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Becton Dickinson ordered to pay $255k in hernia mesh trial

A jury ordered Becton, Dickinson and Co to pay $255,000 to a man who sued the company, alleging he had been injured by its hernia repair surgical mesh, according to a court filing.

The verdict in Columbus, Ohio federal court comes in the second bellwether trial in a multidistrict litigation over the company's hernia mesh products, which were sold by C.R. Bard Inc before its 2017 acquisition by Becton Dickinson. The first bellwether trial last year ended with a verdict in favour of the company.

More than 16,000 cases have been consolidated before Chief U.S. District Judge Edmund Sargus in Columbus, in the third-largest pending MDL nationwide. Plaintiffs claim that the mesh products caused infections, pain, inflammation and other problems.

The verdict came in a case brought by Antonio Milanesi, who had Bard's Ventralex mesh implanted during a hernia repair in 2007, and his wife, Alicia Morz De Milanesi. They claimed that Milanesi developed an infection and bowel abscess because of the mesh, requiring a second surgery in 2017.

Like other plaintiffs in the MDL, the Milanesis say the mesh products are defectively designed because their polypropylene material degrades when in implanted in human tissue.

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Source: Reuters, 16 April 2022

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Be careful of celebrating staff as ‘heroes’, NHSE advises trusts

Trusts haven been warned to be careful of “contentious” approaches to staff recognition, such as those that mimic the “clap for carers” initiative organised during the pandemic.

NHS England has published a Staff Recognition Framework which stresses marking staff achievements is important. However, it also warns staff could also be demoralised by recognition they felt was derisory.

The framework says: ”During the pandemic, studies suggested the weekly 8pm ‘clap for carers’ movement and use of the word ‘heroes’ were contentious approaches to staff recognition. The NHS is always in the media spotlight. Don’t let this put you off but do consider the broader political and economic context.”

Recent strikes saw clinicians make the point that organised clapping was no substitute for increase-linked pay increases.

The document for senior leaders recommends “developing a recognition strategy” which takes a triple track “formal, informal and everyday” approach to celebrating staff achievement.

It said “evidence shows that pay alone will not influence staff wellbeing, engagement, and retention in the long-term – praise and social approval have also proved to be critical factors”. 

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Source: HSJ, 12 October 2023

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BD supports World Patient Safety Day

The World Health Organization’s creation of an annual World Patient Safety Day is key to helping raise awareness and focus minds on improving the safe delivery of healthcare. BD fully supports this initiative and is partnering with care providers to ensure patient safety is prioritised, and efforts to reduce avoidable harm are enabled. 

"Patient Safety is integral to everything we do at BD and we believe it should be at the forefront of everyone’s minds when thinking about healthcare..."

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Source: BD, 17 September 2019

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BBL surgery: Woman who died in Turkey 'not told of risks'

A woman who died during an operation for a buttock enlargement in Turkey was not given enough information to make a safe decision about the procedure, a coroner has concluded.

Melissa Kerr, 31, from Gorleston, Norfolk, died at the private Medicana Haznedar Hospital in Istanbul, in 2019.

Ms Kerr had gone abroad to have what is commonly referred to as a Brazilian butt-lift or BBL, the Norwich inquest heard.

The inquest was told Brazilian butt-lift operations carried the highest risk of all cosmetic surgery procedures.

The UK has an agreed moratorium on carrying out such operations due to the dangers involved, expert witness and plastic surgeon Simon Withey said in a report for the inquest.

Mr Withey said if the risk of the procedure had been explained to Ms Kerr before she had financially committed to the procedure she would not "in all probability" have gone through with it.

Coroner Jaqueline Lake said she would be writing a report for the health secretary to try and prevent further deaths from this "risky" procedure. She said she was "concerned patients are not being made aware of the risks or the mortality rate associated with such surgery".

She added, while the UK government had no control over what happens in other countries, "the danger to citizens who continue to travel abroad for such procedures continues... and I'm of the view future deaths can be prevented by way of better information".

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Source: BBC News, 12 September 2023

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BBC research reveals people with disabilities forgotten during pandemic

Research by the BBC finds thousands of people with disabilities had been forgotten about during the pandemic, revealing most participants experienced worsening of their disability and many said their vital appointments had been cancelled. 

The research found some reported attempting suicide due to the sudden changes, being isolated or not being able to access their care or support networks. 

Scope, one of the UK's biggest disabilities charities have said the research conducted by the BBC confirms the government failed to support people with disabilities during the pandemic. 

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Source: BBC, 30 June 2021

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BBC investigation finds 50,000 people waited over 24 hours in A&E corridor care

More than 52,000 patients waited longer than 24 hours to be admitted to hospitals across north-west England last year, a BBC investigation has revealed.

Known as "corridor care", patients are lining up on trolleys or sitting on chairs, stuck in A&E because there are no beds for them in the wards.

The Royal College of Nursing has described the situation as a "national emergency" and called on the government to end the practice.

NHS England said the NHS was currently experiencing its busiest winter on record and hospitals around the country had been "experiencing rising demand for a number of years".

Dr Michael Gregory, regional medical director for NHS England in the North West, said: "Providing care in corridors is not what we want for our patients, and we are working hard to reduce the use of corridor care and tackle long waits."

Aside from the misery facing patients, the pressure on medical staff is huge.

The Royal College of Nursing has been campaigning on the issue for several years.

"We're hearing from members who are going to work, feeling anxious and upset. We've had members saying they're sitting in their car crying before they go into work," said Simon Browes, the college's North West regional director.

"It's because they can't do the job they want to do and they're faced with this distressing, relentless situation".

The Royal College of Emergency Medicine has described the situation countrywide as "a national shame", while the Royal College of Nursing has called it "a national emergency". Both are demanding an end to the practice.

Browes, who worked as a nurse before taking on his role at the RCN, said the health risks to patients of corridor care are well known.

"We're going to see people dying who should not die. We're going to see people leaving the profession because they can't work under those conditions any more," he said.

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Source: BBC News, 2 March 2026

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BBC criticised for letting cardiologist ‘hijack’ interview with false Covid jab claim

The BBC has come under fire from scientists for interviewing a cardiologist who claimed certain Covid vaccines could be behind excess deaths from coronary artery disease.

Experts have criticised Dr Aseem Malhotra’s appearance on the BBC's news channel last Friday, accusing him of pushing “extreme fringe” views, which are “misguided”, “dangerous” and could mislead the public.

Scientists have described the doctor as “hijacking” an interview on statins to air his views, causing BBC staff to be “alarmed and embarrassed” by their booking. Malhotra recently retweeted a video by the MP Andrew Bridgen, who had the Tory whip removed on Wednesday after comparing the use of Covid vaccines to the Holocaust.

After criticising new guidance on statins, he cited British Heart Foundation (BHF) figures that suggested there had been more than 30,000 excess deaths linked to heart disease since Covid first arrived.

Malhotra, a cardiologist at ROC Private Clinic, claimed mRNA Covid vaccines play a role, saying his “own research” showed “Covid mRNA vaccines do carry a cardiovascular risk”. He added that he has called for the vaccine rollout to be suspended pending an inquiry because of the “uncertainty” behind excess deaths.

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Source: The Guardian, 13 January 2023

 

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Bath surgeon sacked after raising safety concerns

A senior surgeon has raised concerns about the way whistleblowers are dealt with, claiming he was sacked after speaking out.

Serryth Colbert told the BBC that following attempts to "stop wrongdoing", he was investigated by the trust at Bath's Royal United Hospital.

As a result, he said he was dismissed for gross misconduct in October 2023.

The RUH said it has "never dismissed anybody for raising concerns and never will".

It added that Mr Colbert's dismissal related to "significant concerns about bullying" and its investigation into his conduct was "thorough" and "robust".

Mr Colbert said he raised safety concerns without regard for the impact it might have on his career.

"It was never a question in my mind. This is wrong. I'm stopping the wrongdoing. I stand for justice. I stand to protect patients," he said.

The BBC has seen no evidence his most serious concern was ever investigated and Mr Colbert is now taking the RUH to an employment tribunal.

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Source: BBC News, 9 February 2024

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Basildon maternity unit handed 'urgent' safety deadline

An NHS hospital where a woman bled to death in childbirth has been given an "urgent" deadline to keep patients at its maternity unit safe.

A letter seen by the BBC reveals the Care Quality Commission (CQC) found unsafe staffing levels at the unit at Basildon Hospital throughout August. The CQC said the trust that runs it had until next Monday to implement appropriate measures.

The trust said it had a "robust improvement plan in place".

The seven-page document, sent by the CQC on 7 October, puts the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust on notice that it has to "implement an effective governance system", among other measures.

Consequences for missing the deadline were not stated, but the CQC said it was using its powers under the Health and Social Care Act to impose conditions on the trust's registration.

The Act does allow the CQC to temporarily close health services.

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Source: BBC News, 3 November 2020

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Basildon Hospital maternity staff exposed to 30 times legal gas limit

Staff at a maternity unit were exposed to almost 30 times the legal workplace exposure limit for nitrous oxide, documents have shown.

Testing at Basildon Hospital revealed the levels more than 16 months before colleagues were informed.

The Royal College of Midwives said its members there were considering legal action.

Routine testing of the maternity suite in June 2021 revealed nine staff members had been exposed to excess nitrous oxide levels during the course of their shifts.

Three had readings of more than 1,000 parts per million (ppm) of the gas, while a fourth recorded almost 3,000. The Workplace Exposure Limit is set at 100ppm.

Trust management apologised after failing to notify staff at the unit until October 2022.

A briefing seen by the BBC stated the issue was logged on the risk register, but "there has not been proper oversight of the problem and staff have not been informed".

One person familiar with the situation, who did not want to be identified, said: "We had an email sent out that said 'emergency maternity staff briefing' and there was a Teams meeting.

"The Teams meeting was very, very difficult to listen to. It was very emotive. People were angry understandably, but I feel like the executive who were on the call didn't handle it very well."

 

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Source: BBC News, 16 January 2023

 

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Basildon Hospital blood tests contaminated in 'major failure'

THE majority of blood tests taken at Basildon Hospital to identify life-threatening illnesses have been contaminated in a “major failure”.

An investigation has been launched by health bosses, with staff shortages allegedly causing the issue with “blood cultures”.

Blood cultures, which look for germs or fungi in the blood and more deadly bacteria are routinely carried out ahead of operations.

However, latest figures show that 70% of tests taken in the year up to January 2022 were found to be contaminated, leading to treatment being delayed as patients are re-tested.

The normal limit of contaminated tests would be below 3%.

The issue was raised at a joint board meeting of the clinical commissioning groups, which oversee local healthcare, on 24 March.

Katherine Kirk, chairman of quality and governance committee at the Basildon and Brentwood group, said: “If I’m understanding this right and it’s about the effectiveness of blood tests, what’s going on? It’s clearly a major failure.”

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Source: The Echo, 4 April 2022

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Basic security measure would have prevented disastrous cyber attack

A major cyber attack which caused months of disruption across NHS services in south London would have been thwarted if the affected system had been protected by a basic IT security process, HSJ has learned.

Synnovis, which provides pathology services for more than 2 million people in the capital, was hit by a ransonware attack in June.

The attack locked staff working for the pathology provider to Guy’s and St Thomas’ and King’s College Hospital foundation trusts out of their systems for months. This resulted in widespread delays to care, including cancer treatment. Clinical teams in hospital had to revert to pen and paper, while GPs in the area were left “flying blind” without the ability to order tests.

Senior sources who worked on the response to the attack have now confirmed to HSJ that the system was not protected by multi-factor authentication (commonly known as “two-factor authentication”). MFA involves a user who has entered their password verifying their identity via another method, typically a call or text to their mobile.

After the attack, NHS England’s chief information security officer Phil Huggins wrote to all NHS providers saying two-factor authentication was now mandatory for all NHS systems and those used by their suppliers.

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Source: HSJ, 26 September 2024

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Basic errors lay behind trust’s botched IT upgrade, leak reveals

A string of basic errors led to a teaching trust botching a pathology lab IT upgrade, causing major disruption to tests, according to an internal review seen by HSJ.

The problems with Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust’s upgrade to the Clinisys WinPath system in December resulted in tens of thousands of blood tests being lost or delayed, with managers admitting patients were potentially put at risk.

An internal LTHT review of how “communication and escalation” problems contributed to the disruption, including:

  • Training delivered very late – even on the day of roll out – or not at all.
  • No end-to-end testing of the system took place prior to roll out.
  • There was no engagement with primary care to understand how the update could affect their workflows.
  • Ineffective communication channels for escalation of problems.
  • Lessons from previous NHS WinPath roll outs were not learned.

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Source: HSJ, 30 May 2025

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Barnsley care agency 'recruitment procedures unsafe'

A care agency which left people "at risk of avoidable harm" by not ensuring staff had been properly trained has been put into special measures.

Stars Social Support, which provides personal care to people living in their own home, was inspected by the Care Quality Commission earlier this year.

Inspectors found safe recruitment procedures were not in place to make sure suitable staff were employed.

A report following the inspection states that "safe recruitment procedures were not in place to ensure only staff suitable to work in the caring profession were employed."

It said people's references had not been followed up after they had been requested, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. The report added: "When the disclosure and barring service (DBS) identified concerns, a risk assessment had not been completed to assess staff suitability."

Inspectors also found not all staff who provided care had received appropriate training or training updates to ensure they were competent.

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Source: BBC News, 21 November 2020

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Bariatric tourism care costs NHS more than actual surgery

People who go abroad for weight-loss surgery, and then need urgent medical care back in the UK, cost the NHS more than it costs to carry out the operation itself, according to new research.

A study featuring five London hospitals recorded the details of 35 people who had suffered complications after travelling abroad for gastric surgery during 2022.

The data, shared with the BBC's Disclosure programme, shows the patients suffered from a range of symptoms including severe malnutrition, vomiting, sepsis, hernias and haemorrhaging. Five of them needed feeding tubes inserted, while the average stay in hospital was 22 days.

The interventions at the five hospitals for the 35 patients cost the NHS a total of £560,234, or £16,006 per patient, in 2022.

The equivalent amount would have covered the cost of about 110 bariatric surgeries in UK hospitals.

Consultant bariatric surgeon Omar Khan, one of the lead authors of the study, said the paper was intended "to try and quantify" the effect on the NHS of increasing numbers of people going abroad for weight-loss surgery - sometimes known as bariatric tourism.

"We know that the waiting lists in the NHS are unfortunately long. We also know that there are new units, particularly in Turkey, which have been set up to cater for an international market," he explained.

"We focused on patients with major complications, patients who were severely ill. They had leaks from the stomach, they had bleeding, they had infections. A significant portion required further surgery and some required revisional surgery."

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Source: BBC News, 15 January 2024

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Barcode errors ‘potentially fatal’, warns patient safety commissioner

Barcode errors on medicines “pose critical patient safety risks” and could have “potentially fatal consequences,” Henrietta Hughes has warned.

The Patient Safety Commissioner for England’s warning comes as a petition has been launched by pharmacists report growing problems with barcode data errors and missing 2D barcodes on UK medicine packs.

The issue has been highlighted by several ‘Class 4 medicines defect notifications’ during 2025 that were linked to barcode or labelling problems, including fexofenadine hydrochloride tablets in August 2025, and simvastatin tablets in July 2025.

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Source: The Pharmaceutical Journal (20 November 2025)

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Barclay: I’m fighting doctors’ pay demands for the sake of NHS staff

The government is resisting what it believes are inflationary pay demands from junior doctors for the sake of NHS staff, health and social care secretary Steve Barclay has told HSJ.

In a wide-ranging interview, Mr Barclay also:

  • Rejected the idea that it would be impossible to hit the prime minister’s waiting times pledge without settling the junior doctors strike;
  • Defined what he believed was the difference between good and bad management;
  • Refused to apologise to the 123 trusts whose bids for “new hospital programme” funding were rejected.

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Source: HSJ, 10 July 2023

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Barclay refusing to approve diagnostic centres that cannot be opened this year

Steve Barclay has refused to approve about 30 proposed community diagnostic centres (CDCs) – designed to speed up cancer treatment – unless they can be delivered in 2023, HSJ has learned.

Mr Barclay’s stance means the CDCs which were due to open in 2024, and which officials say cannot be brought forward, have been left in limbo. NHS England and local systems are now exploring workarounds, such as temporarily using mobile imaging units while the CDCs are established in attempt to win Mr Barclay’s backing.

Cancer Research UK director of evidence and implementation Naser Turabi said: “Community diagnostic centres can help the NHS diagnose cancers more quickly, but they require capital investment and funding for staff if they are to meet rising demand.

“Restricting the promised expansion of these centres will only lead to longer waits and worse outcomes for cancer patients in England.”

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Source: HSJ, 9 May 2023

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Barclay calls urgent ‘hackathons’ over ambulance crisis

The new health and social care secretary has asked officials to hastily organise several “hackathons” to try to address the crisis in ambulance performance.

The first, which was instigated just last week, will take place tomorrow (28 July), and a second is planned for August, sources told HSJ.

Messages from officials described the work as a “request from our new secretary of state” and explained the short notice by saying he was “pushing… quite strongly for something before the end of the month”.

The aim is said to be to examine what is driving poor performance, and the Department of Health and Social Care is “particularly interested in understanding which factors reduce risk to patients”, according to one message seen by HSJ.

Hackathons are short, time-limited collaborative design events, typically involving computer programmers and data scientists or analysts, which aim to result in working software or product on the chosen theme by the end.

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Source: HSJ, 27 July 2022

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Banning drinking water for staff on wards ‘misguided’, warns union

Nursing and maternity staff have reported that they are unable to have water with them whilst working, meaning some are unable to drink water for 12 hours due to work pressures.

The Royal College of Midwives in updated guidance are calling for "common sense" from NHS trusts and boards on staff access to water and other drinks, particularly as staff are having to wear more PPE than before the pandemic began. 

Dr Mary Ross-Davie, director for professional midwifery at the RCM, said: “Some trusts and boards have banned water bottles in clinical areas, which means that our members are often going 12 hours with no break and no water. We are appealing to those services to apply common sense, to recognise that this application of infection control is misguided and to look after the health and wellbeing of their staff.”

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Source: Nursing Times, 11 August 2021

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Banking baby teeth: companies may be misleading parents with “outrageous claims”

Parents are spending thousands of pounds to bank stem cells from their children’s milk teeth—but the recipient companies’ claims about their future medical value are unproved and potentially misleading, an investigation by The BMJ has found.

The three UK companies advertising tooth banking services tell parents that milk teeth are a “valuable” source of stem cells, with the ability to repair tissue cells throughout the body. Their claims include that these stem cells are already being used in treatments for autism and diabetes. They also point to current research using stem cells in multiple sclerosis, myocardial infarction, and Parkinson’s disease.

But several experts have told The BMJ that they are concerned about the claims being made, which risk exploiting parents—with the promise of a treatment for autism deemed particularly outrageous.

The BMJ found that the three companies in the UK offering tooth stem cell banking—BioEden, Future Health Biobank, and Stem Project—all operate through one laboratory. The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) says it will review concerns we have raised about how the service is promoted on their websites.

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Source: The BMJ, 20 August 2025

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Ban physician associates from seeing NHS patients one-to-one, says RCP

The NHS in England should slow or scrap altogether the recruitment of physician associates (PAs) and ban them from seeing patients one-to-one, medical groups are urging ministers.

The Royal College of Physicians (RCP), which represents hospital doctors, has called for a rethink of government plans to increase the number of PAs from 3,000 to 10,000 by the mid-2030s.

They should also not be allowed to run clinics on their own, without a senior doctor present, because left unsupervised they could pose a risk to patients’ safety, the RCP added.

“We’re calling on NHS England to slow down the expansion of the PA role [and] review its projections for growth in the PA workforce,” said an RCP spokesperson.

While the college is not proposing exactly how many more PAs the NHS should train and hire in coming years, it “believes their growth should be carefully managed” and NHS England needs to take “a more measured approach” to recruiting and using them.

Its move comes weeks after Wes Streeting ordered an independent investigation into the role and competence of PAs, after a series of cases in which patients they treated came to harm. They include Emily Chesterton who died after her blood clot was misdiagnosed by a PA as a calf strain.

The health secretary said the review, by Prof Gillian Leng, was needed because “there are legitimate concerns over transparency for patients, scope [of PAs’ role] and the substituting of [them for] doctors. These concerns have been ignored for too long.”

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Source: The Guardian, 17 December 2024

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Ban on home abortions increases risks to women, Government told

Banning home abortions could increase risks to women and waste NHS resources, leading doctors have warned.

The “pills by post” system is set to be dismantled in England by September, having been introduced as a temporary measure at the start of the pandemic.

However, the plans, disclosed by The Telegraph last month, have sparked outrage from medical organisations and women’s groups.

The decision by ministers to return to pre-pandemic abortion systems in England has sparked fierce debate and could be subject to a vote in Parliament on Wednesday.

Writing for The Telegraph, the leaders of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, the British Medical Association and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists have urged ministers to reconsider their intentions.

They said that the current system has meant terminations take place earlier in the pregnancy, reducing the risk of complications, and that the most vulnerable women, including domestic abuse victims, are able to get help.

Baroness Sugg of Coldharbour, a former operations chief to David Cameron, said that the UK should “stand strongly against the rollback of women’s rights”. She has also tabled an amendment to the Health and Care Bill seeking to maintain the current system in England.

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Source: The Telegraph, 15 March 2022

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Ban on care home residents taking trips faces legal challenge

Campaigners have started legal action against the government over guidance that bans care home residents in England aged 65 and over from taking trips outside the home.

John's Campaign, of residents and their loved ones, says the ban is unlawful. They are also challenging the requirement for residents to self-isolate for 14 days after such visits.

The government said its guidance provides a "range of opportunities" for visitors to spend time with loved ones.

Nearly all residents have now had at least one dose of the vaccine, and care homes have been cautiously reopening, allowing indoor visits with designated family or friends.

But the government guidance, updated on 8 March, says trips to see family or friends "should only be considered" for under-65s while national Covid restrictions apply because they increase the risk of bringing Covid into a home.

Visits out for residents, whatever their age, "should be supported in exceptional circumstances such as a visit to a friend or relative at the end of their life", it adds - but on returning to the home, the resident must self-isolate for two weeks.

The legal letter sent to the Department of Health and Social Care by John's Campaign says the decision whether someone can go on a visit outside a care home should be based on individual risk assessments.

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Source: BBC News, 2 April 2021

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BAME safety plan not published

A report containing measures to protect ethnic minority groups from coronavirus has been drawn up for government, BBC News has learned.

Public Health England (PHE) published a review last week confirming coronavirus kills people from ethnic minorities at disproportionately high rates. But a senior academic told BBC News a second report, containing safeguarding proposals to tackle this, also existed.

And PHE now says this report will be published next week.

Labour described the decision not to immediately publish the second report as "scandalous and a tragedy".

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Source: BBC News, 11 June 2020

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