Skip to content

News

Keep up to date with the latest news, research and activity in patient safety.

Regulators demand answers on advice and guidance

Answers are needed from NHS England and others on 11 issues to make sure its controversial expansion of advice and guidance is safe, the Care Quality Commission has declared.
Advice and guidance allows GPs to seek pre-referral advice from specialist clinicians working in secondary care, and is designed in part to reduce referrals. 
NHS England has planned to substantially ramp up its use this year, including by making its use mandatory – rather than initial referral – in at least 10 locally-chosen specialties. This has proven controversial with many clinicians, particularly GPs. 
NHSE last month issued a letter seeking to clarify some aspects of the policy, including stepping back from a target that in the chosen specialties there would be a “diversion rate of at least 25 per cent by March 2027”.
British Medical Association GP Committee chair Katie Bramall had also written to the Care Quality Comission in March to raise concerns express the BMA’s reservations relating to the national implementation of mandated A&G.
Read full story (paywalled)
Source: HSJ, 27 May 2026
Patient Safety Learning

NHS watchdog launches inspection of troubled trust after The Independent exposed failures

The NHS care watchdog has launched an inspection of a troubled trust after The Independent exposed delays in diagnosing and treating dozens of patients, including some with cancer.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has sent inspectors to review care at the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust in Greater Manchester, just days after The Independent revealed that there were serious concerns about the safety of its gynaecological services.
The trust launched an audit of the care of hundreds of women at Salford Royal Hospital’s gynaecology department in 2024, prompted by concerns that the necessary follow-ups were not carried out.
It found that dozens of patients, including cancer patients, all under the care of Dr Jim Wolfe, were harmed when their diagnosis and treatment were delayed as a result of “admin failures”.
Whistleblowers from the hospital’s gynaecology service came forward to The Independent with further concerns, alleging that the trust’s leadership was ignoring safety issues.
At the same time, an unpublished NHS England review of the service from 2024 warned that it had a “significant backlog” of more than 2,000 patient letters, including test results and referrals for treatment, that hadn’t been sent to GPs as required. This resulted in some patients’ treatment being delayed by at least five months.
The report also warned that the service was “heavily” reliant on agency doctors, and that its ability to provide on-call doctors had been affected by “significant sickness absence and suspension” among its consultants.
Read full story
Source: The Independent, 26 May 2026
Patient Safety Learning

UK nurses and midwives who should have been banned have worked for last 12 years

Nurses and midwives who should have been banned from treating patients have practised over the last 12 years because of “potentially dangerous” failings by a medical regulator.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has admitted that its “completely and utterly unacceptable” mistakes meant it failed to protect the public from about 15 professionals whom it should have banned from ever working in healthcare in the UK because they had broken the law.
The nurses and midwives told the NMC about their criminal convictions when they applied to join or stay on the regulator’s register, which they need to be on in order to practise in Britain. However, NMC staff who assessed their applications did not then refer them on to an assistant registrar at the regulator to investigate and decide if they could treat patients, which they should have done.
The 15 or so nurses and midwives involved now face being struck off because their law-breaking is so serious that they should not be allowed to keep having contact with patients.
The Patients Association warned that the NMC’s failure to properly look into the background of those concerned undermines patients’ trust that health staff are safe to care for them.
The Royal College of Nursing accused the regulator of an “astounding failure of its primary purpose to safeguard the public, as well as to provide assurance to the nursing workforce that they and their colleagues had all undergone the necessary checks to practise”.
Read full story
Source: The Guardian, 27 May 2026
Patient Safety Learning

Regulator ‘missing many AI incidents’

Safety concerns linked to AI voice tech are not being properly reported because many providers are unaware of the regulation system or too busy to use it, experts have told HSJ.
The Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority is responsible for ensuring ambient voice technology products, in which the NHS is about to invest heavily, are safe.
Data shared with HSJ showed there had only been five reports under the regulator’s “yellow card” system covering the 12 months to the beginning of May.
The regulator said the five reports covered “a range of issues relating to the system capturing incorrect information; file save errors; and concerns relating to patient consent of use of the product”.
However, experts said five reports was fewer than they would have expected, considering AVT systems are already being used widely in primary care, and in secondary care under what providers are describing as pilots.
HSJ checked each of the 23 AVT providers registered with NHSE against the MHRA’s “yellow card” reporting website, and only three were recognised.
An MHRA spokesperson said in this case, complainants could fill out a separate form. However, after being asked by HSJ about the missing 20, the regulator said it had now added all of them.
But Hugh Harvey, founder of healthtech consultancy Hardian Health, told HSJ: “The yellow card system is the recommended way for users to report issues with medical devices, but it is currently underused, partly due to a lack of awareness, and partly due to the friction involved in doing so.”
Read full story (paywalled)
Source: HSJ, 26 May 2026
Patient Safety Learning

Australia confirms first diphtheria death amid worst outbreak in decades

Australia has recorded its first diphtheria death in almost a decade as the country grapples with the worst outbreak of the vaccine-preventable disease in decades.
In March, the Northern Territory (NT) declared an outbreak of diphtheria with cases also in Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland. Cases started rising in late-2025 with a sharp increase in February.
This year, there have been 245 cases, marking the largest outbreak in Australia since 1991, mainly in remote Indigenous communities.
On Tuesday, NT's health minister said autopsy results from an overseas lab found diphtheria was the cause of a man's death in April at Royal Darwin Hospital, the first such case since 2018.
In recent weeks, the government has ramped up vaccination efforts in areas most at risk and the number of new cases was now falling, health officials said on Tuesday.
"Our government has taken this situation very seriously, and we are working hard to understand the causes and working to contain the situation," NT Health Minister Steve Edgington said.
Since 30 March, there have been 10,407 vaccinations, he said.
Authorities are urging affected communities to update their vaccinations, especially teenagers and adults who need to get booster shots.
Read full story
Source: The Independent, 26 May 2026
Patient Safety Learning

Supermarket lung cancer checks find 10,000 cases in England

Mobile NHS scanning units, strategically placed in supermarket car parks, sports stadiums, and high streets across England, have detected lung cancer in over 10,000 individuals, new figures reveal.
Crucially, more than three-quarters of these cases were identified at early stages one and two, significantly boosting treatment success rates, NHS England confirmed.
This vital initiative forms part of the NHS Lung Cancer Screening Programme, which began in 2019, specifically targeting areas most affected by the disease. Early detection is paramount, with officials stating that patients diagnosed in the initial stages are 13 times more likely to survive for five years compared to those whose cancer is found later.
Mobile NHS scanning units, strategically placed in supermarket car parks, sports stadiums, and high streets across England, have detected lung cancer in over 10,000 individuals, new figures reveal.
Crucially, more than three-quarters of these cases were identified at early stages one and two, significantly boosting treatment success rates, NHS England confirmed.
This vital initiative forms part of the NHS Lung Cancer Screening Programme, which began in 2019, specifically targeting areas most affected by the disease. Early detection is paramount, with officials stating that patients diagnosed in the initial stages are 13 times more likely to survive for five years compared to those whose cancer is found later.
Professor Peter Johnson, NHS England’s national clinical director for cancer, said: "Lung cancer checks and scans save lives, so it’s fantastic the NHS has now diagnosed over 10,000 people – the majority at an early stage, when treatment is most effective. The Lung Cancer Screening Programme has been designed around where people already are, bringing scanners into their local communities to make it easier for people to get checked."
Read full story
Source: The Independent, 25 May 2026
Patient Safety Learning

Misinformation about perimenopause on social media ‘putting women at risk’

Misinformation about perimenopause is putting women at risk of unintended pregnancies, unnecessary medication and missed diagnoses, experts have said.
Awareness of menopause and treatments such as hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has been raised by efforts including a prominent documentary by Davina McCall.
But as a growing number of women encounter misleading information on social media, there are concerns that some could be led to false conclusions that can obscure real underlying health difficulties.
“Everyone thinks they’re menopausal,” said Dr Paula Briggs, a consultant in sexual and reproductive health. “So we are seeing younger and younger women asking for HRT when what they need is hormonal contraception, as they’re still fertile.
“I work in an abortion service and we’re seeing more women over 35 now who believe themselves to be menopausal and are gobsmacked when they become pregnant.”
Briggs said misinformation around perimenopause is concerning.
“I look at things like Instagram to see what they are exposed to and I am horrified,” she said, citing examples of women in their 30s being told to demand HRT if they are unable to sleep or are struggling with migraines – and to switch GPs if denied. Or women being told they should seek testosterone treatment.
“I’m not anti any of these things in the right person, but females produce their own testosterone lifelong, even women without ovaries, so the idea that everybody has to demand testosterone is bonkers,” Briggs said.
Dr Channa Jayasena, an expert in reproductive endocrinology at Imperial College London, also raised concerns.
“It’s great that there’s better [public] awareness [about perimenopause]. And I think many doctors are completely unaware about how debilitating the symptoms of perimenopause can be,” he said. “But the flipside of that, I think there’s a risk that some women are being mislabelled as having perimenopause when they have other things that are wrong.”
Read full story
Source: The Guardian, 25 May 2026
Patient Safety Learning

NHS spends record £241m outsourcing scan analysis to private firms

The NHS is paying private firms record sums to analyse diagnostic scans because hospitals are too busy and understaffed to do the work themselves, research has revealed.
The amount being spent on outsourced the interpretation of CT and MRI scans is “spiralling out of control” and reflects a short-sighted failure to train enough doctors, ministers are being told.
Scans are vital for diagnosing diseases such as cancer and for monitoring patients’ responses to treatment, so they need to be done quickly. Many hospitals, however, rely on non-NHS health companies reading some scans to ensure they get the results promptly.
NHS trusts and health boards across the UK gave £241m to private firms to undertake such work last year. As demand increases, spending has doubled in five years from £120min 2021 and tripled from the £81m spent in 2018.
The Royal College of Radiologists (RCR), which collated the figures in its annual workforce census, said health service spending on private scan reading was “ballooning”. The NHS-wide shortage of radiologists has left hospitals with too little capacity to read all scans, meaning the service is “haemorrhaging” cash to independent firms, it said.
The RCR also raised concerns that the analysis done by private firms was sometimes so poor that NHS radiologists had to read scans again, raising questions about the benefit of outsourcing.
Read full story
Source: The Guardian, 25 May 2026
Patient Safety Learning

21 trusts ‘delivered year’s elective recovery in single month’

Twenty-one trusts delivered their entire 2025-26 elective improvement in March alone, analysis shows, prompting concerns about the “fragility and sustainability” of the NHS’s waiting list recovery.
The NHS’s overall performance on the 18-week standard rose by 2.7 percentage points in March – a very large month-on-month improvement – to secure its 65% year-end target.
HSJ analysis of official data reveals that 21 providers (nearly 20%) of general acute trusts that were able to report improvement in their 18-week performance between April 2025 and March 2026 were in fact entirely reliant on steep gains in the final month.
Between April 2025 and February 2026, the share of their patients treated within 18 weeks had fallen.
Waiting list expert Barry Mulholland told HSJ  that where trusts had “effectively delivered their entire annual recovery in March alone… that is extremely hard to achieve through ‘normal’ improvement activity”.
Mr Mulholland, CEO of consultancy MBI Health, said: “It does not mean the gains are fake, but it does suggest fragility, risk, and raises questions about the overall sustainability.
“Similarly, I would want to understand the changes that have been made by the trusts which made large structural improvements, to see what enabled the consistent improvement and if those changes can be replicated more widely.”
Read full story (paywalled)
Source: HSJ, 26 May 2026
Patient Safety Learning

Surgeon removed wrong part of bowel after tattoo mix-up

A cancer patient had the wrong part of their bowel removed during an operation after a surgeon mistook a tattoo for the site of a tumour, a report has said.
It is one of 10 "never events" in the past 12 months, according to a report for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, which manages the NHS in north Wales.
Five were listed as "wrong site" procedures, two involved incorrect implants, two involved retained objects such as swabs left inside patients, and one involved medicine administered by the incorrect route.
In one case, a surgeon at Bangor's Ysbyty Gwynedd located what was said to be a very visible tattoo or marking and operated assuming it indicated the site of the patient's tumour.
"This led the surgeon to take out the segment of bowel that did not have the cancer in it," said the report.
A patient at Wrexham's Maelor Hospital attended a dermatology one-stop clinic after being referred through an Urgent Suspected Cancer clinical pathway, and underwent cryotherapy treatment in which cancer cells undergo extreme cold treatment.
The patient was also listed for a minor operation the same day and it was after that procedure they told the clinic nurse that the incorrect area had been treated so further surgery was carried out the same day.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing, said the report which is due to be considered at a meeting on Thursday.
Read full story
Source: BBC News, 24 May 2026
Patient Safety Learning

Streeting’s NHS home-working revolution ‘puts patients at risk’

Patients risk having serious conditions missed by doctors working from home under an NHS revolution championed by Wes Streeting.
Doctors will deliver millions of virtual hospital appointments at their convenience – and from their own homes – as part of plans to tackle the NHS backlog that Mr Streeting set out when he was health secretary.
However, health leaders and patient groups are concerned about patients falling through the cracks and the risk that serious conditions such as cancer could be missed.
They also fear the creation of a “two-tier” health system in which the digitally capable are “fast-tracked” while others who are older or more vulnerable are forced to wait longer for care.
The new “Online NHS Trust” will be officially formed on 1 June and start seeing patients from October 2027, The Telegraph can disclose.
Patients facing some of the longest waits will be the first to test the new service, with the virtual hospital to be piloted on gynaecology, urology, gastroenterology and ophthalmology.
Patients referred to a consultant will have the option to connect remotely to one of the specialists across the country via the NHS app – with more specialities and conditions added over time.
But concerns gathered by Healthwatch, an official health service body that represents patients, have warned that serious conditions such as cancer could be missed in video calls.
And one patient advocate said it was “described as being optional, but in reality, if there is a long waiting list for an in-person appointment, the patient may ‘choose’ the online appointment instead, eg if the GP says it’s a shorter waiting time to get seen online, it is not a fair choice”.
Read full story (paywalled)
Source: The Telegraph, 18 May 2026
Patient Safety Learning

Family wants 'Alice's Law' after mother's BBL death

The family of a mother of five who died after getting a Brazilian butt lift (BBL) has written to the government to demand it brings in a new law to regulate the cosmetic industry.
Alice Webb, 33, became unwell and later died in hospital after the treatment given by Jordan James Parke at his Gloucester salon in 2024.
Webb's sister, April Palmer, and her former partner Ben Kingscote have written to health secretary James Murray calling on him to introduce Alice's Law, which would restrict liquid BBL procedures to qualified surgeons.
Webb's family have said they are "disgusted" at the "extremely troubling" lack of progress since she died. The government insisted that it is "taking action".
The family has previously backed the campaign launched by Save Face three years ago calling for greater regulation.
The government has announced proposals to restrict BBLs and other high-risk procedures, but the family's letter criticised ministers for not acting soon enough, despite knowing the dangers.
"Had the Government acted on those warnings when they were raised, Alice might still be with us," the letter from the family said.
"Alice's Law is very important to us as a family, as we believe it could prevent avoidable harm and spare other families the same heartbreak," they said.
"Every month of inaction risks further, entirely preventable fatalities."
Read full story
Source: BBC News, 22 May 2026
Patient Safety Learning

Melanoma skin cancer cases in UK hit record level, analysis finds

The number of cases from the most serious form of skin cancer have reached a record high across the UK, according to analysis by a leading cancer charity.
Melanoma cases in the UK have risen above 20,000 for the first time ever, with 20,980 people being diagnosed with the form of cancer in 2022, according to analysis of the latest figures by Cancer Research UK.
The charity has projected that by 2040, there could be a record 26,500 new cases of the disease every year in the UK, an increase of 23% in men, and 26% in women. The increases in skin cancer cases reflect the UK’s growing and ageing population, the charity said.
Michelle Mitchell, the chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said it was concerning to see the rising numbers of people being diagnosed with melanoma skin cancers across the UK.
The fact that most of these cases are preventable underlines the importance of people taking sun safety seriously,” Mitchell said. “Take care when the sun is strong by seeking shade, covering up and applying sunscreen and, if you notice any unusual changes to your skin, contact your GP. Whether it is a new or changing mole, a sore that doesn’t heal, or an area of your skin that looks out of the ordinary, it’s important to get it checked out. It probably won’t be cancer, but if it is, getting it diagnosed and treated early can make all the difference.”
Read full story
Source: The Guardian, 22 May 2026
Patient Safety Learning

Growing private services creating ‘regulatory gap’ , claims watchdog

There is a growing “regulatory gap” around several NHS services where private provision has grown rapidly, the Parliamentary watchdog has told HSJ.
Paula Sussex, who became the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman in August, said she received a large number of concerns about ADHD and autism  services, and provision of wheelchairs.
In relation to neurodiversity diagnosis, there has been rapid growth in NHS-funded and self-funded independent sector provision responding to growing demand, alongside an absence of agreed standards, qualifications, and training.
As a result, Ms Sussex often receives complaints that other services are refusing to recognise and act on the diagnoses, she said.
Wheelchair services, meanwhile, are often privately provided through block contracts and subject to regular concerns about long waits for equipment and repairs.  These services are not registered with the Care Quality Commission as they are not counted as a healthcare service.
Ms Sussex said private provision – which was patchy, sometimes poor quality and not properly regulated – was “driving more costs into the system”.
She suggested the Department of Health and Social Care should examine “who is going to pick up” these “regulatory gaps”.
She added: “That would give more clarity to [integrated care boards] and providers to say: ‘Is it okay to accept this diagnosis?’ or for them to know there is a body overseeing private sector provision.”
Read full story (paywalled)
Source: HSJ, 22 May 2026
Patient Safety Learning

CQC demands answers over Southport attack data breach

The Care Quality Commission is investigating whether the trust where staff inappropriately viewed the records of Southport attack victims met its “duty of candour” after the provider was accused of a “cover up”, HSJ can reveal.
The regulator is understood to be asking further questions to determine whether University Hospitals of Liverpool Group met its statutory transparency regulations when it decided not to tell the patients about the breach. 
It is understood the regulator’s fresh intervention was prompted by HSJ  revealing last week that 48 hospital staff had inappropriately accessed files of victims who had survived a stabbing at a children’s dance studio in Southport in 2024. 
UHLG decided not to inform victims of the breach the following year. The trust said this was because they were concerned it could retraumatise patients.  
But the patients responded furiously when HSJ revealed the trust had decided it would not inform impacted patients about the breach and accused the trust of  an “attempted cover-up”.  
One of those impacted, Leanne Lucas, said discovering patients had not been told about the data breach was a “new low”. 
The Care Quality Commission was originally informed about the breach “at the time of the incident”. But the regulator took no action at this stage.
However, since HSJ’s story last week, it has now emerged that the regulator is in fresh contact with the trust “to follow-up with regards to their review of the duty of candour”. 
Read full story (paywalled)
Source: HSJ, 22 May 2026
Patient Safety Learning

Commonly-prescribed supplements ‘have no effect’ in preventing fractures in elderly people, review finds

Calcium and vitamin D supplements are ineffective at preventing falls and fractures in older people, a review has concluded.
Despite their common prescription on the NHS for those at risk of osteoporosis or fracture, and widespread public use for bone health, the comprehensive study found no evidence to support their regular intake specifically for this preventative measure.
Published in the British Medical Journal, the research, led by academics in Quebec, Canada, meticulously analysed 69 clinical trials encompassing 153,902 individuals.
Their investigation delved into the risk of any fracture, hip fractures, bone breaks occurring outside the spine, spinal fractures, and the overall frequency of falls.
The results showed that there was “little to no effect” on the risk of any fracture from taking calcium supplements, vitamin D supplements or both of them combined.
The team said almost a third of people aged 65 and over experience at least one fall every year.
“As much as 85% of older adults have a fear of falling because of a fall, contributing to reduced daily functioning and increased risk of subsequent falls,” they added.
“Furthermore, half of women and one fifth of men will sustain a low trauma fracture during their lifetime, often due to a fall.”
They acknowledged some of the trials were small and had few people, and said the results may not apply to people with specific bone disorders or to those receiving drug treatment for osteoporosis.
However, they concluded their findings “do not support routine supplementation with calcium or vitamin D, or combined supplementation to prevent fractures and falls” and they suggested doctors, guideline panels and regulatory agencies “should re-evaluate their general recommendations for calcium and vitamin D supplementation in light of current evidence.”
Read full story
Source: The Independent, 20 May 2026
Patient Safety Learning
Registered address: Patient Safety Learning, China Works SB203, 100 Black Prince Road Vauxhall, London, SE1 7SJ

Account

Navigation

Search

Search

Configure browser push notifications
Chrome (Android)
  1. Tap the lock icon next to the address bar.
  2. Tap Permissions → Notifications.
  3. Adjust your preference.
Chrome (Desktop)
  1. Click the padlock icon in the address bar.
  2. Select Site settings.
  3. Find Notifications and adjust your preference.