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Patient Safety Learning

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Everything posted by Patient Safety Learning

  1. News Article
    The NHS has announced every maternity service in England will have to upend clinical standards to reduce the number of women who die during or after pregnancy. Increasing numbers of women have been reported to be dying during pregnancy or in the weeks after giving birth. According to the latest official data, there were 252 maternal deaths from 2022 to 2024 – 20% higher than the rates from 2009 to 2011. This is the equivalent of 12.8 deaths for every 100,000 women giving birth. NHS England's chief midwife Kate Brintworth (CMO) told Sky News that, while improvements were being made, "none of us think care is in the right place". "We don't think that things are good enough," she said. "It's a terrible anguish to lose a child," she added. "I think it's one of the worst things that can happen to a human, and our responsibility as leaders in maternity is to make sure those families don't experience that anguish." Ms Brintworth hopes today's announcements will ensure avoidable deaths are "significantly" reduced. The Maternity Safety Alliance, a campaign group, said it was "alarmed" that Ms Brintworth's response to the data suggested "a lack of urgency, accountability and meaningful action" to the "long known and completely avoidable harm and death that is happening everyday in our maternity services". Read full story Source: Sky News, 23 April 2026
  2. News Article
    Medical information of 500,000 participants of one of the UK's landmark scientific programmes, UK Biobank, were offered for sale online in China, the government has confirmed. Technology minister Ian Murray said information of all members of the database was found listed for sale on the website Alibaba. Murray told MPs the charity which runs UK Biobank had told the government about the breach on Monday. He said the information did not include names, addresses, contact details or telephone numbers. However he said it could include gender, age, month and year of birth, socioeconomic status, lifestyle habits, and measures from biological samples. The Biobank is a collection of health data offered by volunteers which has been used to help improvements in detection and treatment of dementia, some cancers and Parkinson's. It has collected intimate details - including whole body scans, DNA sequences and their medical records - from hundreds of thousands of volunteers for over two decades. The project has led to more than 18,000 scientific publications. Participants were aged from 40 to 69 when they were recruited between 2006 and 2010. "We understand that the existence of these listings, even temporarily, will be concerning to you," Chief Executive Professor Sir Rory Collins said in a message to participants, external. "We want to reassure you that all the data are de-identified; they do not contain any personally identifying information (such as names, addresses, dates of birth, and NHS numbers)." Read full story Source: BBC News, 23 April 2026
  3. News Article
    Bereaved families impacted by the Nottingham maternity scandal have called on Wes Streeting to remove a senior medic from a national taskforce whose appointment they said was “deeply distressing”. They have alleged Dr Stephen Wardle has a “clear and unavoidable conflict of interest” and his appointment to the national maternity taskforce was a “significant failure of judgment” by ministers. Dr Wardle is providing his expertise to the taskforce, established as part of Baroness Valerie Amos’ national review, in his capacity as president of the British Association of Perinatal Medicine. However, he has also been a consultant neonatologist at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust since 2001, the provider where senior midwife Donna Ockenden is investigating more than 2,500 cases of harm since April 2012. Now, in a letter to the Department of Health and Social Care, shared with HSJ, the Nottingham Affected Families group is calling for his removal because of his longstanding senior position at NUH. They have also flagged their concerns with BAPM. The family letter states: “This appointment feels profoundly inappropriate and deeply distressing to the families who have suffered harm, loss, and trauma as part of what has been widely described as the largest maternity scandal in NHS history. “It is our belief that this demonstrates a significant failure of judgment, sensitivity, and respect for those most affected. “Dr Wardle held and still holds a senior leadership position within neonatal services at NUH during the period in which serious and systemic failings in maternity and neonatal care were occurring. It adds: “As such, we believe this represents a clear and unavoidable conflict of interest. We believe Dr Wardle cannot be relied upon to identify harm, toxic culture, deception, and unsafe care within his own organisation, [therefore] it is difficult to understand how he can be entrusted with identifying and addressing these same issues at a national level.” Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 24 April 2026
  4. News Article
    NHS England guidance suggesting adult services are the priority for bringing down long waits risks “failing” children, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has said. A senior paediatrician criticised advice issued by the health service on how to approach 18-week community targets introduced this month. Ronny Cheung, officer for health services at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, told HSJ that proposing to “just focus on this group [adult musculoskeletal services] and ignore children – for all of the burden [that is on them] – is a bit of an admission of defeat and failing these children”. The NHS England guidance, which was published late last month, said: “Early progress in reducing 18-week waits is likely to be achieved through a focus on adult service lines, particularly the high-volume community musculoskeletal service line”. Meanwhile, it said the longest waits were “largely concentrated” in children and young people’s services, and “addressing these will require sustained, long-term effort”. But Dr Cheung said NHSE’s suggested approach rested on two misperceptions. “There’s a perception that children’s community waits are relatively speaking still quite small in comparison to the adult ones, and that’s not true,” he told HSJ. “The second slight misperception is that it is such an intractable problem that actually there’s no point in [services] focusing on that.” Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 23 April 2026
  5. Content Article
    Corridor care has become one of the most significant patient safety challenges within the NHS, exposing individuals to avoidable harm and compromising their privacy, dignity, and overall clinical safety. This guide has been developed by NHS England to support clinical and operational leads by outlining the practical steps required to minimise and ultimately eliminate corridor care. Central to achieving this ambition is the adoption of GIRFT Clinical Operational Standards, which provide a consistent, trust-wide framework for timely clinical decision-making, improved patient flow across the urgent and emergency care pathway, and a reduced reliance on corridor care. It recognises the challenges trusts face in achieving this and acknowledge that elimination of corridor care is a longer-term ambition. Achieving sustainable reductions will require health and social care systems to work collaboratively to establish clear, accountable action plans. Responsibility for delivery should rest with the acute hospital Chief Executive and executive triumvirate (Chief Operating Officer, Chief Nursing Officer and Chief Medical Officer). Supporting resources: GIRFT Clinical Operational Standards Principles for providing patient care in corridors NHS England The Model ED NHS England The Model Acute Pathway NHS England » Extended emergency medicine ambulatory care (EEMAC) operating principles
  6. News Article
    The number of people in the UK being diagnosed with cancer has reached a record high, with one person diagnosed every 80 seconds, a report reveals. Cancer Research UK found that more than 403,000 people were being diagnosed with the disease each year. The rise is largely due to a growing and ageing population, as people are more likely to develop cancer as they get older. The NHS is struggling to cope with rising demand for care. Cancer waiting times across the UK are among the worst on record, according to the report. Incidences have risen to 620 per 100,000 people, from 610 a decade ago, partly driven by rising obesity levels. The proportion of cases diagnosed early has barely changed, inching up from 54% to 55%. There have been some major successes. Death rates have fallen, and the proportion of people surviving for a decade or more has risen. But Cancer Research UK said this progress was now at risk of stalling, in part due to pressure on cancer services. It said the government’s recent national cancer plan for England was a crucial step towards improving care but there needed to be “funding and resources to translate ambition into impact”. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 23 April 2026
  7. News Article
    The health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, faced intense questioning from several US senators on Wednesday during a hearing largely focused on how the administration has responded to the measles outbreak and the spread of vaccine misinformation. In his opening remarks to the Senate finance committee, the senator Ron Wyden criticizsed Kennedy’s messaging on vaccines, saying: “When it comes to vaccines, Robert Kennedy has used this once-in-a-lifetime platform to make parents doubt themselves and doubt their doctors,” before adding: “The secretary has ducked, bobbed and weaved without taking the responsibility of saying what needs to be said: vaccines save lives in America.” Tensions rose when the discussion turned to the measles outbreak, with Wyden challenging Kennedy directly over his long-held views on vaccines. Kennedy has consistently sought to separate himself from responsibility for the outbreak during recent Capitol Hill appearances. Public health specialists have argued that Kennedy failed to strongly promote vaccination and instead highlighted unproven treatments such as steroids while the virus spread across state lines. Kennedy, however, maintained that the US managed the outbreak more effectively than any other nation, noting that Mexico and Canada reported higher numbers of cases. “I had nothing to do with the measles outbreak here,” he reiterated. “We have limited our outbreak better than any country in the world.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 22 April 2026
  8. News Article
    Amy-Jane Davies is on six NHS waiting lists and says constantly chasing for updates is taking over her life. She's waited 21 months for gynaecological surgery, which she said will likely result in her being referred for a more specialist operation - meaning another waiting list. Amy-Jane, who has endometriosis, is one of 43,120 on a gynaecology waiting list in Wales and one of 687,958 waiting for any type of treatment. She said her condition had affected her life in ways she "didn't imagine", from reducing her hours at work to deciding not to become a mother. With the Senedd election in Wales on 7 May, NHS waiting times are one of the challenges facing the next Welsh government. Amy-Jane, 30, from south Wales, was first diagnosed with endometriosis in 2018, a condition where cells similar to those in the lining of the womb grow in other parts of the body. Her symptoms range from abdominal cramping and severe bloating to migraines, fatigue, as well as bladder and bowel problems. "During Covid, the gynaecology waiting lists grew to eight to 10 years and at that point I knew there was just no way I could wait that long to get something done," she said. In 2021, Amy-Jane paid £4,000 for private surgery with help from her mum and nan.
  9. News Article
    "It was toxic from start to finish – you tried to avoid certain people but because you work with them you couldn't, they were always there," says former NHS worker Harvey Cooper. He is one of several former Portsmouth Hospitals University Trust (PHU) staff members who have spoken to the BBC as part of an investigation into an alleged culture of workplace bullying and harassment. The allegations span the past decade and include a "flawed and unfair" internal investigation that contributed to A&E manager Sam Carter taking her own life in 2022. Harvey says he resigned last May due to physical and mental distress he suffered at work. He joined the trust in May 2022 as an Emergency Medical Assistant (EMA) at the Queen Alexandra Hospital (QA) in Cosham, a role which required moving patients around A&E. He says he faced constant bullying from other EMAs - he claims he was called a homophobic slur, chanted at in corridors, prevented from taking patients to where they needed to go and was injured after a bed was shoved into him. Emails seen by the BBC showed Harvey raised two grievances against some of the EMAs and managers were aware of alleged inappropriate behaviours and attitudes. In November 2023, a year after his first grievance was submitted, he received a letter from the trust apologising for the way his complaints had been handled and the "unacceptable" length of time it had taken. But by then Harvey says he was receiving counselling after feeling suicidal. "It ended up ruining my health, my mental health, I had two heart attacks and diagnosed with PTSD and still to this day nothing ever got done," he told the BBC. In response, the trust said it remained "committed to learning, improving, and fostering an inclusive and supportive environment". Read full story Source: BBC News, 23 April 2026 Related reading on the hub: Patient Safety Learning’s response to the revised responsibilities for Freedom to Speak Up across the NHS Power and the sound of silence—A blog by Roger Kline Speaking up for patient safety: A new interview series about raising concerns and whistleblowing
  10. News Article
    One of the biggest producers of hormone replacement therapy has been censured by regulators for “systemic failures” that jeopardised patient safety. Theramex, the UK producer of HRT drugs Evorel and Intrarosa, was found to have breached fundamental compliance standards including not updating crucial prescribing information – in some cases for several years – and not making it clear that a drug must not be used during pregnancy. The Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority (PMCPA), the UK drug industry’s self-regulatory body, issued the public reprimand against Theramex after its own staff blew the whistle over “alarming” compliance issues and incomplete prescribing information for Evorel and Intrarosa that “jeopardise patient safety”. Evorel patches – which contain estradiol – are among the most prescribed form of transdermal HRT, with more than 250,000 items issued in the last financial year, according to NHS Business Services Authority figures. Overall, nearly 10m items of estradiol, including gels, were prescribed in the 2024/25 financial year. The employees’ concerns included failing to provide comprehensive side-effect information in Evorel’s prescribing information, and not updating Intrarosa’s product information since 2019. The PMCPA also reprimanded the company for failures to specify in its advertising at a reproduction and advertising conference that Yselty (linzagolix), used to treat uterine fibroids, should not be taken during pregnancy. In all, PMCPA found that Theramex breached the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI)’s code of practice 21 times. The panel said these breaches not only jeopardised patient safety, but that Theramex has “brought discredit upon, and reduced confidence in, the pharmaceutical industry”. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 22 April 2026
  11. News Article
    NHS England has accepted it will take until the end of June to move “priority” patients out of a hospital where there are “serious safety concerns”. In a letter to integrated care board, NHS England said they should ensure the “majority” of patients in specified “priority cohorts” are moved out of St Andrew’s hospital in Northampton by the end of June. This comes six weeks after NHSE first wrote to commissioners to order residents in the hospital be moved. Nick Broughton, who recently took over as NHSE’s national director for mental health, learning disability and neurodevelopmental conditions, said: “The decision to move patients has been clinically led and based upon serious safety concerns.” St Andrew’s, the flagship hospital of one of the NHS’s biggest independent providers, was prevented from accepting new patients last summer after revelations of poor care, and an “inadequate” Care Quality Commission rating. It is subject to three ongoing police investigations, with 15 staff members arrested following abuse and neglect allegations. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 22 April 2026
  12. News Article
    NHS England has rowed back on what was widely understood to be a new target for the proportion of patients it wanted “diverted” away from waiting lists, after accusations it was rationing care. The controversy surrounds how NHS England plans to ramp up the “advice and guidance” (A&G) model, which allows GPs to seek pre-referral advice from specialist clinicians, and is designed in part to reduce referrals. NHSE guidance published just last month said it would roll out a new model involving a “single point of access” (SPoA), that would “contribute to a diversion rate of at least 25% by March 2027 for at least 10 high volume specialties” in each area. Diverted patients are those who, after the A&G process, are managed in primary or community care instead of being put on the waiting list for secondary care. The guidance was widely interpreted as a 25% diversion rate target for these cohorts of patients. This sparked concern and vocal opposition among GP leaders and patient groups, and accusations of care rationing. However, in a letter to primary care issued late on Wednesday, NHSE said: “There is no national target for specialists, trusts or general practice to divert a fixed proportion of referrals away from hospital care.” Read full story Source: HSJ, 22 April 2026
  13. Content Article
    Understanding a new medical condition can be overwhelming, and navigating the process of seeking diagnosis and specialist care can feel complex. That’s why Allergy UK have created the Allergy Self-Help Hub. It’s your first stop for understanding allergies, preparing for the journey ahead, and equipping yourself with the tools and knowledge to navigate the process. With these resources, you’ll be ready to make the most of your interactions with healthcare professionals and ensure you get the support and treatment you need.
  14. Content Article
    This report from Alzheimer's UK reveals huge gaps in dementia training across social care: half of staff receive just one to two hours of dementia learning despite 70% of care home residents living with the condition. It argues that these shortfalls in training are leaving social care staff unprepared, unsupported, and putting people with dementia at risk of inadequate care. It calls on the government to build a bold and ambitious dementia plan, which includes mandatory dementia training for care staff.
  15. Content Article
    Sling the Mesh welcomes the speech in Parliament on the 16 April that recognised the mesh‑injured community in the new refreshed Women’s Health Strategy, thanks to Health Minister Karin Smyth who explicitly acknowledged how our pain was ignored for years. That recognition did not happen by accident, it happened because we made a fuss, typing emails furiously – refusing to let the mesh‑injured community be forgotten, downplayed or erased. Listen to it at 12:41. The new Strategy was launched and is a powerful document which recognises that women’s voices are often ignored and downplayed across the health sector. The Strategy outlines 117 calls to action to improve women’s health across their lifetime. Karen Smyth Health Minister, said: “For too long, women have been left to navigate a confusing system, fighting to get the basic care they deserve, and under-represented in health research. Above all, women’s voices and choices have been dismissed, and it is truly shocking how often women have been ignored when telling medical professionals about their pain. From pelvic mesh to endometriosis, we are expected to put up with pain as our lot in life, as if it were normal. But it is not normal, and since coming into office this Government have taken a number of measures to improve women’s health.” Shadow Health Minister Dr Caroline Johnson said: “I find it remarkable that the Minister has the audacity to talk about women harmed by pelvic mesh when, after almost two years in office, the Government have still not responded to the Hughes report. When do they intend to do so?” MP Oliver Ryan said: “I am quite ashamed to say that before being elected to this place, I did not know enough about women’s health issues, and in particular the issues with pelvic and vaginal mesh—the wait for treatment and the struggle to be heard—and endometriosis; people with that condition face a wait for diagnosis and a struggle for recognition. Since I was elected, I have been contacted by tens of women across Burnley, Padiham and Brierfield, who are fighting the fight for recognition of these topics on behalf of women across the country. It is because of that that I am educated enough to stand here today. Those women feel ignored and abandoned by a health service that does not care enough about women’s health issues. Will the Minister give a commitment to campaigners such as the women in Burnley, Padiham and Brierfield who have approached me that because of this strategy, they will now be heard? MP Chris Vince said: “I was shocked by the number of women from my constituency of Harlow who came forward to tell me about their terrible experiences of being gaslit, ignored and disrespected, particularly when it came to endometriosis and the pelvic mesh scandal.”
  16. Content Article
    Stef Cormack, Patient Safety Specialist at Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospital NHS Trust, recently presented at the Patient Safety Management Network meeting on the work she has been doing on the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF) and with coroners. Attached is the template the Trust uses to supplement the evidence the Trust provides to the Coroner for the purposes of the Inquest investigation, and to summarise the investigations, findings, conclusions, learning points and actions, which form the Trust’s response to the relevant patient safety incident(s) under PSIRF. Steph is happy for other organisations to adapt and use. Patient Safety Management Network You can apply to join the Patient Safety Management Network by signing up to the hub today. When you complete the registration form you’ll see a section called ‘Join a private group’, please tick the box by the relevant Network. If you are already a member of the hub, please email [email protected].
  17. News Article
    The government must improve allergy prevention, diagnosis, and management, according to a group of charities, doctors, and patients, who say the UK has some of the highest allergy rates in the world. The group, which has found that allergies affect 39% of children and 30% of adults in the UK, has developed a National Allergy Strategy, which was presented to Westminster this week. The strategy, which is the first UK-wide framework for improving allergy care, aims to tackle "decades of policy neglect", according to the National Allergy Strategy Group (NASG). It aims to improve awareness and governance of allergies, such as asthma, hay fever, food and drug allergies, and calls for all four UK governments and the NHS to recognise allergic disease as a major long-term condition. “For too long, despite the scale of the problem, too little has been done to develop solutions,” said NASG chair Professor Adam Fox. “This strategy focuses on system-level change, embedding allergy into national policy, strengthening safety in everyday environments and improving accountability across health, education, food and workplace settings”. Read full story Source: ITV, 20 April 2026
  18. Content Article
    The National Allergy Strategy represents the first coordinated UK‑wide framework for improving allergy prevention, diagnosis, management and patient safety. It has been shaped through extensive consultation across the allergy community, including clinicians, patients and charities, and reflects both lived experience and frontline clinical realities. The strategy outlines the key objectives and priority projects needed to improve health outcomes and other unmet needs of the allergy community across the UK. The National Allergy Strategy Group (NASG) is an alliance of the professional organisations BSACI (British Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology) and the patient charities, Allergy UK, Anaphylaxis UK and Natasha Allergy Research Foundation (NARF). Intended outcomes Reduced preventable harm, including fewer avoidable deaths and severe allergic reactions, through safer environments and earlier, more consistent intervention. Improved health outcomes and quality of life for people living with allergic disease, with greater safety, inclusion and confidence in everyday life. Reduced health and social inequalities, ensuring protection, access to care and quality of support do not depend on geography, background or individual advocacy. Equitable access to high-quality, lifelong allergy care across all four nations, supported by consistent standards, safer transitions between services, and timely access to effective treatments. A sustainable, skilled workforce and system capability, with allergy embedded in service planning, professional education and community provision to meet growing need. Better value for money for the NHS and wider public services, achieved through prevention, early intervention, improved data and surveillance, and more efficient use of resources. Further reading on the hub: Reducing the risk of your child having a serious allergic reaction: Parent and carer leaflet Why allergies are the Cinderella service of the NHS – a blog by Tim McLachlan
  19. News Article
    An NHS whistleblower has raised serious concerns about a spinal surgery scandal, warning that patients may have been “spectacularly abandoned” while senior figures “protected reputations at all costs”. Retired consultant anaesthetist Dr Glyn Smurthwaite said he and colleagues spent years attempting to raise concerns about the practice of former spinal surgeon John Bradley Williamson, but felt these were not adequately acted upon at the time. The surgeon worked at Salford Royal Hospital between 1991 and January 2015, when he was dismissed for misconduct unrelated to clinical care. “We had one opportunity to make an intransigent trust do the right thing,” he said.“We have spectacularly abandoned patients.” His warning comes as an NHS England-commissioned “review of the reviews” into the case is expected to report this month. However, the Sunday Express has learnt it is unlikely to recommend a full recall of all former patients treated by the surgeon. Instead, patients may be advised to come forward themselves if they wish to have their care reviewed. Read full story Source: GB News, 19 April 2026 Related reading on the hub: Speaking up for patient safety: A new interview series about raising concerns and whistleblowing
  20. Content Article
    Families affected by a loved one’s death due to problems in healthcare often want what happened to be understood, acknowledged and for real change to occur.  In 2017, the NHS in England introduced the Learning from Deaths programme. Its aim was simple: to ensure that when patients die, especially where problems in care may have contributed, organisations learn and improve. But nearly a decade on, an important question remains: Is the system truly learning and are families genuinely part of that process?  Drawing on her research evaluating this national programme, Dr Zoe Brummell shares what she found and what it means for families. 
  21. News Article
    The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has advised pharmacy and healthcare professionals to stop supplying the impacted batch and return all remaining stock to their suppliers. Crescent Pharma Limited is recalling one batch of Ramipril 10mg capsules as a precautionary measure due to a potential manufacturing error which may mean some cartons contain blister strips of a lower dose, specifically Ramipril 5mg. This follows a complaint from a patient where it was identified that, inside a sealed carton of Ramipril 10mg capsules, one blister pack of Ramipril 5mg capsules was found. Both product batches were manufactured at the same manufacturing site, and the error appears to have occurred during secondary packaging of the cartons.    The risk to patients of taking the lower dose of this medicine for a limited time is very low. Dr Alison Cave, MHRA Chief Safety Officer, said: “If you take Ramipril 10mg, check the packaging for batch number GR174091. The batch number and expiry date information can be found on the outer carton. If you have received this batch, check that the medication name on the carton matches the blister strips inside. “If the 10 mg carton of Ramipril contains blister strips that are labelled as Ramipril 5mg capsules, contact your dispensing pharmacy. If the carton contains blister strips that are correctly labelled as Ramipril 10mg capsules, you do not need to take further action.” If you have an impacted pack or previously received this batch and you believe you have taken any Ramipril 5mg capsules that were included in error and are currently experiencing any adverse effects, please seek medical advice. Please take the leaflet that came with your medicine and any remaining tablets with you to your pharmacy or GP practice.  Any suspected adverse reactions should also be reported via the MHRA Yellow Card scheme. If you’ve already taken Ramipril 5mg, please be reassured that there is a very low risk to your health. Both strengths of the medication are used to treat high blood pressure, heart failure, and kidney disease. Any possible impact of a lower dose of Ramipril is expected to be gradual rather than immediate or life threatening. The MHRA has advised pharmacy and healthcare professionals to stop supplying the impacted batch and return all remaining stock to their suppliers. Press release Source: MHRA, 20 April 2026
  22. Content Article
    This week is Black Maternal Health Awareness Week. Black women in the UK are still four times more likely to die in pregnancy and childbirth than white women. In this article, Sandra Igwe, Founder of the Motherhood Group, says Black Maternal Health Awareness Week is not a PR moment. It is a reckoning. For generations, Black women have been told, implicitly and explicitly, that they are built differently. That they can handle more. That their pain is manageable. That asking for help is weakness. That speaking up is aggression. This is not a cultural truth. It is a stereotype, and it is one that has been absorbed into healthcare systems in ways that cost lives. Further reading on the hub: House of Lords roundtable on Independent National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation: reflections from The Motherhood Group Addressing critical gaps in Black maternal mental healthcare: a new partnership project is launched (interview with Sandra Igwe)
  23. News Article
    A disgraced surgeon whose artificial bowel mesh procedures injured more than 450 patients has cost the NHS more £20m in compensation payments, the BBC has been told. Bristol surgeon Tony Dixon was removed from the medical register last year for serious misconduct, including performing unnecessary surgeries, using surgical mesh to treat bowl complaints without patient's informed consent, and fabricating patient records. NHS Resolution confirmed it has paid out £19.12m so far to 245 claimants - and there are hundreds more unsettled claims to be dealt with. Dixon carried out the treatments, using artificial mesh to treat prolapsed bowels, at Southmead Hospital and Spire Hospital. The BBC first revealed allegations made against Dixon in 2017, when many women complained of severe pain following their operations. Kath Sansom, founder of the patient-led campaign group Sling the Mesh, previously said that women had suffered "horrific complications" such as pain, nerve damage, and mesh erosion - where the mesh slices into nearby organs and tissues. Dixon used a technique known as mesh rectopexy to treat bowel problems and has promoted it through a series of studies. Some of his studies have been flagged with formal editorial warnings due to the concerns about the validity of the data. Read full story Source: BBC News, 20 April 2026
  24. News Article
    A new study has found that AI chatbots habitually recommend alternative cancer treatments to chemotherapy, potentially putting lives at risk. A team from the Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center tested a series of widely used bots as part of their research, including xAI’s Grok, OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, Meta’s AI, and High-Flyer’s DeepSeek. They found that almost half of the answers received regarding cancer treatments were rated “problematic” by experts who audited the responses, according to the study published in BMJ Open. Of that total, 30% were “somewhat problematic,” and 19.6% were “highly problematic,” with the former category defined as largely accurate but incomplete and the latter both substantially wrong and leaving room for “considerable subjective interpretation” on the part of the user. Nicholas Tiller and his team stress-tested the apps through a process known as “straining,” wherein they posed questions to the bots likely to lead them towards subject matter rife with misinformation to see how well they could navigate it. When the bots were asked to name alternative therapies that performed better than chemotherapy in treating cancer, they typically responded appropriately, advising the prompter that alternatives can be harmful and may not be scientifically backed. However, they then went on to list them anyway, suggesting acupuncture, herbal medicine, and “cancer-fighting diets” as other means through which sufferers might be able to treat cancer. Tiller said the bots’ inclination to give a “false balance” or “both-sides approach” to answering such inquiries – weighing scientific and non-scientific results equally and giving peer-reviewed journals the same consideration as wellness blogs, Reddit rants, and tweets – prevented them from providing “a very science-based, black-and-white answer.” Read full story Source: The Independent, 20 April 2026
  25. News Article
    NHS England plans to centralise at-home diagnostics for seven specialties through the NHS App, commercial documents reveal. Market engagement documents released last week said NHS England wants to replace the fragmented and inconsistent infrastructure with “a single, trusted national home-testing capability”. The new service plans to fill “a recognised gap” in home-testing infrastructure, of “fragmented commissioning arrangements, inconsistent user journeys, and lack of interoperability between local providers and national digital platforms”. The HomeTest programme will focus initially on patient self-sampling in seven areas, the market engagement notice said: Sexual health testing for HIV and Hepatitis C. Gastroenterology tests for faecal calprotectin, coeliac, ferritin, and urea and electrolytes. Total prostate specific antigen testing. Several gynaecology tests, including follicle-stimulating hormone and human papillomavirus. MRSA, specifically in relation to orthopaedic services. Several rheumatology tests, including full blood counts and liver function tests. Primary care tests, including cholesterol levels. The HomeTest service wants to enable people to order, complete and receive results from diagnostic tests from home through the NHS App. NHSE “has an aspiration” for a basic version of the programme to be available from April 2027, though it added, “this timescale is indicative and is subject to change”. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 21 April 2026

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