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  1. Past hour
  2. News Article
    A new resource to support adults at risk of self‑harm or suicide was launched in May at The University of Manchester’s Whitworth Art Gallery, at an event hosted by the NIHR Greater Manchester Patient Safety Research Collaboration. Jay’s Personalised Safety Planning Toolkit is a co‑designed set of materials created with researchers, people with lived experience of suicide and self‑harm, and healthcare professionals. It offers a more personalised approach to safety planning within health and care settings, supporting meaningful conversations around self‑harm and suicide. Inspired by the family of Jaymie Mart, known as Jay, who died by suicide in 2012 at the age of 32, the toolkit – which was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) – offers clear, practical guidance to help adults create and review personalised safety plans. Jay’s mother, Paula Mart, has played a key role in shaping the research, sharing her experiences to help improve support for people during times of acute mental health crisis and to prevent deaths by suicide. She said: “The toolkit helps as a guide in understanding and setting up an individualised safety plan for people in difficult times. They can help to change a mindset during times of crisis, that will hopefully keep them safe until they can get help, if needed, from family, friends or mental health professionals.” When describing the new resource, Katherine McGleenan, nurse consultant in suicide prevention research and lead of Jay’s study, said: “We know suicide can be prevented, however often people don’t know how to help or where to find support, for themselves or others. We can all make a difference, whatever role we are in. Jay’s toolkit is a powerful resource to help increase understanding, skills and confidence of how to support personalised safety planning. It might help someone who’s struggling and could potentially save lives.” Read full story Source: NIHR Greater Manchester Patient Safety Research Collaboration, 15 June 2026
  3. Today
  4. News Article
    The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine has already saved an estimated 200 lives from cervical cancer in England, with this figure projected to rise significantly as more people receive the jab, new data suggests. Research spearheaded by Queen Mary University of London and funded by Cancer Research UK indicates the HPV vaccine is proving highly effective in eliminating cervical cancer nationwide. The study estimates that children vaccinated at 12-13 years old face a near-zero risk of dying from the disease before turning 30. Crucially, England recorded no cervical cancer deaths among women aged 20 to 24 between 2020 and 2024 – a historic first. The study, published in The Lancet medical journal, also found that from 2015-19 there was an 80% reduction in cervical cancer deaths among women aged 20-24. However, despite progress towards eliminating cervical cancer, experts are worried about falling vaccination rates. Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: “We know the HPV vaccine is extremely effective at stopping cervical cancer before it starts and for the first time, these findings show it is saving lives – a powerful example of what’s possible when science is backed by strong public health programmes. “Thanks to HPV vaccination and cervical screening, a future where almost nobody gets cervical cancer is now firmly in sight. “But uptake of the vaccine has dropped in recent years, and this progress is at risk. “It’s essential that the UK government and health systems urgently address this with targeted action to reach communities where uptake is the lowest. “Beating cervical cancer means beating it for everyone.“Every parent and guardian can support this by making sure children and young people get the HPV vaccine. “It’s also important that people take up cervical screening when invited, even if they have had the HPV vaccine.” Read full story Source: The Independent, 18 June 2026
  5. News Article
    Current inquiries into care failures lack teeth, and such a gap could be filled by a public inquiry, the government’s new national maternity adviser has revealed. Michelle Welsh’s comments at a Medical Journalists’ Association event on Wednesday came with two major investigations by Donna Ockenden and Baroness Amos due to report over the next fortnight. Ms Welsh also called for a review of regulatory authorities such as the General Medical Council, Care Quality Commission and the Nursing and Midwifery Council. She said this comment was in her capacity as Sherwood Forest MP, not as government adviser. Appointed by former health and social care secretary Wes Streeting last month, Ms Welsh said she wants to respect Ms Ockenden’s upcoming review into Nottingham University Hospitals and seek thoughts from families and staff once it is published on 24 June. However, she warned: “There is a gap, and that gap is that Donna Ockenden’s inquiry [in Nottingham cannot] legally make people talk.” She added: “The [Nottingham] inquiry is fundamentally about things that happened while [people] were in charge in very, very senior positions and making the decision, yet they can personally decide that they are not going to engage in it. “I think it should be an open book, and I am in conversations with the [Department of Health and Social Care] about a public inquiry.” She said the current regulatory system was failing families, and called on the government to appoint a maternity “commissioner”. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 17 June 2026
  6. News Article
    The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has announced plans to launch a new AI regulatory sandbox aimed at improving medicines safety and accelerating the development of new treatments. The initiative, unveiled by Science Minister Lord Vallance on 9 June 2026, will provide companies and researchers with a controlled environment to test AI tools designed to predict how medicines may perform in people and identify potential safety risks earlier in the development process. Through the sandbox, the MHRA will work with industry and academic partners to assess whether AI can improve medicines safety assessment and identify risks that traditional methods may miss. Unlike the AI Airlock programme, which focuses on AI medical devices, the new sandbox will support the testing of AI tools used in medicines development and safety assessment. Up to five AI technologies will be tested during the first phase of the programme, with work due to begin in summer 2026. Lawrence Tallon, chief executive at the MHRA, said: “We’re seeing extraordinary advances in AI and biomedical science. The opportunity now is to harness them to deliver real benefits for patients. “These technologies could help us understand medicines better, generate stronger evidence on their safety, and accelerate the development of innovative treatments, especially in areas of unmet need. “For patients, that means greater confidence that the medicines they rely on are supported by the best available science, with evidence that better reflects the diverse range of people they are intended to treat.” Read full story Source: Digital Health, 16 June 2026
  7. Yesterday
  8. Article Comment
    Interesting article to highlight - as it does very well - the real-life consequences of disinformation and of underfunding healthcare treatments we might take for granted, such as vaccinations.
  9. Community Post
    Dear Sue, Thank you sue for this to discuss. Of course there are many PICC related thrombosis in our trust too. There is no such guideline that could be prevented. Definitely proper PICC line care, regular flushing with heparin and monitoring of PICC arm (DVT sign and symptoms) practices will minimise the risk but can not prevent the clot. We record as PICC related HAT.
  10. Event
    What does good consent look like in practice, and what are the patient safety consequences when patients are not truly informed? Join Radar Healthcare's webinar, Digital consent: How to deliver safer outcomes by bringing consent, risk and insight together, to explore the vital link between patient education, informed decision-making and safer care. Featuring perspectives from the Patients Association, Patient Information Forum, legal experts and frontline clinicians, this CPD-certified session will examine how organisations can strengthen consent processes, reduce risk and improve patient outcomes through better communication, education and insight. Register
  11. News Article
    A charity will invest £250m over the next three to five years in a government-backed scheme testing a new funding model for neighbourhood health. Macmillan Cancer Support has partnered with West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals Trust, non-profit enterprise Social Finance and the government’s Office for the Impact Economy to help other systems raise money from non-NHS sources. The intention is that investors who want to use their money for social purposes will add to the £250m, and will earn a return over an extended period, as the schemes reduce secondary healthcare demand. The “trailblazer” programme will choose six areas to develop more integrated and preventative care in the community, the organisations are due to announce today. The programme builds on a £10m initiative launched last year in West Hertfordshire, with the same partners, to improve care for older people with multiple conditions. In each area, the organisations will run a nine-month programme with financial and technical expertise, to design their model and build skills, confidence and culture to help attract “impact investment” finance. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 17 June 2026
  12. News Article
    The Department of Health and Social Care wants tech suppliers to take on more financial risk by agreeing to new contract models aimed at improving value, HSJ understands. Tech industry figures have told HSJ that government officials have started asking suppliers on NHS contracts to take part of their payment once productivity gains have materialised. This would see a company paid some or all of its fee once the trust had realised some of the efficiency savings that were promised in the business case. Some consultancies are paid in this way, but it is not common with tech procurements. One senior industry figure said: “I understand the logic, if technology is being funded on the basis of productivity, suppliers are asked to share some of the delivery risk.” However, they added this would be “difficult” for suppliers, as “technology is only one part of whether benefits are realised”. They told HSJ: “The bigger issue is usually transformation: workflow redesign, adoption, training, leadership, benefits tracking, and whether the organisation actually changes how it works. Those factors largely sit with the customer, not the supplier. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 16 June 2026
  13. Content Article
    The Patient Safety Incident Response Framework became mandatory for all health services contracted under the NHS Standard Contract, including NHS-funded care delivered by independent healthcare providers, in April 2024. It replaced the Serious Incident (SI) framework. The change in approach to investigations under PSIRF has resulted in some practical challenges to the way in which information and organisational learning evidence is presented to the coroner for inquests. Chaired by Amelia Newbold, Risk Management Lead, this Shared Insights session discussed how the PSIRF and coronial processes can work more effectively together to ensure that coroners receive the information they need for inquests while preserving PSIRF's core principle of fostering a learning culture within healthcare. Bringing together perspectives from across the system, we explored some of the key challenges and, importantly, shared positive and practical examples of how a collaborative approach across both learning and coronial processes can ensure that relevant information is shared effectively.
  14. Community Post
    I am so sorry to hear that you have been subjected to completely unnecessary pain. You are one of thousands that we know about - the tip of the iceberg. “ trial by hysteroscopy “ should have no place in the 21st century, yet instead of improving, gynaecological “ care” appears to be regressing. Your account of being subjected to pain by lovely people is a very familiar one. To avoid the risk of repeating myself, could I refer you to my reply of 18th February to Carrie. It would be very helpful if you could fill in the Campaign Against Painful Hysteroscopy’s survey to record your experience - this is anonymous, and helps us to collect evidence that is frequently denied and / or ignored by hysteroscopists.
  15. News Article
    Worrying health risks and dangerous conditions are widespread across NHS hospitals, clinics and ambulance stations, new research has revealed. A Unison survey of over 19,000 NHS staff exposed workplaces plagued by leaking sewage, rodent infestations, and a lack of clean toilets for both staff and patients. Around one in seven respondents reported vermin, such as rats, in their workplaces over the past year. A similar proportion cited other widespread infestations, including silverfish, ants, bedbugs and cockroaches. The union described its findings as a concerning snapshot of a "dangerous and dilapidated" NHS estate. One in seven polled believe their workplace is unsafe due to the buildings’ poor physical state. The findings, being released at the union’s annual conference in Brighton on Tuesday, include examples of buckets on floors to catch leaking water, sewage leaks, public toilets in hospitals out of order for extended periods and staff toilets described as unusable. Read full story Source: The Independent, 16 June 2026
  16. News Article
    The specialist learning-disability nurse workforce is in “absolute crisis” with the number of specialist nurses falling by a third across the UK since 2009, leaving many vulnerable adults with inadequate care, according to a report by the largest nursing union. The Royal College of Nursing review revealed that the number of learning-disability nurses employed by the NHS has fallen from 7,083 in 2009 to 4,768 in 2026. As a result of these falling numbers, 1.5 million people with learning disabilities were not being provided with their legal right to equitable access to health and care services. This failure in care has mainly been attributed to the chronic lack of specialist learning-disability nurses available across the UK, with this gap expected to widen in the coming years. Only 490 learning-disability nursing students had chosen to study the specialism in the UK, according to the analysis. This was a 40% reduction over the past decade in the number of students accepted on to these courses. Prof Lynn Woolsey, the Royal College of Nursing’s chief officer, said the review’s findings were a “warning that we cannot continue this path where learning-disability nursing is consistently undermined”. “The learning-disability nurse workforce is in absolute crisis, with workforce numbers falling while university student numbers also collapse. Their skills are too vital for this to be allowed to continue,” Woolsey said. She added: “The expertise of learning-disability nurses has been poorly understood, inconsistently recognised, and insufficiently protected within health and care systems. Their contribution is repeatedly undermined and ignored in wide workforce planning and service delivery.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 16 June 2026 Further reading on the hub: Top picks: Breaking down the barriers faced by people with learning disabilities
  17. Content Article
    Racism and other forms of discrimination not only affect people receiving care, but also many midwifery and nursing professionals who provide it. Everyone deserves to receive equitable, culturally safe, anti-racist, unbiased care. Students and nursing and midwifery professionals deserve to learn and work in psychologically safe environments where discriminatory behaviours and biases are called out, challenged, and not tolerated. Anti-racism is fundamental to patient safety and public protection. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) anti-racism principles set out some of the ways educators, organisations, registrants and employers can address concerns around inequities in care and racism across health and social care practice, education, and regulation. The principles are designed to: Strengthen cultural safety, curiosity and respect in practice and education Explicitly advance meaningful, sustained anti-racist, bias-aware practice. The principles are organised around four areas. Culture, equity and inclusion. Learning, education and workforce development. Community and person-centred practice. Assurance, accountability and sector improvement.
  18. News Article
    The new NHS chief executive may soon report to a senior civil servant rather than the health secretary, HSJ understands. The downgrade of the NHS CEO role is among several proposals being considered by national officials as they seek to finalise their target structure for the abolition of NHS England, senior sources said. Another proposal, HSJ understands, is that staff in regional teams, who are currently NHSE employees, could be “hosted” by local NHS organisations, rather than become civil servants as part of the Department of Health and Social Care. A year ago, the DHSC issued a “proposed top-level structure for the transformed DHSC” to staff, saying there would be “three permanent secretaries – including the DHSC permanent secretary, the NHS CEO and the chief medical officer”. HSJ understands that this model – which echoed the “three at the top” configuration in the department in the years to 2012 – was agreed between NHSE, the DHSC and 10 Downing Street. As permanent secretaries, all three would report to the health and social care secretary. But several senior national officials are now growing concerned that this agreement is being undermined by separate proposals being developed by DHSC officials. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 16 June 2026
  19. Last week
  20. Content Article
    Interviews with leading figures from health and social care. Series 2 Episode 6 Dr Ian Higgison Series 2 Episode 5 Prof Jim Blair Series 2 Episode 4 Andy Burnham - Mayor of Manchester Series 2 Episode 3 Paul Farmer CBE Series 2, Episode 2 Professor Nicola Ranger CEO Royal College of Nursing Series 2 Episode 1 Tom Dolphin Series 1 Episode 15 David Gregson Episode 14 Dr Charlotte Refsum - Tony Blair Institute Episode 13 Rob Webster CBE Episode 12 Sarah Woolnough Episode 11 Sir Jim Mackey, chief executive NHS England Episode 10 - Claire Murdoch Episode 9 Dame Jennifer Dixon Episode 8 Lord Darzi Episode 7 in conversation with Professor Tas Qureshi Episode 6 Dr Penny Dash Episode 5 Dr Bill Kirkup CBE -Learning lessons from past enquiries Episode 4 Jeremy Hunt Episode 3 Sir Andrew Dilnot Episode 2 Paul Johnson Episode 1 The Convert - Richard Meddings, former Chair NHS England
  21. Content Article
    More information about "Breaking the silence: Sexual safety for healthcare students and trainees"
    Everyone deserves to learn and work in a safe, respectful environment. The new Breaking the Silence: Sexual Safety for Healthcare Students and Trainees e-learning offers practical steps to speak up safely, set clear boundaries and get the right support. Feel more confident about what’s acceptable, what isn’t, and what to do if you see or experience behaviour that crosses the line. Understand where to raise concerns and how to support a colleague who shares an experience. Whether a student, trainee, educator, or staff member complete the e-learning to strengthen your own wellbeing and professionalism and help build a culture where harassment is not tolerated.  The e-learning is accessed via the NHS learning hub or via the e-Learning for Health platform. Find out more from the attachment below.
  22. Content Article
    This report contains feedback from focus groups the Patients Association ran across six language backgrounds – Arabic, Bengali, Portuguese, Punjabi, Romanian and Urdu – and research on those who speak English as an additional language, highlighting the numerous barriers to care that they face. Some of the barriers highlighted include a need for quality and personalisation in translations, reliance on community members as informal interpreters and medical jargon as a barrier even with interpretation.
  23. Content Article
    To mark Learning Disability Week 2026, this episode of Voices for Safety explores a critical patient safety issue: the inequalities people with a learning disability face when accessing cancer care. Host Dr Louise Gorman speaks with Dr Oliver Kennedy, an NIHR Clinical Lecturer at the University of Manchester and a Medical Oncologist at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, whose research uncovers stark inequalities across the cancer care pathway in the UK. Drawing on a large-scale NIHR-funded study of over 180,000 people with learning disabilities, Dr Kennedy explains how they are less likely to be referred for specialist tests, more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage, and around half as likely to receive treatment, resulting in much shorter survival times. Together, they explore why these gaps exist – from communication challenges and diagnostic overshadowing to systemic barriers in screening and treatment – and discuss what needs to change across prevention, diagnosis, and care to create a more equitable system. Released during Learning Disability Week 2026, this episode highlights the urgent need for more inclusive, accessible healthcare systems and the importance of ensuring everyone can receive timely, effective, and safe cancer care. Further reading on the hub: Top picks: Breaking down the barriers faced by people with learning disabilities
  24. News Article
    The Care Quality Commission has imposed a major fine on a trust where a chemotherapy patient contracted a serious infection from bacteria in a ward’s en-suite bathroom and later died. Gloucestershire Hospitals Foundation Trust was ordered to pay the sum at Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court yesterday after admitting failing to provide safe care and treatment to Chris Elliot at Cheltenham General Hospital. It is one of only two CQC prosecutions brought over infections, with Dudley Group fined £2.53m in 2021 after two women died from sepsis. The Gloucestershire case related to the care of Dr Elliot, who became infected by a strain of pseudomonas bacteria while receiving chemotherapy as an inpatient and died two weeks later. Dr Elliot’s infection was genetically matched to a sample taken from the showerhead in the ensuite bathroom of his ward at CGH. An earlier sample had already tested positive for the bacteria on 1 August, but no action was taken, and the ensuite bathroom remained in use. The court heard that the trust had outsourced delegated water sampling and testing to NHS Gloucestershire Managed Services in 2021, according to the BBC. The prosecution said oversight of GMS was “insufficient”, saying that a water safety group did not meet regularly, and that “initial concerns over competence” were not pursued. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 16 June 2026
  25. News Article
    Bereaved parents have raised concerns about the departure of a major trust’s medical director, just as an independent inquiry into its maternity services is getting started. Magnus Harrison left Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust on 12 June, with the trust’s deputy medical director, Elizabeth Garthwaite, appointed interim. His departure comes amid several high-profile executives leaving the trust over the past year, including its chief executive and deputy CEO. The trust is facing a major inquiry into care failures in its maternity and neonatal services between 2011 and 2025, led by senior midwife Donna Ockenden. In a statement, the Leeds affected families group said: “Since [the inquiry]’s announcement, several of the people who were in leadership positions at the trust during the period under investigation will no longer be present to engage in the same way. “It’s very disconcerting that senior figures are leaving their roles without ever being properly held to account… “We are also concerned how all the necessary information for the review will be disclosed, and how changes in leadership could potentially cause some evidence to get lost or former senior leaders to state they ‘cannot remember’ or ‘no longer have access to documents or files’.” They added: “These departures risk creating a precedent that senior leaders can leave a trust… before their involvement in cultures and practices have been fully scrutinised.” Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 15 June 2026
  26. Content Article
    In this King's Fund analysis, Margot Kuylen and Dan Wellings consider the results of the Health Insight Survey and find that while waiting times have improved, for many the experience of waiting hasn’t. When asked how they would rate their overall experience of waiting for their hospital appointment, nearly half (46%) of respondents said it was poor. Crucially, this doesn’t just reflect dissatisfaction with the length of the wait. When asked in a separate question whether they were dissatisfied with the communication about their wait, a similar proportion (44%) of respondents said they were dissatisfied (a further 29% said they were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied and only 27% said they were satisfied).
  27. Content Article
    The National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death (NCEPOD) reviewed the care of adults with a diagnosed learning disability who attended/were admitted to hospital as an emergency between 1st July and 30th September 2024. Care was reviewed using 666 clinician questionnaires, 366 sets of case notes, 144 primary care questionnaires, 199 organisational questionnaires, 832 healthcare professional survey responses and 82 patient/carer surveys. Recommendations Accurately record a person’s identified learning disability in the electronic patient record/clinical notes and in learning disability registers/lists. This information should be accessible across healthcare settings to ensure prompt recognition and proactive care for patients with a learning disability on arrival at hospital. Assess and implement reasonable adjustments for patients with a learning disability. This should be undertaken: proactively if the reasonable adjustments have been flagged, and in place when the patient arrives in hospital; as soon as practicable after arrival/admission to hospital and be reassessed throughout the admission. Use decision support tools to aid healthcare professionals when assessing mental capacity in patients with a learning disability. Consistently and continuously involve people with a learning disability in their care during a hospital admission. This should be from the point of arrival through to discharge. Include:support from carers as appropriate; Reasonable adjustments at all stages, e.g., using communication tools to support conversations. Commission local learning disability support services to enable equitable access to care for patients with a learning disability who attend or who are admitted to hospital. Consider: using multidisciplinary community learning disability services to provide an in-reach service; upskilling all healthcare professionals to care for people with a learning disability; locally assessing how many patients are seen annually to determine the size of the service needed.
  28. Content Article
    More information about "How Connect North is improving and streamlining services into one coordinated model: An interview with Claire Ramsey"
    Connect North is an innovative, integrated and co-designed social prescribing service operating across the Northern Health and Social Care Trust (NHSCT) area in Northern Ireland. Finalist in two Picker Experience Network (PEN) Awards categories both in 2024 and 2025, Connect North demonstrates how integrated, person-centred approaches can improve access to care, reduce system complexity and patient safety risks associated with fragmented services and delayed support. We spoke to Claire Ramsey, Health and Wellbeing Manager at Connect North, to find out more about the service.  Hi Claire. Can you tell me about Connect North and why was it set up? Connect North was established in response to system-wide challenges highlighting a fragmented and confusing system. Signposting information was available, but only by referral, and services held varying referral criteria—individuals could be known to multiple services for similar supports while others in need were left unsupported. This fragmentation created clear risks to clients, including delays in accessing support, increased likelihood of deterioration while waiting for help and the potential for vulnerable people to fall through gaps between services. In response, Connect North was created to integrate and streamline services into one coordinated model, reduce duplication, improve access to community-based support and empower individuals to access support earlier through better information and self-service options. We support adults to address social, practical or emotional issues through a publicly available online directory of services, accessible signposting or via referral to our link worker service for more tailored support. How did you involve patients in co-designing Connect North? Connect North actively engaged with clients and carers at every stage; from review of services to identifying problems, shaping the service model and co-producing resources, to ongoing evaluation. Their needs form the anchoring principles of the Connect North model, service and improvements. What is social prescribing and what are the benefits to patients? Social prescribing is a holistic, person-centred and community‑based approach, which recognises that non-medical health-related social needs—for example, work, money, housing problems, the challenges of managing long-term conditions or feeling lonely or isolated—are just as important to our health and wellbeing as our physical health needs. Social prescribing connects people to activities, groups and services in their community to meet the practical, social and emotional needs affecting their health and wellbeing. It can lead to better mental wellbeing, stronger social connections, improved self‑management of long‑term conditions, greater empowerment and control, and reduced reliance on traditional healthcare services. You mention long-term conditions; can you give an example of how Connect North can help a patient with a long-term condition? I’ll use a diagnosis of dementia as an example here. The impact of this diagnosis on the person and their care circle can be overwhelming, leaving many unsure where to turn for help or feeling alone. Without timely and coordinated support, this uncertainty can lead to increased carer stress, social isolation, delayed access to services and a higher risk of crisis situations developing. Connect North provides personalised, early support to guide people through this difficult time. Clients are offered a one-to-one appointment with a dedicated link worker who takes time to assess and understand their needs, concerns and what matters most to them, before connecting them to services and activities to improve their wellbeing. To speed up connection and reduce misconnections between those who need help and support to those who provide it, we set-up our Community Appointment Days (CADs). CADs enable clients with dementia and their carers to connect directly with a wide range of support within a single appointment. Can you tell me more about the Community Appointment Day? The aim of our Community Appointment Day (CAD) is to make things simpler, faster and less stressful, helping people with dementia and their care circle feel informed, supported and more confident about the future. Immediately following a personalised assessment and care planning appointment with their link worker, clients and their carers are directly introduced to services who can support their needs, within the same appointment. Delays and misconnections to these services are completely eliminated and we use our own service data to ensure relevant statutory, community and voluntary sector organisations are represented for maximum impact. Support services invited typically include those who provide carer support, dementia-specific information, benefits advice, personal and home safety information, and those hosting local groups and activities to improve social connectivity. Another important feature of our CADs is that they are hosted in accessible, non-clinical community venues. At each event we create a relaxed and warm environment enabling positive engagements. Every conversation is purposeful and led by the pace of each client and their carer. Clients and carers can attend together or separately as they require, and we encourage regular breaks throughout with refreshments provided. At the end of the appointment, each client/carer is provided with a clear, easy to understand record of their conversations and connections made on the day supporting recall and follow-up. What were the outcomes and how has it benefited the community? Our CADs make dementia support for our clients and their carers timelier and more effective while also improving how local services work together as an integrated system. Providing multi-agency care and support via a single appointment reduces referral administration and delays/misconnection to care provision. Evidence indicates increased uptake of support at an earlier stage, improved coordination between services and reduced duplication of referrals, contributing to a more responsive system. It also alleviates the burden of responsibility experienced by clients and their carers to navigate complex systems, connect with services and coordinate multiple appointments. We consistently find that more people are accessing and taking up support earlier. This earlier engagement is critical in preventing deterioration and reducing the likelihood of crisis developing. From a system where people frequently felt on their own with no help and support, to our CADs which offer direct and coordinated care within a single appointment, the client experience is far improved: “This has completely changed our whole outlook, we are so much more positive about the future.” “We had no idea so much help and support was available.” “I can’t believe the tenderness of it all—it’s been wonderful.” Co-delivery partners find the CAD and our targeted approach to service delivery around the client to be a more effective use of their time, generating appropriate referrals more efficiently. They also enjoy the opportunity to network, share learning and connect meaningfully with clients and carers to make a positive impact to their health and wellbeing following a diagnosis of dementia. What advice would you give others wanting to set up something similar in their community or region? Bring the system to the person, not the person to the system. A CAD requires targeted planning based on needs. While strong partnerships and continuous improvement are essential for any event, a CAD specifically requires data-driven planning and effective organisation to deliver a streamlined and personalised appointment with a clear focus on the reality of client and carer needs and experiences. Application of good health literacy principles in practice is essential at all stages and support needs to be timely, coordinated and always centred around the needs of the individual. What are your next goals and plans for the future? The future focus for Connect North is on sustaining and refining our CAD model, ensuring it remains efficient, person-centred and adaptable, while extending its benefits to more people and, potentially, other areas of care through sharing learning, resources and good practice. In the NHSCT, we are particularly interested in how this model can be adapted to support other population groups and conditions. We will continue to collect and share our own service data and outcomes with partners and stakeholders to support further improvements, ensuring our service remains targeted, efficient and responsive to need. Are you doing something similar in your community? We would love to hear about it and share on the hub. Email [email protected] or comment below (you need to be a hub member and signed in).
  29. Event
    until
    This webinar will assess progress to date on the 10 Year Plan’s commitment to give “power to the people” by amplifying patient voice, expanding patient choice and reprioritising people’s experiences of care. The conversation will be facilitated by Dr Rageshri Dhairyawan, NHS doctor and author of Unheard: The Medical Practice of Silencing, and will be tailored to what progress has been made by June 2026 towards the Plan’s commitments. Panellists will share views and recommendations on how these commitments can be delivered to ensure person centred care is embedded in a reformed health service and how to consider turning the 10YP blueprint into reality. Register
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