Skip to content
the hub has moved to a new software platform. You will need to login using your email address. Find out more here.

News

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

‘Out of control’: rise in STDs, including 26% syphilis spike, sparks US alarm

Sharply rising cases of some sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including a 26% rise in new syphilis infections reported last year, are prompting US health officials to call for new prevention and treatment efforts.
“It is imperative that we ... work to rebuild, innovate, and expand (STD) prevention in the US,” said Leandro Mena of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in a speech on Monday at a medical conference on sexually transmitted diseases.
Infections rates for some STDs, including gonorrhoea and syphilis, have been rising for years in the US. Last year the rate of syphilis cases reached its highest since 1991 and the total number of cases hit its highest since 1948. HIV cases are also on the rise, up 16% last year.
An international outbreak of monkeypox has further highlighted the nation’s worsening problem with diseases spread mostly through sex.
David Harvey, executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors, called the situation “out of control”.
Officials are working on new approaches to the problem, such as home-test kits for some STDs that will make it easier for people to learn they are infected and to take steps to prevent spreading it to others, Mena said.
Read full story
Source: The Guardian, 20 September 2022
Patient Safety Learning

US abortion bans leave grey areas in complicated pregnancies

Moments after unveiling a bill that would ban all abortions in the United States at 15 weeks, US Senator Lindsey Graham was interrupted by a mother with a devastating story.
"I did everything right and at 16 weeks we found out that our son would likely not live," Ashbey Beasley told a crowded room. "When he was born, for eight days he bled from every orifice of his body," she said.
But, she said, at least she got to choose how to handle her difficult pregnancy, while Mr Graham's law would take away that choice.
"What do you say to someone like me?"
Since the Supreme Court struck down Roe v Wade this summer, states across the US have pushed through abortion bans or severely restricted the procedure. But as such laws have gone into effect, unintended consequences have followed.
Doctors and patients say that confusing standards and the vague language of these laws have had a chilling effect on the medical field in anti-abortion states, leaving tragedies in their wake - and more in the making.
For the last year, Amanda Horton, a Texas doctor who specialises in high-risk pregnancies, has struggled to care for patients with pregnancy complications.
At times, Dr Horton must inform families that their babies have been diagnosed with a fatal foetal anomaly. These conditions are rare and likely to lead to the death of a foetus in utero, or shortly after birth.
But under a strict abortion ban in Texas, her hands are tied.
Read full story
Source: BBC News, 17 September 2022
Patient Safety Learning

New national deadline to eliminate two-year waiters

NHS England has issued a new deadline to treat patients who have been waiting more than two years for treatment, a month after saying it had ‘virtually eliminated’ the longest waits, it has emerged.
The goal of no-one waiting more than 104 weeks for treatment by July this year was one of the first milestones in the elective recovery plan hammered out between NHSE and ministers.
They were not eliminated by the end of July, but the number was reduced to 3,000, having stood at 22,000 in January.
The remaining group consisted of nearly 1,600 patients who had been offered faster treatment elsewhere but did not want to travel, 1,000 who required complex treatment and could not be transferred to another provider and 168 who were not treated by the deadline, according to information issued in the summer by NHSE.
Now integrated care systems have been told there is a new “national expectation” to treat the remaining, final two-year waiters by the end of September. HSJ was told the goal has been framed as an ambition rather than a target because it includes patients who have chosen to wait longer.
Read full story (paywalled)
Source: HSJ, 21 September 2022
Patient Safety Learning

Many English maternity units not meeting safety standards

More than half of maternity units in England fail consistently to meet safety standards, BBC analysis of official statistics shows.
Health regulator the Care Quality Commission (CQC) rates 7% of units as posing a high risk of avoidable harm. A further 48% require improvement.
The figures are slightly worse than a few years ago, despite several attempts to transform maternity care.
The regulator says the pace of improvement has been disappointing.
In most cases, pregnancy and birth are a positive and safe experience for women and their families, says the CQC. But when things do go wrong, it is important to understand what happened and whether the outcome could have been different.
Laura Ellis lost her newborn son when he was unexpectedly breech during advanced labour. She checked out the CQC rating of her local hospital, Frimley Park, when she was pregnant. Maternity services were good.
But Laura didn't realise the unit had been told that it required improvement on safety.
Laura said: "It was just so hard. So hard to deal with. So hard to leave as well. How would you leave your baby in hospital when you should be taking them home?"
Frimley Park NHS Foundation Trust says it has made a number of changes since Theo died, including an emergency response if a baby is unexpectedly breech during advanced labour.
Read full story
Source: BBC News, 21 September 2022
Patient Safety Learning

Millions in poor health due to lack of rehab after illness, warns UK report

Millions of people in the UK are suffering poor health because they miss out on vital rehabilitation after strokes, heart attacks and cancer, which in turn is also heaping further pressure on the NHS, a damning report warns.
Physiotherapists say some groups of patients are particularly badly affected. Without access to these services, many patients desperately trying to recover from illness became “stuck in a downward spiral”, they said, with some developing other health conditions as a result.
The new report by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) says millions of people in marginalised communities, including those from ethnic minorities, are not only more likely to live shorter lives, but also spend a greater proportion of their lives struggling with health difficulties.
Vital services that could tackle those inequities are either unavailable or poorly equipped to meet their needs, the report warns, adding that “some communities face particular barriers”.
Prof Karen Middleton, the chief executive of the CSP, said: “Rehabilitation services have been under-resourced for decades and were not designed coherently in the first place. This has exacerbated poor health outcomes, particularly for people from marginalised groups.
“It’s not only the individual who suffers. Without adequate access to rehabilitation, health conditions worsen to the point where more and more pressure is eventually piled on struggling local health systems and other public services.
“We desperately need a modernised recovery and rehabilitation service that adequately supports patients following a health crisis and prevents other conditions developing.”
Read full story
Source: The Guardian, 21 September 2022
Patient Safety Learning

Scotland's A&E waiting times worst on record

Performance on waiting times targets at Scotland's hospital A&E units has hit a new low.
Figures for the week ending 11 September showed just 63.5% of patients were dealt with within four hours.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said the figures were "not acceptable" and he was determined to improve performance.
Scottish Tory health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane said the figures showed the "crisis in A&E is not merely continuing, but deepening".
The Scottish government target is that 95% of patients attending A&E are seen and subsequently admitted or discharged within four hours.
Doctors working in emergency medicine have issued stark warnings recently about the impact of long waits in A&E. It is simply not safe, and patients are dying as a result, they say.
Read full story
Source: BBC News, 20 September 2022
Patient Safety Learning

Reasons for hospital admissions in people with type 2 diabetes are changing

The most common reasons why people with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) are admitted to hospital with greater frequency than the general population are changing, with hospitalisation for traditional diabetes complications now being accompanied by admissions for a diverse range of lesser-known complications including infections (i.e., pneumonia, sepsis), mental health disorders, and gastrointestinal conditions, according to an analysis of national data from Australia spanning seven years.
The findings, being presented at this year's European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) Annual Meeting in Stockholm, Sweden (19-23 Sept), reveal that just four traditional diabetes complications (cellulitis, heart failure, urinary tract infections, and skin abscesses) were ranked in the top ten leading causes of hospitalisation in men and women with T2DM.
"Although traditional complications such as heart failure and cellulitis remain a substantial burden for people with T2DM, infections less commonly linked with diabetes and mental health disorders are emerging as leading causes of hospital admissions, and have substantial burdens that sometimes exceed the top-ranked well-known complications," says lead author Dr. Dee Tomic from the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Australia.
She adds, "The emergence of non-traditional diabetes complications reflects improvements in diabetes management and people with diabetes living longer, making them susceptible to a broader range of complications. Increasing hospitalizations for mental health disorders as well as infections like sepsis and pneumonia will place extra burden on healthcare systems and may need to be reflected in changes to diabetes management to better prevent and treat these conditions."
Read full story
Source: MedicalXpress, 1 September 2022
Patient Safety Learning

Doctor appeals to government to rethink Covid drug

A leading academic is calling on new Health Secretary Therese Coffey to reconsider rolling out a Covid drug for people with weakened immune systems.
Last month the government decided it would not supply Evusheld in the UK.
But Dr Lennard Lee, an academic medical oncologist from Oxford University who is backed by more than 120 leading scientists and clinicians, said a rethink was needed.
The government said more data was required on the treatment.
Evusheld was approved for use in March, but was reviewed after the Omicron variant emerged. The drug's manufacturer AstraZeneca said there was "ample real-world data" that it worked. It is currently available in 32 countries.
Dr Lee told the BBC: "It's time for a re-review of the data, and to think about transparency in terms of why they decided not to do this, and also the pros and cons of doing this.
"We do know that coronavirus cases are likely to go up in winter, and we do know there are people who face increased risks...
"Therefore if there is anything we can do to protect... anyone immunosuppressed I think this is something that does need to be reconsidered."
Research from the US and Israel suggests Evusheld reduces the risk of infection by about 50%, and cuts the risk of serious illness by 90%.
Read full story
Source: BBC News, 21 September 2022
Patient Safety Learning

Adult social care in England is in crisis, say Tory council leaders

Adult social care in England is in serious crisis, Tory council leaders have warned the government, as it faces a £3.7bn funding gap and a growing staffing shortage that has brought many local care providers to the brink of collapse.
The intervention by the County Councils Network, which represents 36 mainly Tory-run authorities, comes amid widespread local government concern over the increasing fragile state of social care. Care costs have accelerated recently, fuelled by unexpected wage and energy inflation.
“We face the perfect storm of staffing shortages, fewer care beds, and higher costs – all of which will impact on individuals waiting for care and discharges from hospital,” said Martin Tett, the Tory leader of Buckinghamshire county council.
Cathie Williams, the chief executive of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, said: “Too many people are missing out on vital care and support – we estimate that over half a million people are waiting for assessments, care, or reviews. With over 165,000 staff vacancies, this is only set to get worse. ”
A government spokesperson said: “The health and social care secretary is focused on delivering for patients and has set out her four priorities of A, B, C, D – reducing ambulance delays, busting the Covid backlogs, improving care, and increasing the number of doctors and dentists.
Read full story
Source: The Guardian, 21 September 2022
Patient Safety Learning

Panel says US adults should get routine screening for anxiety

For the first time, a US government-backed expert panel has recommended that adults under 65 should be screened for anxiety disorders.
The influential US Preventive Services Task force also said that all adults should be checked for depression, consistent with past guidance.
The change follows widespread warnings from experts on the mental health toll of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The task force stopped short of a screening recommendation for suicide.
The panel acknowledged that suicide is a leading cause of death among American adults but said there was "not enough evidence on whether screening people without signs or symptoms will ultimately help prevent suicide".
The draft guidance is aimed at young and middle-aged adults, including those who are pregnant and post-partum. It envisions the mental health screening as part of routine visits with primary care physicians, said Dr Lori Pbert, a task-force member and professor in the Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences at UMass Chan Medical School.
"When you go to your primary care provider, you get screened for many, many preventive conditions - blood pressure, heart rate, all kinds of things," she said. "Mental health conditions are just important as other physical conditions, and we really need to be treating mental health conditions with the same urgency that we do other conditions."
Read full story
Source: BBC News, 20 September 2022
Patient Safety Learning

Women with type 2 diabetes have 60% increased chance of early death

Women in the UK with type 2 diabetes have a 60% increased risk of an early death and will live five years less than the average woman in the general population, early research suggests.
Scientists have also found that men with the disease have a 44% increased risk of dying prematurely and live 4.5 years less.
Results also suggest that smoking shortens the life expectancy of people with type 2 diabetes by 10 years, while diagnosis at a younger age cuts life expectancy by over eight years.
The findings, presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes in Stockholm, Sweden, are based on a cohort of nearly 12,000 patients at the Salford Royal Hospital in Salford.
“A woman with type 2 diabetes, for example, might live five years less than the average woman in the general population, while someone diagnosed at a younger age might lose eight years of life expectancy.
“It is vital that the groups at the highest risk are made aware of not just the increased risk that they face but also the size of the risk."
“Doing so may make the health advice they are given seem more relevant and so help them make changes that can improve their quality – and length – of life.”
Read full story
Source: The Independent, 21 September 2022
Patient Safety Learning

No mental health data taken in cyber attack, NHSE confirms

No patient data held by mental health trusts was taken following a cyber attack this summer, NHS England has confirmed.
The regulator told HSJ it had received confirmation from tech firm Advanced, which was the subject of a cyber attack in July, that no data had been breached on its Carenotes electronic patient record. The EPR is used by around a dozen mental health trusts.
The process of reconnecting trusts fully back to Carenotes also started this week, after providers spent two months with limited or no access to their EPR.
HSJ previously revealed that senior NHS chiefs feared patient data may have been taken or accessed by those responsible for the cyber attack, who issued ransom demands to Advanced.
Since then, experts have been brought in to investigate any potential data impact following the attack.
Read full story (paywalled)
Source: HSJ, 21 September 2022
Patient Safety Learning

Same-day pledge for GP appointments in England

The government is promising to improve access to GPs, including same-day appointments for those that need them, as part of a new plan in England.
Health Secretary Thérèse Coffey will make the pledge as she unveils her NHS plan for this winter and next.
GPs will be able to take on extra staff, including senior nurses, while pharmacists will be asked to take on more work to free up appointments.
Ms Coffey is due to announce the plan, which will also cover hospital services, in the House of Commons today.
She is expected to say: "I will put a laser-like focus on the needs of patients, making their priorities my priorities and being a champion for them on issues that affect them most."
Alongside same-day appointments when needed, Ms Coffey will promise no-one will have to wait more than two weeks for a routine appointment - currently one in five appointments take longer.
The promises on waiting times are not official targets, but Ms Coffey said they should be seen as clear expectations of what patients should be entitled to.
But GP leaders said the announcement would have a "minimal impact".
Read full story
Source: BBC News, 22 September 2022
Patient Safety Learning

Hospital rated ‘inadequate’ after death prompts inspection

A private hospital has been rated ‘inadequate’ by a health watchdog following an inspection prompted by a young patient’s preventable death.
Woodbourne Priory Hospital, in Edgbaston, has had its overall Care Quality Commission rating downgraded from “good” to “inadequate” after inspectors visited in May.
The regulator’s visit was sparked by a prevention of future deaths report into the death of Birmingham University graduate Matthew Caseby, 23, who was placed at the hospital as an NHS-funded patient in September 2020.
Mr Caseby had been detained under the Mental Health Act but managed to escape Woodbourne and died after being struck by a train.
Earlier this year, an inquest concluded his death was contributed to by neglect on behalf of the hospital. 
In April, Birmingham and Solihull coroner Louise Hunt flagged urgent concerns about record keeping, risk assessments and security of courtyard fences with Priory Group and the Department of Health and Social Care.
Read full story (paywalled)
Source: HSJ, 22 September 2022
Patient Safety Learning

‘Gross’ care delays could become ‘new normal’, says CQC report

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has urged system leaders to move away from “quick fixes” to the “enormous gap in resources and capacity” in urgent and emergency care.
A report by the CQC and a large group of emergency clinicians and other health and care leaders calls for a ”move away from reactive ‘quick fixes’ such as tents in the car park or corridor care to proactive long-term solutions and to address the enormous gap in resources and capacity”.
The use of tents and treating more patients in corridors have been increasingly adopted by hospitals in recent months, sometimes encouraged by NHS England, particularly when they are under pressure to reduce handover delays from ambulances.
The report, 'People First: a response from health and care leaders to the urgent and emergency care system crisis', suggests:
expanding use of urgent community response teams to attend minor injuries 999/111 calls, giving acute and social care providers direct access to GP and community service booking systems, and providing “rapid access” to support packages to help people avoid hospital admission. Read full story (paywalled)
Source: HSJ, 22 September 2022
Patient Safety Learning

One in four people could be left without a GP within a decade, doctors claim

One in four people could be left without a GP within a decade, medics say.
The forecasts from Doctors’ Association UK suggest 16 million people in England could be left without access to a family doctor, amid growing staffing shortages.
Today the new Health Secretary is expected to set out plans to boost access to GPs, following warnings that public satisfaction is the lowest on record.
Research by the Health Foundation suggests that the NHS will lose up to 8,800 full-time equivalent GPs by 2030 if current trends continue. On Wednesday, Doctors’ Association UK said this could leave one in four people without access to a GP.
Dr Lizzie Toberty, GP lead for the Doctors’ Association UK, said the workload of a family doctor now placed “unrealistic demands” on them.
She said: “GPs will cut their hours, quit the NHS, or quit the country. We fear patients will suffer the same ‘postcode lottery’ for seeing their GP as many do now with getting an NHS dentist.”
Read full story (paywalled)
Source: The Telegraph, 21 September 2022
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.