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

Hospitals with the highest avoidable admissions

Around 15% of emergency admissions at some trusts are potentially avoidable, according to new NHS England data.
NHS England started publishing data  on the amount of non-elective hospital admissions that “may be avoidable” at the beginning of the year.
HSJ analysis of this shows the national average at 10%, but this rises to up to 15%t at some trusts in the 12 months to January 2026, the most recent month of data. 
This means around one in six patients who were urgently admitted to hospital, and spent at least a day there, could have instead been seen by ambulatory, or same-day emergency care services.
The data focuses solely on hospital admissions, which could have been treated in other care settings, rather than “avoidable” accident and emergency attendances, which HSJ has previously reported on.
The national data, which now goes back to 2021, shows the avoidable admission rate has remained relatively stable at around 10%.
Sarah Scobie, deputy director of research at the Nuffield Trust, said: “The fact we aren’t seeing a decline in the proportion of these admissions that are potentially avoidable could come as disappointing news for Department of Health and Social Care, as efforts to shift care away from acute hospitals and into the community haven’t yet translated into fewer preventable admissions.”
Read full story (paywalled)
Source: HSJ, 13 May 2026
Patient Safety Learning

Hospital trust ‘deeply sorry’ for harm to dozens of children

At least 40 children suffered harm – with over 20 cases classed as “moderate or severe” – due to delays while receiving care from a hospital’s audiology department, HSJ  can reveal.
Bedfordshire Hospitals Foundation Trust has identified 109 children who may be at risk of harm due to problems with their hearing aid management, and harm has been identified in at least 40 of them, including developmental delay.
The findings were included in an interim “patient safety incident review” being carried out by the trust and supported by NHS England.
The preliminary findings were published in papers for Luton’s health overview and scrutiny committee last month.
The review follows a major national investigation into harm caused by audiology failings, culminating in the Kingdon review, published in November 2025, which found the NHS ignored warnings on testing failures for a decade.
Bedford’s review is understood to form part of the national improvement programme for paediatric audiology services.
It comes as the sector awaits the Department of Health and Social Care’s response to the Kingdon review, which British Association of Audiology President Claire Benton said she hoped would bring “additional support desperately needed for the system”.
Read full story (paywalled)
Source: HSJ, 12 May 2026
Patient Safety Learning

MHRA strengthens safety warnings for finasteride and dutasteride

Updated safety advice has been issued to strengthen warnings about potential psychiatric and sexual dysfunction linked to finasteride and to provide precautionary advice on dutasteride.
Following an additional detailed review of the evidence, including the outcome of a European regulatory review, the MHRA has published a new Drug Safety Update and is updating product information for medicines containing finasteride and dutasteride to provide clearer guidance for healthcare professionals and patients. 
Finasteride is used to treat male pattern hair loss at a dose of 1mg, and benign prostatic hyperplasia at a dose of 5mg. Dutasteride (0.5mg) is used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia. 
The updates include: 
strengthened warnings in the product information for finasteride 1mg for androgenetic alopecia to clarify that sexual dysfunction may contribute to mood disorders, and that sexual dysfunction has also been reported with and without mood alterations. a precautionary warning added to the product information for dutasteride to note that mood alterations have been reported with a medicine in the same class, finasteride. Existing UK patient alert cards for finasteride, introduced in 2024, remain in place. These cards highlight the risks of sexual dysfunction, depression and suicidal thoughts and advise patients on what action to take if side effects occur. 
Read full story
Source: MHRA, 11 May 2026
Sam

Palantir’s access to identifiable NHS England patient data is ‘dangerous’, MPs say

MPs have warned that an NHS decision to grant Palantir access to identifiable patient information in its plan to use AI to improve the health service is “dangerous” and will fuel public fears that data privacy is not being prioritised.
NHS England has allowed staff from the US tech firm and other contractors to access patient data before it has been pseudonymised, despite internal fears of a “risk of loss of public confidence”, the Financial Times reported.
The health service made the move to allow Palantir to access the data in recent weeks according to the reports, which revealed an internal NHS briefing that said it would allow “unlimited access to non-NHSE staff” to part of the NHS’s federated data platform (FDP), which holds identifiable patient information.
Palantir was awarded a £330m contract to help build the FDP, installing AI systems to integrate scattered health datasets and bring efficiencies to medical treatment. But the deal has been dogged by warnings from campaigners and MPs concerned about the security of patient records.
The Patients Association said it was concerned patients were not consulted on a significant change to who has unlimited access to patient data. Rachel Power, its chief executive, said patients wanted “transparency, clear boundaries around access to their data, and to be consulted when changes to those agreements are proposed”.
The leaked NHS England briefing acknowledged the “considerable public interest and concern about how much access to patient data Palantir/Palantir staff have”. In 2023, shortly after the deal was agreed, NHS England said it would ensure “personal data remains protected and within the NHS at all times”.
Read full story
Source: The Guardian, 11 May 2026
Patient Safety Learning

More than 6,000 children treated at obesity clinics in England, figures show

More than 6,000 children living with obesity, including hundreds as young as four, have required treatment at specialist NHS weight-loss clinics, new figures reveal.
NHS England data, published for the first time, underlines the scale of the growing childhood obesity crisis.
Since the first Complications from Excess Weight clinic (CEW) opened in 2021, the NHS has treated 6,497 children and teenagers. Of these, 423 were four years old, 1,088 were aged between five and eight, 1,791 were aged nine to 12 and 3,137 were aged between 13 and 17. The age of a further 58 is unknown.
All were “extremely” overweight for their age, with the four-year-olds weighing an average of 33kg (5st 3lbs), the same weight as a typical 10-year-old. About 400 of the children treated by CEWs have had weight loss jabs as part of their treatment plans.
In order to be treated at a CEW, children must be referred by a community or hospital paediatrician, a GP or childhood mental health services and have a BMI above the 99.6th percentile as well as an illness linked to their excess weight.
The research, by Sheffield Hallam University, Leeds Beckett University, the University of Leeds, the University of Bristol and the University of Sheffield, found that just under 30% had metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease and 17% had obstructive sleep apnoea. About 9% had deliberately self-harmed, and the same proportion had anxiety. A significant number were neurodivergent. Just under 30% had autism and about 12% had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. A further 24% had a learning disability.
Katharine Jenner, executive director at the Obesity Health Alliance, said: “These figures should be a wake-up call. All parents want their children to grow up healthy, yet seeing children as young as four needing specialist NHS treatment for their weight highlights just how early the drivers of poor health are taking hold.
“Children today are growing up surrounded by unhealthy food at almost every turn, leaving families struggling against a system that stacks the odds against healthier options.
“The fact that some children are already developing high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and early signs of heart disease at such a young age underlines why prevention has to begin in the earliest years of life."
Read full story
Source: The Guardian, 12 May 2026
Patient Safety Learning

Green targets ‘prioritised over patient safety’ at super-hospital

The drive to hit green targets was prioritised over patient safety when the beleaguered Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) was built in Glasgow, a key expert has warned.
Andrew Poplett, an engineer specialising in healthcare ventilation who has conducted audits of the building, said the air cooling system installed in most patient rooms, known as “chilled beams”, was good at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but did not meet healthcare standards for circulating air.
Engineers who worked on the building have also told a public inquiry, which is considering fatal infections among patients, that the drive to hit a low carbon emission target was “paramount” from the start.
Under the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009, there was a fixed emissions reduction target for 2015 — the year the hospital opened — a goal the SNP government under the first minister Nicola Sturgeon later announced they had met. In previous years, milestones had been missed. 
The comments throw light on a key aspect of the £842 million hospital, which was opened by Queen Elizabeth amid much fanfare, but went on to encounter multiple problems, including infection outbreaks.
Seven patient deaths are being investigated by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. In 2021, a review found 84 children had been infected with rare bacteria while undergoing treatment on site. Kimberly Darroch has argued for years that her daughter, Milly Main, died from an infection she caught at the hospital while recovering from leukaemia in 2017.
Poplett said the “chilled beams” were installed to ventilate rooms at the QEUH. This ceiling-based system uses cold water to reduce air temperature, a little like radiators use hot water to warm rooms. They change the air, depending on room size, around two to four times per hour, compared with the level recommended for healthcare facilities of six.
He told The Times: “The NHS is a government organisation committed to achieve an awful lot of different priorities, one being net-zero carbon. If you want to move towards net-zero carbon and energy efficient buildings, chilled beams are useful.
“However, the protocol of the required ventilation rates from a clinical perspective is diametrically opposed to net-zero carbon. You cannot have both.
“It appeared that the environmental consideration to make the hospital as energy efficient and as green as possible took priority over the clinical requirement for high change air rates.”
Read full story (paywalled)
Source: The Times, 11 May 2026
Patient Safety Learning

CEO: ICB must take ‘urgent action on shameful situation’

The boss of a trust where a child recently spent over two months in A&E has urged other local system leaders to take “urgent action” to help resolve the “shameful situation” concerning vulnerable children.
Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals Trust CEO Matthew Trainer said “the scale of these challenges” concerning children experiencing long waits in A&E “probably need[ed] a regional solution across London”.
He has announced he will write to North East London Integrated Care Board’s CEO, Nnenna Osuji, to call for urgent action.
A&Es were “increasingly becoming the default place of safety” for children either suffering mental health crises or experiencing a breakdown in their care placements, he said.
He added: “This is a shameful situation, and it is getting worse every year. These children do not need hospital care. They need a place to live, but no other part of the health and care system can provide them with a roof over their heads.”
Read full story (paywalled)
Source: HSJ, 11 May 2026
Patient Safety Learning

How worried should we be about hantavirus?

Passengers from the cruise ship struck by a hantavirus outbreak are being evacuated and sent to their home countries to isolate and receive medical treatment if necessary.
Some other passengers from MV Hondius left on earlier flights or connections and their contacts are now being traced as a precaution.
Officials say the risk of the infection spreading to the general public remains low.
Crew and passengers now face having to self-isolate for more than a month to avoid any potential spread.
Three died either on board or after travelling on the ship, which set sail from Argentina a month ago. Four others were medically evacuated from the ship for treatment.
In an update on Thursday, Dr Maria Van Kerkhove from the World Health Organization (WHO) stressed it was not the start of a pandemic, saying: "This is not Covid, this is not influenza, it spreads very, very differently."
Unlike diseases such as measles, which are highly contagious and spread easily, the Andes strain of hantavirus behind the outbreak is not that infectious.
Human-to-human spread is possible but the risk of infections globally remains low, says WHO.
In its latest update, external, it says eight cases - six confirmed - have been identified in people who were on the ship.
It is still not clear how the outbreak started.
Read full story
Source: BBC News, 7 May 2026
Patient Safety Learning

GPs and hospitals in England to be required to share data to create single patient records

GPs and hospitals will be required to share patient data under legislation to be announced in the king’s speech on Wednesday.
Legislation to create a single patient record (SPR) for each person, which would be used across all healthcare providers, is part of a £10bn digitisation of the health service.
The health secretary, Wes Streeting, said making the data accessible in one place would be a “gamechanger” that would save lives.
The legislation aims to spare patients from constantly having to repeat their medical history when turning up at hospital or being discharged back to their GP.
“As patients, there’s nothing more frustrating than having to repeat your medical history at every appointment,” Streeting said. “When paramedics arrive to heart attack and stroke patients, they can’t see the patients’ medical records, putting them in even greater danger.
“For the first time ever, the single patient record will mean patients are given real control over their care through a single, secure and authoritative account of their data.
“It will be a gamechanger that means NHS staff can see patients’ medical records, allowing them to deliver better care faster and more conveniently, and even saving lives.”
Although some emergency information is already available – such as current medicines and known allergies – hospitals often cannot access the full medical history of a patient. GPs have to wait for letters, sent by email, from consultants to be informed of what happened to their patient in the hospital.
Read full story
Source: The Guardian, 10 May 2026
Related reading on the hub:
The challenges of navigating the healthcare system
Patient Safety Learning

Trust upgraded despite staff reports of discrimination and fear

A large acute trust has had its leadership rating upgraded from “inadequate”, despite serious concerns, including allegations that a board member made “divisive and discriminatory remarks” about a Ramadan initiative.
University Hospitals Sussex Foundation Trust’s “well led” rating has moved to “requires improvement” in a Care Quality Commission report published.
It said the trust had made progress since 2023 when its leadership was rated “inadequate”, and that there was “strong commitment from staff” and “effective partnership working in some areas”.
Inspectors said the trust’s leaders were “passionate”, with “a clear intent… to improve”. They “understand what is required” and “the priority now is to deliver improvements with pace and purpose”, the CQC said.
However, the inspection report listed some serious reservations and concerns.
It said leaders still needed “to strengthen action to ensure fair and inclusive working conditions for all staff groups”.
Staff told inspectors who visited in July last year that a non-executive director – who was not identified to the CQC – did not support an initiative to provide Muslim staff with fruit and drinks to break their fast during Ramadan, and had made “divisive and discriminatory remarks”.
Other staff reported “fear and toxicity”, with “poor behaviours” from directors.
Read full story (paywalled)
Source: HSJ, 8 May 2026
Patient Safety Learning

Digital tool to analyse maternity data

The NHS is introducing new clinical standards for maternity services in England, including the rollout of the Maternal Outcomes Signal System (MOSS), a digital tool designed to rapidly analyse routine maternity data and flag emerging safety concerns
MOSS will enable maternity teams to spot potential safety issues requiring urgent attention, with findings published every six months to ensure trusts take action to reduce risks. The NHS has allocated up to £5 million to trusts this year to implement the maternal care bundle, which includes upgrading facilities with direct telephone lines for ambulance crews and new monitoring systems for pregnant women.
The new standards, part of the NHS’s maternal care bundle, aim to reduce maternal deaths caused by conditions such as blood clots, strokes, cardiac disease, suicide, sepsis, obstetric haemorrhage, and pre-eclampsia, which account for 52% of maternal deaths. They include early risk assessments for venous thromboembolism, tailored care plans for women with epilepsy, and routine mental health assessments.
Kate Brintworth, chief midwifery officer for England, said: “Every death during or after pregnancy is a tragedy, especially when differences in care may have changed the outcome. We still see symptoms of serious medical problems being missed, especially for Black and Asian women. By setting out these clinical standards and holding hospitals to account, we can significantly reduce avoidable deaths and prevent future tragedies.”
Read full story
Source: UK Authority, 1 May 2026
Patient Safety Learning

New evidence confirms malaria vaccine saves child lives and will have high impact in wider rollout

Findings of a rigorous evaluation of the public health use of the RTS,S malaria vaccine, published in The Lancet, confirm significant reduction in child deaths in the first African countries to offer the vaccine. 
Over a period of four years, an estimated 1 in 8 child deaths were averted among those eligible to receive the malaria vaccine in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi. According to the authors, positive impact is likely to be as high or higher in other African countries now offering malaria vaccines to young children in areas of high malaria burden. 
The evaluation assessed data generated through the Malaria Vaccine Implementation Programme (MVIP), which examined the outcomes of malaria vaccine introduction in the first three countries from 2019 to 2023. 
Despite global progress, malaria continues to take a devastating toll on children in Africa. In 2024, an estimated 438,000 African children died from the disease. Tens of thousands of lives could be saved every year through the wide implementation of World Health Organization (WHO) recommended malaria vaccines, RTS,S or R21. WHO recommends an integrated approach because the highest impact on malaria is achieved when countries apply a combination of preventive, diagnostic and treatment strategies.  
Read full article.
Source: WHO, 8 May 2026
Mark Hughes

Digital tools key to improve patient flow in the NHS, report says

Digital technology should be used to support whole-system patient flow rather than simply improving bed management, according to a new report from Public Policy Projects (PPP).
Beyond bed management: enabling whole-system patient flow through digital intelligence argues that persistent flow problems across the NHS are rooted as much in governance and fragmented pathways as in operational pressures within hospitals.
It says digital tools have potential to improve the movement of patients across acute, community and neighbourhood care settings. However, participants warned that technology alone will not resolve longstanding bottlenecks.
Instead, it calls for a shift from viewing patient flow as solely a bed management issue.
The report draws on a roundtable held on 18 March 2026, chaired by Dr Victoria Betton, director for digital, data and AI at Health Innovation Kent Surrey Sussex.
Read full article.
Source: Digital Health, 6 May 2026
Mark Hughes

‘Breakthrough’ drug for severe muscle wasting condition set for NHS rollout in England

Hundreds of children across England are set to benefit from a new drug which has been approved for rollout on the NHS to treat a severe muscle-wasting condition.
Givinostat is expected to enable eligible patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy to maintain their mobility for longer.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence confirmed the drug's availability after its manufacturer reached a commercial agreement with NHS England.
This decision marks a significant step for families affected by the rare genetic disorder.
While campaigners welcomed the long-awaited approval, they highlighted the "agonising" two-year process, during which many families were left without access to the drug as their child's condition continued to deteriorate.
Read more here.
Source: The Independent, 8 May 2026
Mark Hughes

‘Concerning’ levels of therapy still carried out by unaccredited staff

Tens of thousands of therapy sessions are still being carried out by unaccredited practitioners in the NHS, data suggests – nearly four years after a deadline to stamp this out.  
The situation has been called “concerning” by a leading psychology body, who warned expansion of mental health care should “not come at the expense” of patient safety. 
The data relates to talking therapies in mental health care, such as cognitive behavioural therapy, typically delivered over a number of sessions.  
More than 40,600 out of 227,800 appointments – nearly a fifth - were carried out by a therapist who was not accredited or in training, according to the latest NHS England data for February this year. This information was unknown for nearly 300,000 more sessions.  
NHSE previously set a deadline for all counsellors delivering NHS-funded care to be accredited or in training by mid-2022. 
But Rebecca Light from the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies said: “It is concerning that a substantial number of interventions continue to be delivered by practitioners who are not yet registered or accredited.” 
The chief accreditation officer and registrar said: “As demand for mental health services continues to grow, it is vital that workforce expansion is matched by consistent standards across services. 
“Strengthening the use of accredited registers, alongside supporting practitioners to achieve and maintain accreditation, will help ensure that increased access to care does not come at the expense of quality or patient safety.” 
Read full story (paywalled)
Source: HSJ, 7 March 2026
Patient Safety Learning

More babies across the US are facing life-threatening bleeding as parents refuse simple shot, report says

More babies are suffering life-threatening bleeding across the U.S. as parents skip a basic injection for their newborns with vaccine skepticism rampant in today’s world, and doctors are sounding the alarm about the rising trend.
Medical experts say the decline in standard vitamin K injections for newborns is leading to preventable deaths and severe brain injuries. Data from a national study of more than 5 million births, published in the journal JAMA, found that the rate of infants not receiving the shot at birth reached 5% in 2024. This represents a 77% increase since 2017.
In some hospital systems, such as St. Luke’s Health System in Idaho, refusal rates have more than doubled since the start of the pandemic, with one facility reporting that 20% of families opted out of the procedure.
Medical records and autopsy reports reviewed by ProPublica show a recent string of infant deaths across several states, including Maryland, Alabama, Texas and Kentucky. Pathologists attributed these deaths to vitamin K deficiency bleeding, a condition where the blood cannot clot, causing internal haemorrhaging.
Research shows that infants who do not receive the shot are 81 times more likely to develop late-onset bleeding than those who do. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in five babies who develop the condition will die.
Read full story
Source: The Independent, 6 May 2026
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