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Should health systems disclose when they’re using AI?

Should health systems tell patients when they’re using AI? UC San Diego Health says yes.

The health system uses a generative AI tool from Epic that drafts MyChart patient portal messages for providers. But UC San Diego Health notifies patients when the responses are drafted by AI with the disclosure: “Part of this message was generated automatically and was reviewed and edited by [name of physician],” according to a May 9 NEJM AI article.

Members of the organisation’s AI governance committee debated whether it was necessary, as providers use other documentation shortcuts and generative AI could elicit concern from patients, but ultimately came to the same conclusion.

“Transparency is necessary, as AI-assisted replies may stand out to patients — especially if they differ from clinicians’ usual communication style,” wrote the authors, UC San Diego Health Chief Medical Information Officer Marlene Millen, MD, Professor Ming Tai-Seale, MD, and Chief Clinical and Innovation Officer Christopher Longhurst, MD.

Lack of transparency “could lead to patients questioning the authenticity of the replies, potentially damaging the crucial doctor-patient trust,” the authors wrote. “With tens of thousands of physicians nationwide using AI to support patient communication, now is the time to begin transparent disclosure.”

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Source: Becker's Health IT, 12 May 2025

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Doctor accused of falsifying artificial mesh records

A surgeon found to have left patients in "agony" after using artificial mesh to treat prolapsed bowels faces allegations he falsified medical notes.

Tony Dixon was suspended after the surgery was found to have caused harm to hundreds of patients at two hospitals in Bristol.

Now, a new hearing will examine Dr Dixon's records. He is accused of dishonestly creating patient records long after he was involved in their care, something he "strongly denies".

The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) will begin Monday. It will examine claims medical records for seven patients contained false information, and were not created at the correct time.

A spokesperson for Dr Dixon said: "[He] always endeavoured to provide the highest standard of care to his patients.

"He strongly disputes falsifying any medical records and will provide his detailed evidence about those serious allegations to the tribunal, initially by way of a detailed witness statement which he has provided to the General Medical Council."

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Source: BBC News, 12 May 2025

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Asthma figures show ‘shocking’ health inequalities in England, charity says

People from minority ethnic backgrounds in the most deprived areas of England are up to three times more likely to need emergency treatment for asthma than their white counterparts, analysis has found.

Analysis of NHS statistics conducted by the charity Asthma and Lung UK found that Asian people with asthma from the most deprived quintile in England are almost three times more likely to have an emergency admission to hospital than their white counterparts. Black people with asthma in the most deprived quintile are more than twice as likely than their white counterparts to be admitted to hospital.

People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) aged between 45 and 54 in the most deprived quintile are nine times more likely to be admitted as an emergency than those in the least deprived quintile, according to the analysis.

Sarah Sleet, the charity’s chief executive, said the figures highlighted “shocking health inequalities in our society”.

Sleet said: “The UK has the worst death rate in Europe for lung conditions and they are more closely linked to inequality than any other major health condition. The fact that people from the most deprived communities and from ethnic minority backgrounds are much more likely to reach crisis point is yet another wake-up call.

“Social disadvantages – including poor housing, mould, damp and air pollution – can both cause chronic lung conditions and make them worse. And it’s the poorest in society and those in ethnic minority communities who are more likely to be living in low-quality housing and in areas with high levels of air pollution.”

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Source: The Guardian, 12 May 2025

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People in mental health crisis waiting up to three days in A&E in England

Thousands of people in a mental health crisis are enduring waits of up to three days in A&E before they get a bed, with conditions “close to torture” for those in such a distressed state.

At one hospital, some patients have become so upset at the delays in being admitted that they have left and tried to kill themselves nearby, leading nurses and the fire brigade to follow in an attempt to stop them.

A&E staff are so busy dealing with patients seeking help with physical health emergencies that security guards rather than nurses sometimes end up looking after mental health patients.

The findings are included in research by the Royal College of Nursing. Its leader, Prof Nicola Ranger, called the long waits facing those in serious mental ill health, and the difficulties faced by A&E staff seeking to care for them, “a scandal in plain sight”.

The RCN’s research into “prolonged and degrading” long stays in A&E also disclosed that:

  • Some trusts that previously had no long waits for mental health patients now have hundreds.
  • The number of people seeking help at A&E for mental health emergencies is rising steadily and reached 216,182 last year.
  • The recruitment of mental health nurses has lagged far behind the rise in demand.
  • The number of beds in mental health units has fallen by 3,699 since 2014.

Rachelle McCarthy, a senior charge nurse at Nottingham university hospitals NHS trust, said: “It is not uncommon for patients with severe mental ill health to wait three days. Many become distressed and I totally understand why. I think if I was sat in an A&E department for three days waiting for a bed I would be distressed too.”

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Source: The Guardian, 13 May 2025

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Trust’s corridor care death sparks CQC concerns

Vulnerable patients at a struggling A&E died or needed intensive care after their needs “were not met” while being cared for in corridors and waiting areas, inspectors have warned after an unannounced inspection.

The Care Quality Commission has raised concerns about how some of the “most vulnerable patients” were being treated in temporary escalation spaces at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro, according to a document published in board papers this month.

NHSE has said systems should “consider reporting the number of patients” in temporary escalation spaces, which include corridors or makeshift wards. Its guidance followed the broadcast of a Channel 4 documentary that included scenes of patients being neglected in corridors in the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

Published CQC reports have since raised concerns about corridor care, but senior figures told HSJ the findings at the Royal Cornwall were among the most severe of this kind.

The inspectors said one 96-year-old woman in a temporary escalation space died following a fall and staff “were unaware of the risk of falls due to lack of verbal handover”.

Another patient “with a history of delirium” suffered a fractured collarbone from a fall in the same area of the hospital.

In another case, an incontinent patient was transferred to a “fit to sit” area but by the end of the day “had deteriorated and was in intensive care”.

The CQC’s letter said: “We were concerned the most vulnerable patients were not having their needs met when cared for in a temporary escalation space.

“We weren’t assured that every ward is accounting for additional patients in the temporary escalation areas in terms of staffing numbers and skill mix.”

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Source: HSJ, 13 May 2025

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Nurse failed to manage dying patient's pain on last night of her life, tribunal told

A Northern Ireland nurse failed to properly manage a dying patient's pain on the last night of her life, a tribunal has heard.

Veteran staff nurse Bernard McGrail has been issued with a four-month suspension order over his failings in dealing with an end-of-life care resident while on a night shift at a Spa Nursing Homes Group facility in July, 2021.

A Nursing and Midwifery Council fitness to practice panel said Mr McGrail's misconduct had caused "emotional distress" to the family of the woman, identified as Resident A.

It added: "There was a real risk of harm to Resident A through the inadequate management of their pain on their last evening."

A remorseful and apologetic Mr McGrail admitted a series of allegations including: a failure to appropriately manage Resident A’s pain; failure to investigate whether Resident A’s syringe driver was working correctly and a failure to escalate that the alarm on Resident A’s syringe driver sounded repeatedly.

Mr McGrail also admitted that without clinical justification, he administered a 5mg doses of Apixiban to Resident B on three dates on October 2020.

And on occasions between April 2020 and May 2022 failed to administer and/or record the administration of named medications to six other residents.

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Source: Belfast Telegraph, 12 May 2025

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'The NHS at its worst', ex-ombudsman tells inquiry

A former health ombudsman has condemned mental health services for their handling of two vulnerable young men who died in their care.

Sir Rob Behrens, who was parliamentary and health service ombudsman (PHSO) from 2017 to 2024, spoke at the Lampard Inquiry, which is examining the deaths of more than 2,000 people under mental health services in Essex over a 24-year period.

Sir Rob said it was "a disgrace" how Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT) had failed in its care of 20-year-old Matthew Leahy, who died in 2012, and a 20-year-old man referred to as Mr R, who died in 2008.

"This was the National Health Service at its worst and needed calling out," Sir Rob said.

Sir Rob referred in his inquiry appearance to several reports made during his tenure, including "Missed Opportunities", which looked into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Mr Leahy and Mr R.

Mr Leahy was found unresponsive at the Linden Centre in Chelmsford. He reported being raped there just days before he died.

Sir Rob told the inquiry the PHSO identified "19 instances of maladministration" in Mr Leahy's case by North Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust - a predecessor to EPUT - including that his care plan was falsified.

The former ombudsman said there had been "a near-complete failure of the leadership of this trust, certainly before it was merged" with South Essex Partnership Trust to become EPUT.

"This was an indictment of the health service," he added.

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Source: BBC News, 6 May 2025

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Hay fever sufferers warned against buying Kenalog medication online

Pharmacists are warning the public against buying unlicensed hay fever medication online, including the jab Kenalog, because of safety fears.

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) said people should not buy Kenalog, which can be advertised on social media sites or by salons and beauty clinics.

The organisation, which represents more than 6,000 independent community pharmacies, said health staff have been receiving more and more enquiries about Kenalog.

It is concerned that medication from unregulated sellers could be fake and poses a risk to patient safety.

The drug also has known side-effects, such as increased blood pressure, dizziness, severe abdominal pain, depression and mood swings.

Kenalog is a prescription-only medicine that is not licensed for the treatment of hay fever in the UK.

It contains triamcinolone acetonide, which is a steroid injection licensed for a number of conditions such as arthritis, but not for hay fever.

In 2022, the regulator the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) issued a joint enforcement notice about the advertising of Kenalog injections.

They told all organisations offering Kenalog as a hay fever treatment to stop advertising it on any of their social media or website advertising.

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Source: ITVX, 10 May 2025

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AHCS Honorary Fellows 2025 now open - deadline 12 June 2025

The Academy for Healthcare Science (AHCS) has announced that Stage 1 of the Honorary Fellowships 2025 is now open.

The AHCS Honorary Fellowships set up in 2016 to recognise the work, vision, support and input individuals who have supported AHSC in theirdevelopment and growth, in one or more of the below key areas:

  • To the formation, development, running or ideals and standards of the AHCS.
  • To the promotion and development of key aspects of Healthcare Science.
  • In areas relating to Healthcare Science and your help in promoting the professions and raising public awareness of Healthcare Science
  • In providing excellence in UK healthcare in your capacity as Presidents of Royal Colleges, medical journalists, civil servants, manufacturers, etc.

Nominations are received and reviewed by the Honorary Fellows Nominations Group and their recommendations submitted to the Professional Council for approval.

Eligibility criteria for an individual to be considered for Honorary Fellowship are an outstanding contribution:

a) To the formation, development and operation of the AHCS and/or

b) To the development and delivery of Healthcare Science in the UK. International nominations can be considered if the contribution has influenced the delivery of healthcare science in the UK and/or

c) To the significant promotion within the profession and/or in raising public awareness of the contribution of Healthcare Science in the UK and/or

d) By individuals who have worked for the AHCS, either as staff members or in a voluntary capacity.

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Source: AHCS.

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Nottinghamshire families left unaware of babies’ blood test results in second NHS error

Hundreds of families in Nottinghamshire have potentially been left unaware of whether their babies may be carriers of certain genetic blood disorders, the second such NHS error to come to light since the start of this year.

About 300 families whose children were born between 2004 and September 2024 in Bassetlaw and mid-Nottinghamshire were identified by the NHS as being affected.

Changes in how genetic testing results were communicated to families meant they may not have been informed of whether their child was a carrier of a trait for sickle cell disease or for an unusual haemoglobin gene.

NHS England said it has contacted the families affected directly by letter so that they understand what being a carrier means for them and their children.

The NHS has also said that since the error, changes have been made to the way blood results are communicated within the area to make it more robust.

In January, the Guardian reported that an error by the NHS led to more than 800 families in Derbyshire not receiving the results of a heel prick test given to babies after birth, meaning they did not know whether their child was a carrier of a trait for sickle cell disease or for an unusual haemoglobin gene. NHS officials apologised “wholeheartedly” to the families affected, saying the error “shouldn’t have happened” and that an investigation had been launched.

John James, the chief executive of the Sickle Cell Society, said: “It is unacceptable that, once again, families have not been informed of their children’s newborn screening results. The fact that this issue has now emerged in another area, over a 20-year period, highlights a catastrophic weakness in the NHS’s system for communicating test results – with distressing consequences for parents and individuals who remain unaware of this vital information.

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Source: The Guardian, 11 May 2025

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NHSE to slash targets in latest performance regime overhaul

NHS England is revising its new performance framework yet again, with a focus on slashing 77 indicators down to core priorities.

Its board signed off a version of the NHS Performance Assessment Framework just six weeks ago for consultation.

But HSJ understands engagement on that iteration was delayed as officials wanted to overhaul it again.

The March version moved integrated care boards’ regulatory performance management role to regional teams, and promised to “prevent providers being bombarded with conflicting instructions”. But it still listed 77 “delivery metrics”, covering operating objectives; finance and productivity; public health and patient outcomes; quality and inequalities.

New proposals expected this week will include significantly stripping the measures down, to primarily focus on headline performance and delivery asks in the 2025-26 planning guidance. That document axed numerous targets and asked,  which health and social care secretary Wes Streeting said would allow more local autonomy.

The new version will also seek to further clarify the changing roles of ICBs, providers, regions and the centre. 

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Source: HSJ, 12 May 2025

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Managers are being ‘re-educated’ after losing skills, says Mackey

Managers are having to be “re-educated” after losing skills in recent years, the chief executive of NHS England has said.

Speaking at the Medical Journalists’ Association’s annual lecture on Thursday, Sir Jim Mackey was asked whether he was satisfied with the calibre of managers in the NHS.

He said “generally people that work in the NHS really care about what they do” and that managers were working in highly challenging circumstances, and often in “really horrible jobs where all the risk is managed”.

But he also acknowledged a concern expressed by other NHS leaders that many managers had become “deskilled at some things”, in part due to the coronavirus pandemic and how systems have worked in the recovery period since then.

Sir Jim said: “We are having to re-skill [and] train people again in things like waiting list management, some stuff on flow and ED management, those sorts of things.

“So, they are being rebuilt, and people are being re-coached and re-educated.”

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Source: HSJ, 9 May 2025

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New NHS programme to reduce brain injury in childbirth 

Expectant mothers will receive safer maternity care as a new NHS programme to help prevent brain injury during childbirth is rolled out across the country. 

The Avoiding Brain Injury in Childbirth (ABC) programme will help maternity staff to better identify signs that the baby is in distress during labour so they can act quickly.

It will also help staff respond more effectively to obstetric emergencies, such as where the baby’s head becomes lodged deep in the mother’s pelvis during a caesarean birth.

The government programme, which will begin from September and follows an extensive development phase and pilot scheme, will reduce the number of avoidable brain injuries during childbirth – helping to prevent lifelong conditions like cerebral palsy.

The national rollout is only one step the government is taking to improve maternity services under its Plan for Change to fix the health service, as it reforms the NHS to ensure all women receive safe, personalised and compassionate care.   

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Source: Department of Health and Social Care, 12 May 2025

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Fake nurse crackdown to boost public safety

Anyone misleading the public and describing themselves as a nurse without the relevant qualifications and registration will be committing a crime, under new measures announced by the government to protect the title ‘nurse’ in law. 

The move will help to boost protections and safety for both patients and staff, driving up standards and improving patient experience across the NHS through the government’s Plan for Change. 

Currently, anyone – including those struck off by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) for serious misconduct or criminal convictions – can call themselves a nurse. This can result in the public thinking they’re getting advice and care from an expert professional like a nurse when they aren’t.   

Previous reported examples of the job title being misused include someone calling herself a nurse at a large public event after being struck off and another reportedly masquerading as an aesthetic nurse.

There will be exemptions for relevant professions like veterinary nurse, dental nurse and nursery nurse, where the title ‘nurse’ is legitimately used. 

The government is listening to nurses and recognises they are the backbone of the NHS, and today’s announcement follows campaigning by unions for the government to act on the issue, as well as by Dawn Butler MP who introduced a Ten-Minute Rule Bill earlier this year to protect the title ‘nurse’.  

Paul Rees MBE, Interim Chief Executive and Registrar at the Nursing and Midwifery Council, said:

"The public should always feel confident that anyone using the title ‘nurse’ is a registered professional with all the safeguards that brings.

We look forward to working with the government and our stakeholders to deliver on it. In the meantime, it is already an offence for somebody to hold themselves out as a registered nurse when they are not."

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Source: Department of Health and Social Care, 12 May 2025

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Parliament to nominate Scotland’s first Patient Safety Commissioner

Next week (Thursday 15 May) the Scottish Parliament will be invited to nominate Karen Titchener to His Majesty for appointment as Scotland’s inaugural Patient Safety Commissioner.

The role of the Patient Safety Commissioner will be to advocate for systematic improvement in the safety of health care in Scotland and promote the importance of the views of patients and other members of the public in relation to the safety of health care.

Karen Titchener is currently serving as Vice President of Hospital at Home Operation in the USA and brings over two decades of senior leadership experience within the NHS, having also previously worked at Guys and St Thomas NHS Trust. Mrs Titchener is expected to take up post on 1 September 2025 for a fixed term of eight years.

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Source: The Scottish Government, 9 May 2025

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ISMP to develop first community pharmacy medication error reporting programme for the State of California

The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), a world leader in improving medication safety, is building a medication error reporting program and portal for community pharmacies licensed by the California Board of Pharmacy. This will be the first state-mandated medication error reporting program in the nation focused specifically on community pharmacy.

The creation of the California Medication Errors Reporting Program is a result of the enaction of Assembly Bill 1286 (Haney, Chapter 470, Statutes of 2023) in 2023 to improve patient safety and address staffing and workplace conditions in community pharmacies.

ISMP has decades of experience collecting and analysing medication error reports to identify risks and guide safety improvements across care settings. ISMP runs the only national voluntary, practitioner-based reporting system, the ISMP National Medication Errors Reporting Program, as well as the ISMP National Vaccine Errors Reporting Program and ISMP Consumer Medication Errors Reporting Program. 

Building upon the experience with existing ISMP reporting programmes, analysis, and error prevention efforts, ISMP will use submitted medication error reports to identify key trends, patterns and safety issues. ISMP will also provide the California Board of Pharmacy with an annual report based on aggregate data that includes reduction strategies and other actionable recommendations for safety improvements.

“The California Medication Errors Reporting Program will produce data-driven insights about preventable adverse events that can drive broad systemic change,” says Rita K. Jew, president of ISMP. “Reporting errors and near misses is essential to ensure the success of efforts to reduce risk in the community pharmacy setting. We applaud California for being a national leader in taking this forward-thinking step to safeguard patients and hope other states will implement similar programs.”

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Source: ECRI, 8 May 2025

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At least 216 children died in first high-severity US flu season in seven years, CDC says

At least 216 children have died of influenza in the US during the last flu season in what the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said was classified as the first high severity season overall and for all age groups since 2017-2018.

That number marks the highest pediatric death toll in 15 years; the previous high reported for a regular (non-pandemic) season was 236 pediatric deaths in the 2009-2010 season, according to the CDC. More recently, 207 paediatric deaths were reported during the 2023-2024 season.

The high number of paediatric fatalities reported for the past flu season comes as health authorities in New York said that 25 children in the state had succumbed to influenza-associated paediatric deaths – the highest recorded amount ever in New York.

“As we begin to analyze the data from the 2024-2025 influenza season, we see this flu season was a challenging flu season for all, yet particularly for children,” said New York state’s health commissioner, Dr James McDonald.

The health commissioner warned that “misinformation around vaccines has in recent years contributed to a rise in vaccine hesitancy and declining vaccination rates”. Of the 25 pediatric deaths attributed to flu, only one involved a vaccinated child and five were below six-month age minimum to receive the flu vaccine.

“We live in a challenging time, where honest objective information is sometimes blurred by misinformation – therefore, it remains the department’s goal to continue to provide as much education and information as possible about flu and other vaccines that remain our best protection against many viruses and preventable diseases,” McDonald said.

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Source: The Guardian, 8 May 2025

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Medical errors claim lives of 18-20% hospitalised patients in Pakistan

A staggering 18-20% of hospitalised patients in Pakistan lose their lives due to medical errors, negligence, misadministration of drugs, and deadly hospital-acquired infections, experts have warned.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of the Patient Safety and Quality Healthcare Conference hosted by Aga Khan University (AKU) in April and organised by Riphah Institute of Healthcare, leading healthcare professionals called for urgent reforms to improve patient safety in hospitals across the country.

The press conference was addressed by Executive Director of Riphah International, Asadullah Khan, Executive Director of NICVD, Prof Dr Tahir Saghir, Chairman of Patient Safety, Dr Zakiuddin, and Sayed Jamshed Ahmed.

Dr Zakiuddin pointed out that several errors occur during medical treatment, including wrong drug prescriptions, incorrect injections, surgical complications, and hospital-acquired infections.

“The World Health Organization (WHO) has been consistently raising awareness about patient safety, yet many developing countries, including Pakistan, continue to struggle with high rates of medical errors,” he said.

He stressed the need for specialized training for medical staff and the adoption of modern patient safety systems to curb preventable mistakes. “There must be a culture where doctors and nurses acknowledge their errors and work toward rectifying them rather than concealing mistakes,” he added.

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Source: Business Recorder, 3 March 2025

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UK woman who took pills during lockdown cleared of illegal abortion

A woman has been cleared of illegally terminating a pregnancy, after taking abortion pills during lockdown.

Nicola Packer took the pills at home in November 2020. She had been prescribed mifepristone and misoprostol after a remote consultation.

She later delivered a foetus, which the court heard was estimated to be about 26 weeks in gestation, which she brought with her to Chelsea and Westminster hospital, Isleworth crown court heard.

She was arrested in hospital and later charged with “unlawfully administering to herself a poison or other noxious thing” with the “intent to procure a miscarriage”.

Packer had been prescribed the medication under emergency pandemic legislation – later made permanent – that allows for pills to be dispatched by post after a remote consultation in pregnancies up to 10 weeks.

The prosecution had alleged that she believed she was more than 10 weeks pregnant at the time she took the pills.

But she denied the charges, and was found not guilty by a jury of nine women and three men, who returned a unanimous verdict, after the two-week trial.

Katie Saxon, the chief strategic communications officer at the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, said: “A woman who sought medical attention after experiencing a traumatic event has had to endure a protracted police investigation and public trial, her private life picked apart by prosecutors and reported in the national press, at a huge emotional and financial cost.

“Prosecuting women for ‘illegal’ abortion is never in the public interest, and no woman should ever have to go through this again.”

Dr Ranee Thakar, the president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said: “As a doctor, I am acutely aware of how vital it is that women can access essential healthcare in a safe and supportive environment.

“Restrictive abortion laws in England and Wales nurture an environment of fear, stigmatisation and criminalisation. They needlessly subject women to prolonged investigation, criminal charges, and custodial sentences for ending their own pregnancy.”

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Source: The Guardian, 8 May 2025

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Hospitals in England reducing staff and services as part of NHS ‘financial reset’

Hospitals in England are cutting staff, closing services and planning to ration care in order to make “eye-watering” savings demanded by NHS bosses.

Rehabilitation centres face being shut, talking therapies services cut and beds for end-of-life care reduced as part of efforts by England’s 215 NHS trusts to comply with a “financial reset”.

Sir Jim Mackey, NHS England’s new chief executive, has ordered them to make unprecedented savings during 2025-26 to avoid a projected £6.6bn deficit becoming a reality.

But trust bosses are warning that delivering what for some equates to 12% of their entire budget in “efficiency savings” will affect patients and waiting times.

“These [savings targets] are at eye-wateringly high levels”, said Saffron Cordery, the interim chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents trusts. “It’s going to be extremely challenging.”

Trusts have to make, in some cases, deep cuts in order to stay in the black this year, despite the government having given the NHS an extra £22bn for last year and this one.

A survey it conducted among trust leaders found that diabetes services for young people and hospital at-home-style “virtual wards” were among the areas of care likely to be scaled back.

Trusts are planning to shrink their workforce by up to 1,500 posts each to save money, even though they fear that could damage the quality or safety of care provided.

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Source: The Guardian, 9 May 2025

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Significant variation and gaps found in Patient Safety Incident Response Plans, says charity

An analysis by the charity Patient Safety Learning has found significant differences in approach and critical information gaps in healthcare providers Patient Safety Incident Response Plans.

In a new report published, Patient Safety Learning has analysed a sample of NHS Trusts Patient Safety Incident Response Plans, looking at what these tell us about the implementation of PSIRF to date.

Based on its findings, the report identifies five recommendations intended to improve the approach to creating, implementing and reviewing Patient Safety Incident Response Plans. Central to this is a recommendation to develop a national standardised framework for evaluating these plans.

Commenting on the report, Patient Safety Learning Chief Executive Helen Hughes said:

“Too often in the NHS we see examples of patient safety investigations not resulting in learning and improvement. This is a theme that emerges time and time again in cases of avoidable patient harm and major patient safety inquiries.

The introduction of PSIRF presents a significant opportunity to improve the approach to patient safety incident investigation in England. However, if this is to live up to its ambitions, it must have a clear focus on turning insights and learning into action and improvement. The content of early Patient Safety Incident Response Plans suggests that greater work is needed in this area. Plans should have details on how safety recommendations will be monitored and evaluated, as well as including provisions for sharing good practice as widely as possible.

PSIRF is intended to be flexible, with NHS guidance on the creation of Patient Safety Incident Response Plans reflecting this. However, from our analysis we have found that the lack of uniformity in these plans has the potential to complicate cross-organisational comparisons. This in turn could hinder the identification of best practices as Trusts approaches diverge. If we are to understand the impact that PSIRF, we believe a standardised framework for evaluating individual Patient Safety Incident Response Plans is essential.”

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Source: Healthcare Newsdesk, 8 May 2025

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Earlier C-section could have saved baby

A baby who died three days after birth would have survived if her mother had been offered a caesarean section, a coroner has said.

Emmy Russo was delivered at Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow but died on 12 January 2024.

Mother Bryony Russo told an inquest at Essex Coroner's Court that her requests for a C-section were "laughed off" during the hours she was there in labour.

Assistant coroner for Essex, Thea Wilson, said there were five missed opportunities to offer Ms Russo a C-section, and that Emmy's chances would have been different had she been born an hour earlier.

"She would have been born in a better condition and on the balance of probabilities she would have survived," she said.

"There was a failure to respond adequately to the request for a C-section"

Independent expert obstetrician Teresa Kelly had told the coroner there was enough evidence "this baby wasn't coping with labour" and staff should have acted sooner.

Giving evidence, midwife Megan Fletcher defended her decision not to escalate concerns to a more senior doctor, saying she was trying to avoid any further "invasive procedures".

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Source: BBC News, 7 May 2025

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Tech is helping GPs and clinicians see more patients

New figures from the NHS reveal that 31.4 million GP appointments were delivered in March 2025, a 6.1% increase on the same period last year and nearly 20% more than before the pandemic.

This increase, the NHS claims, is due to GP practices adopting digital services to help meet growing demand while ensuring patients are directed to the right care more efficiently.

Starting in October, all GP surgeries will be required to offer online appointment requests throughout working hours as part of a new contract, which aims to ease phone line pressure and allow smarter triaging based on medical need.

Currently, 99% of GP practices in England have already upgraded their phone systems, expanding capacity and reducing long waits for patients. Professor Bola Owolabi, NHS England’s director of healthcare inequalities, said in a statement: “GP teams are delivering over 30 million appointments a month, up nearly 20% on pre-pandemic levels. Patients can also manage repeat prescriptions and view test results through the NHS App, making care more convenient.”

The NHS has also announced that AI is enabling GPs and clinicians to cut the time spent on admin and increase the time and effort expended on patients. Data from AI trials shows an increase in patients seen by A&E, shorter appointments and more time by clinicians spent with the patient.

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Source: UK Authority, 30 April 2025

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More blood victims will die without compensation

More victims of the infected blood scandal will die without ever receiving full compensation, a government minister has said.

The paymaster general Nick Thomas-Symonds was giving evidence to a special session of the public inquiry into what's been called the worst treatment disaster in NHS history.

It's thought 30,000 patients in the UK were infected with HIV or hepatitis B and C after being treated with a contaminated blood clotting product or given a blood transfusion in the 1970s and 80s.

Mr Thomas-Symonds agreed it was "profoundly unsatisfactory" that just 106 final compensation awards have been paid, almost a year after a damning report into the scandal was published.

"I'm never going to think this is satisfactory until everybody has received the compensation that is due," the Cabinet Office minister said.

"The objective should be absolutely to pay [people] as soon as possible."

A final 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.

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Source: BBC News, 7 May 2025

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Trump’s 2026 budget plan cuts healthcare funds

President Donald Trump unveiled his fiscal 2026 budget proposal on 2 May, cutting non-defense federal spending by $160 billion.

The budget provides resources to HHS to promote nutrition, physical activity, healthy lifestyles and more, according to the White House press release. The funds will also tackle “over-reliance on medications and treatments” as well as food and drug quality and safety.

The VA medical centers will receive additional funds for healthcare services. Qualified veterans can also receive care from local community providers to expand access for those who otherwise would have to drive hours for care.

The budget would cut funds nearly in half for the National Institutes of Health and CDC. 

The budget further would eliminate divisions for the CDC focused on disease and injury prevention, including gun violence. It would also cut the programmes for environmental health, global health and public health preparedness, according to The Times. The CDC’s focus would narrow to cover just infectious disease.

President Trump’s budget proposes $1 billion cuts from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The budget does not cut funding for Medicare or Medicaid.

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Source: Becker's Hospital Review, 2 May 2025

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