2025

Read more

Blood test firm blamed for 'catalogue of disasters'

An NHS provider that won a £2bn contract to deliver blood-testing services for hospitals and GPs is failing to deliver reliable results, according to medical professionals.

Synnovis, a public-private partnership between the medical company Synlab and Guy's and St Thomas' and King's College hospital foundation trusts, secured the contract in 2021 to deliver pathology services for just under 200 GP surgeries across south-east London.

The BBC has spoken to GPs who say incorrect and delayed blood results are a "regular concern" and that the firm's performance is causing great distress to patients.

The company, which fell victim to a ransomware cyberattack in June 2024 that caused more than 1,000 NHS operations to be postponed, said the attack had "significantly reduced our capacity to process samples". Synnovis, which serves six hospitals in London, added that it had "dedicated every available resource to delivering clinically safe and largely manual interim solutions".

According to more than a dozen GPs we heard from, across all of south-east London's boroughs, the severity of challenges they face under Synnovis is causing anxiety for both patients and doctors.

The GPs told the BBC that the blood-test issues were leading to unnecessary hospital referrals and wasted patient appointments. In one case the BBC was told about, an elderly man who was caring for his wife with dementia needlessly spent hours in accident and emergency (A&E) due to problems with his test.

One GP, who spoke to the BBC anonymously, said: "It would [previously] never cross our minds that a blood test might not be reliable. This is now an everyday concern.

"The current problems with Synnovis is nothing short of a national scandal," they added.

Read full story

Source: BBC News, 15 April 2025

Read more

Blood test could revolutionise diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, experts say

A blood test for detecting Alzheimer’s disease could be just as accurate as painful and invasive lumbar punctures and could revolutionise diagnosis of the condition, research suggests.

Measuring levels of a protein called p-tau217 in the blood could be just as good as lumbar punctures at detecting the signs of Alzheimer’s, and better than a range of other tests under development, experts say.

The protein is a marker for biological changes that happen in the brain with Alzheimer’s disease.

Dr Richard Oakley, an associate director of research and innovation at the Alzheimer’s Society, said: “This study is a hugely welcome step in the right direction as it shows that blood tests can be just as accurate as more invasive and expensive tests at predicting if someone has features of Alzheimer’s disease in their brain.

“Furthermore, it suggests results from these tests could be clear enough to not require further follow-up investigations for some people living with Alzheimer’s disease, which could speed up the diagnosis pathway significantly in future. However, we still need to see more research across different communities to understand how effective these blood tests are across everyone who lives with Alzheimer’s disease.”

Read full story

Source: The Guardian, 23 January 2024

 

Read more
 

Blood supplies could soon become ‘critical,’ NHS warns

NHS stocks of blood may become “critical” this winter, a regulator has warned, as Covid and higher than average winter rates of cold and flu risk donation levels.

The NHS Blood and Transplant authority declared a major incident at the end of October after its supply of blood supplies dropped to critical levels, nationally.

The regulator’s supply was at risk of dropping to below two days’ supply across the country, when it aims to have at least five days at all times.

This is the second time the regulator, which is responsible for blood donation supplies to the NHS, has declared a critical incident in the last 12 months.

The last time the regulator declared an incident over low stocks was due to bad weather and snow in 2018 during the “beast from the east” storm and in Cornwall in 2019, which resulted in decreased donation levels.

Read full story

Source: The Independent, 12 December 2021

Read more

Blood scandal victims 'harmed further' by compensation delays

Thousands of victims of the infected blood scandal are being "harmed further" by long waits for compensation, the chair of the public inquiry into the disaster has said.

In a hard-hitting report, Sir Brian Langstaff said there were "obvious injustices" in the way the scheme had been devised.

It is thought 30,000 people were infected with HIV and hepatitis B or C in the 1970s, 80s and early 90s after being given contaminated blood products on the NHS.

The government has set aside £11.8bn to pay compensation and has said it is cutting red tape to speed up payments to victims.

The inquiry's main report into the scandal, published last year, found that the disaster could largely have been avoided if different decisions had been taken by the health authorities at the time.

It said too little was done to stop the importing of contaminated blood products from abroad in the 1970s and 80s, and there was evidence that elements of the scandal had been covered up.

In May of this year, Sir Brian took the unusual step of ordering two days of extra hearings after he received "letter after letter, email after email" expressing concerns about the way the government's compensation scheme for victims had been managed.

His extra 200-page report, published on Wednesday, was based on that evidence, and found that victims had been "harmed further" by the way they had been treated over the last 12 months.

Read full story

Source: BBC News, 9 July 2025

Read more

Blood pressure warning over small change that can have huge impact on readings

Researchers have warned that people may be misdiagnosed with high blood pressure simply because their arm is in the wrong position when a reading is taken.

In the new study, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine in the US looked at blood pressure readings when arms were supported on a desk, arms were supported on a lap, and when arms were unsupported and hung at the patient’s side.

Experts found that some arm positions – such as resting the arm on the lap – can substantially overestimate blood pressure readings.

The NHS advises that correct positioning is to sit on an upright chair with a back, placing both feet flat on the floor and resting the arm on a table or desk.

People should also rest for five minutes before taking a reading and then take another reading several minutes later to check it is accurate.

Published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, the study found that putting an arm on the lap overestimated systolic pressure (the top number in a blood pressure reading) by 3.9mmHg and diastolic blood pressure — the bottom number – by 4mmHg.

Dr Tammy Brady, from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said arm position makes a “huge difference” when it comes to an accurate blood pressure measurement and people should always have their arm on firm support such as a desk or table.

Read full story

Source: The Independent, 7 October 2024

Read more
 

Blood pressure drugs could prevent type 2 diabetes, study finds

Blood pressure drugs could prevent millions of people worldwide from developing type 2 diabetes, a large study suggests.

Lowering high blood pressure is an effective way to slash the risk of the disease in the future, according to the research published in the Lancet.

Doctors already prescribe cheap blood pressure drugs to reduce the chances of a life-threatening heart attack or stroke. However, until now, the question of whether these drugs could also help fend off the threat of type 2 diabetes had been unanswered.

Now researchers have found the protective effects of the drugs are much wider than previously thought. The study shows they may directly reduce someone’s risk of type 2 diabetes, a condition that an estimated 13.6 million people in the UK are at high risk of developing.

Currently, health experts say being a healthy weight and adopting a healthy lifestyle is the best way to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. Researchers say existing drugs – particularly ACE inhibitors and ARBs – should now be considered for some patients who are at higher risk of the disease.

Prof Kazem Rahimi, lead researcher of the study at the University of Oxford and a consultant cardiologist, said: “Our research provides clear evidence that giving ACE inhibitors or ARBs, which are widely available and affordable worldwide, to patients at high risk could curb the growing burden of type 2 diabetes.”

Read full story

Source: The Guardian, 11 November 2021

Read more
 

Blood oxygen devices potentially giving ‘seriously misleading’ results to Black people, experts warn

Devices which measure blood oxygen levels could be giving “seriously misleading” results for Black and minority ethnic people, possibly contributing to increased Covid-19 mortality, experts have warned.

Pulse oximeters attach a clip-like device to a person’s finger, toe or earlobe and send a beam of infrared light to measure oxygen levels in the blood.

The resulting reading can be used to monitor oxygen levels of people with a variety of conditions, including by people at home with coronavirus, and to assess patients in hospital.

At the moment, coronavirus patients who call an ambulance but are not yet deemed sick enough to go to hospital are being given new home oxygen monitoring kits to help spot those who may deteriorate earlier, and over 300,000 oximeters have been sent out by NHS England.

But a new paper cites a “growing body of evidence” that pulse oximetry is less accurate in darker skinned patients.

This could be contributing to health inequalities such as the increased COVID-19 mortality rates of ethnic minority patients, according to a review conducted for the NHS Race and Health Observatory.

It is now calling for the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to urgently review pulse oximetry products for ethnic minority people used in hospitals and by the wider public.

Read full story

Source: The Independent, 27 March 2021

Read more
 

Blood inquiry: Former health minister defends blood products advice on Aids

A public inquiry into the infected blood scandal has heard that the government was right to say there was "no conclusive proof" that Aids could be transmitted by blood products in 1983.

According to Lord Clarke, the phrase was entirely accurate at the time it was said. However, evidence in documents reveal senior health officials believed HIV could be carried through blood.

"Somebody, somewhere, decided that that was the best most accurate line to take. It was repeatedly used by every minister. We kept repeating that because that was the scientific advice we had until it was perfectly clear to the medics that there was in fact sufficient proof... we weren't playing down that possibility. It seems to me... it's a perfectly accurate description of where medical opinion was at that time." Lord Clarke told the inquiry. 

Read full story.

Source: BBC, 28 July 2021

Read more
 

Blood inquiry: Former cabinet minister says AIDS advice was "regrettable"

It was "regrettable" that the government said there was "no conclusive proof" AIDS could be transmitted by blood products in 1983, a public inquiry has heard.

Giving evidence, former secretary of state Lord Fowler said it would have been better to add that it was likely NHS treatment could be contaminated. But he said he didn't think the change would have made a crucial difference.

Survivors have accused ministers of playing down the risks at the time.

It's thought around 3,000 haemophiliacs died of AIDS and hepatitis C after being treated with a blood-clotting product called Factor VIII in the 1970s and 1980s.

Groups representing families of those affected by the scandal claim the use of the phase "no conclusive proof" minimised the danger from blood products at the time.

Read full story

Source: BBC News, 22 September 2021

Read more

Blood cancer patients in England first in world to be offered ‘Trojan horse’ drug

Thousands of patients in England with blood cancer will become the first in the world to be offered a pioneering “Trojan horse” drug that sneaks inside cancer cells and wipes them out.

In guidance published on Friday, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) gave the green light to belantamab mafodotin, which can halt the advance of multiple myeloma for three times as long as standard treatments.

The targeted therapy, which is given as an infusion every three weeks with other cancer drugs, is a special type of antibody drug that targets and attaches to cancer cells.

It has been described as a Trojan horse treatment because it works by being taken into a cancer cell and unleashing a high concentration of a lethal molecule to destroy the cell from inside.

Prof Peter Johnson, NHS England’s national clinical director for cancer, said the drug would be life-changing for patients and their families.

“Myeloma is an aggressive type of blood cancer, but we have seen a steady improvement in the outlook for patients over recent years as we have introduced new targeted therapies,” he said.

“I am delighted that patients in England will be the first to benefit from this new treatment, which has the potential to keep cancer at bay for years longer, giving people the chance of more precious time with friends and family.”

Read full story

Source: The Guardian, 13 June 2025

Read more
 

Block on data sharing contributed to death

A failure to share medical information between IT systems contributed to the death of a man in prison custody, a coroner has concluded.

In a newly published report on the death of Finlay Finlayson at HMP Lewes in 2019, the coroner highlighted “information sharing” problems and “permissions issues” between the prison IT system and that of the man’s GP surgery. 

Mr Finlayson died from blood clots in his lungs, having suffered from multiple long-term health conditions including cancer during his life. At the time of his death in 2019, health services at HMP Lewes were provided by Sussex Partnership Foundation Trust, though they are now provided by the Practice Plus Group.

According to the Prevention of Future Deaths report issued last month, coroner Laura Bradford heard evidence that Mr Finlayson’s care was affected by “confusion and uncertainty about his medical conditions caused by information sharing and permissions issues with SystmOne”.

It appears the GP practice had not enabled sharing of the data, which would have been required for it to be accessed in the prison.

Read full story (paywalled)

Source: HSJ, 22 April 2024

Further reading on the hub:

Read more

Blindness and injuries reported after US recalls eyedrops

US health officials say that eyedrops may have killed one person and severely injured several others due to drug-resistant bacterial contamination.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have identified 68 patients across 16 states with a rare strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

The strain had never been found in the US before this latest outbreak.

In addition to the one death, eight patients have suffered vision loss, and four have had eyes surgically removed.

Most of the patients diagnosed with the infection reported using eyedrops and artificial tears, according to the CDC.

Ten different brands were initially identified as possibly linked to the outbreak, the CDC said. Eyedrops that are made in India and imported to the US under two brands were subsequently pulled from shelves in January and February.

Read full story

Source: BBC News, 17 March 2023

Read more

Blind people in England at risk from ‘shocking’ social care delays, finds report

The lives of thousands of blind and partially sighted people are being put at risk by delays in vital care that they have a legal right to after being assessed as visually impaired, according to a report.

More than a quarter of English councils are leaving people who have just been diagnosed as blind waiting more than a year for vision rehabilitation assessments and potentially life-saving support, the report by the RNIB revealed.

It cited the example of one person who died while waiting for council help. The Guardian can reveal that the case involved a woman from Church Stretton in Shropshire who had been waiting 18 months for an assessment when she tripped on a pothole and died later from head injuries. She had been trying to teach herself how to use a white cane, without any support or training, despite getting a certificate of visual impairment.

Councils are obliged to provide such help for those coping with a recent visual impairment under the 2014 Care Act. The support involves helping people cope practically and mentally with visual impairment at a critical time after a diagnosis.

The social care ombudsman recommends that councils should provide these services within 28 days of someone receiving a certificate of visual impairment.

But the RNIB report, which is based on freedom of information requests to councils in England, found that 86% were missing this 28-day deadline. The report, Out of sight – The hidden scandal of vision rehabilitation warned that the delays uncovered in the figures were dangerous.

Read full story

Source: The Guardian, 10 March 2024

Read more

© 2026 Patient Safety Learning. All rights reserved.

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

×
  • Create New...

Important Information

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