Jump to content
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    11,589

  • Joined

  • Last visited

Patient Safety Learning

Administrators

 Content Type 

Everything posted by Patient Safety Learning

  1. Content Article
    This survey undertaken by SCATA and supported by the FightFatigue group is looking at rest facilities and culture in anaesthesia and intensive care. Aims: To describe the current situation regarding availability and quality of rest facilities in anaesthetic and intensive care departments in the UK and ROI, compared with current standards. To describe the current situation regarding rest culture in anaesthetic and intensive care departments in the UK and ROI, compared with current standards. To feedback to departments and provide a benchmarking of their practice as compared to current standards and peers nationally. If you would like to take part, please follow the link and enter the data into the data collection tool for each rota, in consultation with colleagues as you feel necessary. The data collected will be shared with partners in the FightFatigue group and used in line with the aims of the project as above and to produce a summary report. In this report, each Trust/Board will be able to identify their own data but not others. Please direct queries to fatigue@scata.org.uk.
  2. Content Article
    A Channel 5 News investigation has found nearly three quarters of people getting help for Long Covid weren't given a face-to-face appointment. It's estimated 2.1 million UK people have the condition. A Long Covid hauler herself, 5 News reporter Ruth Liptrot looks at where we're at with finding a treatment.
  3. News Article
    Hospice charities providing end-of-life services in partnership with the NHS have warned they will have to shut beds and sack staff because of the catastrophic impact of rising energy bills on their day-to-day running costs. The UK’s network of independent, mainly voluntary-run palliative care providers said hospices were experiencing a perfect storm of soaring costs and rising demand just as revenues from traditional public fundraising methods are collapsing. They have also warned that many patients who receive palliative care at home are struggling to maintain optimal care standards because they can’t afford to run central heating and the electrical medical equipment used in their everyday clinical care. Hospices, which typically rely on charitable donations for 70%-80% of their running costs, and which are intensive users of gas and electricity, have reported facing energy bill rises of up to 350%. Rachel McMillan, the chief executive of one of the UK’s biggest hospices, St Ann’s, in Greater Manchester, said: “We are at the point where we will have to take some very difficult decisions in terms of our business model and our service provision. Closing beds would be a last resort, but we are seriously going to have to think about this. “The government needs to sit up and listen to hospices; we are an essential part of the care delivery system. We are not a luxury.” Read full story Source: 22 December 2022
  4. News Article
    The NHS entered the last six hours of the ambulance strike with a sense that the real test will be seen in the coming days. Call volumes were down and many A&Es quieter than in previous days. NHS111 was very busy. Despite the fears expressed by leaders ahead of the strike not yet coming to fruition, the day ended with eight integrated care systems declaring critical incidents, along with all striking ambulance trusts and a number of hospital trusts. Leaders across the country told HSJ they feared that those who stayed away today in response to pleas for “common sense” amid industrial action may come back tomorrow, seeing demand return strongly. A senior London source said: “The ambulances will have stacked some calls and we may have a flood of movement tomorrow.” Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 21 December 2022
  5. News Article
    The NHS in England has more funding and staff than before the pandemic - but in many types of care, it is treating fewer patients. Why? The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) says this is a puzzle with no simple explanation - but the pandemic has dealt a lasting blow to the NHS and it could be costing more to treat patients, on average, than before. Despite higher staff sickness rates, compared with pre-pandemic levels, the NHS has available to work: 8% more nurses 9% more consultants 15% more junior doctors. But - not counting those filled by patients who have tested positive for Covid, even though they may be there mainly for something else - there were 5% fewer beds available in the third quarter of this year than in 2019, the IFS says. IFS research economist Max Warner says: "The NHS is showing clear signs of strain heading into the winter and is treating fewer patients than it was pre-pandemic, across many types of care. "The real risk, almost three years on from the start of the pandemic, is that the Covid hit to NHS performance is not time-limited. "Going forward, we need to grapple with the possibility that the health service is just able to treat fewer patients with the same level of resources." A Department of Health spokesperson said: "As the IFS report acknowledges, Covid had a significant impact on the NHS, and we are focused on delivering the biggest catch-up programme in health history". Read full story Source: BBC News, 14 December 2022
  6. Content Article
    This report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies examines how NHS funding, resources and treatment volumes compare with pre-pandemic levels. The study examines how the funding, staffing and hospital beds available to the NHS have changed since 2019, comparing the number of patients treated by the NHS in eight different areas compares with 2019 levels. For most areas of care, the NHS is still struggling to treat more people than it was pre-pandemic, despite having – on the face of it – additional staff and funding. The report considers a range of different factors that could explain this seeming fall in performance and output. 
  7. Content Article
    A guide to the terms commonly used in safety investigations and their definitions.
  8. News Article
    Ambulance unions have reacted with anger after the health secretary said they had "taken a conscious choice to inflict harm on patients". Steve Barclay said unions had refused to work with the government at a national level on how they would cover emergency calls during strike action. Unison said it was "utterly shocked" by the comments, while the GMB union said they were "insulting". Paramedics are among those striking in England and Wales on Wednesday. Control room staff and support workers who are members of the Unison, GMB and Unite unions are also involved. NHS bosses are warning patient safety cannot be guaranteed during the action, although unions say life-threatening callouts will still be responded to by an ambulance. They also argue patients are already being put at risk due to waiting times and the pressure on the health service, made worse by staff shortages. Read full story Source: BBC News, 21 December 2022
  9. News Article
    The number of suspected scarlet fever cases since September has risen to nearly 30,000 after the UK Health Security Agency added almost 10,000 potential new infections in the last week. More than 27,000 people could have had infections since 12 September, according to the UKHSA, who revealed on Tuesday that there were more cases than first thought because of the “significant rise” in infections. The figures come from medical practitioners referring suspected cases to the local authority or health protection team. A total of 16 children aged under 18 have died from invasive group A streptococcus (iGAS), otherwise known as strep A. Parents are advised to contact 111 or a GP surgery if a child has symptoms. They can also include nausea and vomiting. New serious shortage protocols were issued to pharmacists last week in an attempt to help those experiencing supply issues with penicillin. Chemists had widely reported problems getting hold of liquid penicillin and amoxycillin due to the increase in demand. The antibiotics are often prescribed for children who have scarlet fever or strep A. People in the industry have also reported rising prices. Pharmacists are now able to prescribe an alternative antibiotic or formulation of penicillin, such as tablets. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 20 December 2022
  10. News Article
    The risk to patients will only get worse unless the government reaches an agreement to prevent further strikes, NHS leaders have warned. In a letter to the prime minister and health secretary, they said there was "deep worry" about today's strike. People are being asked to only call 999 in a life-threatening emergency, but NHS England says emergency care will continue to be provided. Ambulance response times are already twice as long as two years ago. The letter, signed by the leaders of NHS Confederation and NHS Providers, says the action being taken by ambulance workers "isn't just about pay but working conditions: many have said they are doing this because they no longer feel able to provide the level of care that their patients need and deserve." They urged ministers to "do all you can to bring about an agreed solution". Health Secretary Steve Barclay said the pay deal on offer to both ambulance staff and nurses had been agreed by an independent pay review body. In England, eight out of the 10 major ambulance services have declared critical incidents - a sign of the intense pressure they are already under. Ministers have urged the public to take extra care and suggested they avoid contact sports and unnecessary car journeys. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 21 December 2022
  11. News Article
    The Welsh ambulance service has apologised after a 93-year-old woman was left “screaming in pain” while lying on the floor with a broken hip during a 25-hour ambulance wait. Elizabeth Davies fell at her care home on Saturday and was finally picked up at 1.15pm on Sunday and admitted to Ysbyty Gwynedd hospital in Bangor on Monday, where she endured another 12-hour wait before being admitted to a ward. A hip fracture was later confirmed in surgery. Her family have said the incident, which occurred before a 24-hour strike on Wednesday by ambulance workers, was “unacceptable”. Her son, Ian Davies, from Pwllheli, said: “It was very upsetting to have to see her lying on the floor screaming in pain for over 24 hours.” After her injury, staff at the care home, where Davies has lived for 17 years, are understood to have propped a pillow under her head and tried to make her comfortable on the wooden floor, using a small heater to keep her warm in case she went into shock, as well as providing an absorbent pad so she could urinate. Her son, a community care worker, said: “They called for an ambulance but were advised an ambulance wouldn’t be available for six to eight hours as they were so busy. “They said my mother would be a priority because of her age. The care home then called us and we came immediately. “I don’t blame the ambulance staff because they are told what jobs to do and my mother wasn’t on the list.” It is understood the care home made nine calls, with a 10th made by Ian Davies. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 20 December 2022
  12. News Article
    The Birmingham MP Preet Gill has called on the UK health secretary to launch a major public inquiry into allegations that a bullying and a toxic culture is risking patient safety at University Hospitals Birmingham (UHB). The MP for Edgbaston, where UHB is based, said she had received complaints from staff alleging elderly patients had been left on beds in corridors outside wards due to mismanagement, and medics were discouraged from speaking out about problems. In a letter to Steve Barclay, seen by the Guardian, Gill said: “I have been inundated by messages from UHB staff, past and present, who have contacted me to share their experience of what has been repeatedly described as a toxic culture that has had an alarming impact on staff and patient care.” After an investigation by BBC Newsnight earlier this month, which found that doctors at the trust were “punished” for raising safety concerns, the Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board (ICB) announced a three-part review into the culture at UHB. The first report is expected at the end of January. But Gill criticised the plans, saying she did not think it would “be sufficient to adequately investigate this scandal”, and instead called for a major independent public inquiry, similar to the 2013 Francis inquiry into the Stafford hospital scandal. “We cannot rely on an ICB investigation to solve this issue. Many of those on the ICB are former members of the senior leadership team from UHB and would not offer the independence required to recommend the changes that are so needed or give confidence to whistleblowers,” she said. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 19 December 2022
  13. News Article
    Health minister Will Quince has warned the public to avoid any “risky activities” on Wednesday as ambulance drivers stage strike action. The NHS is set to be hit by major disruption as ambulance workers including paramedics, control room workers and technicians walk out in England and Wales. During the strike, the military will not drive ambulances on blue lights for the most serious calls but are expected to provide support on other calls. Mr Quince urged the public to avoid anything risky on Wednesday, telling BBC Breakfast: “Where people are planning any risky activity, I would strongly encourage them not to do so because there will be disruption on the day.” The health minister did not offer examples of what might be defined as risky behaviour but told the public that in any emergency calling 999 should still be the first option. Read full story Source: The Independent, 20 December 2022
  14. News Article
    The mother of a sick girl has confronted the health secretary during a hospital visit in London, telling him that NHS staff are “worked to the bone” and the government is doing “terrible damage” to families on waiting lists. Sarah Pinnington-Auld, whose three-year-old daughter, Lucy, has cystic fibrosis, rebuked Steve Barclay over NHS staff working conditions and long waits for treatment as he visited King’s College hospital. She told the Conservative cabinet minister how her daughter was pushed off an “absolutely horrific” waiting list because of “the obscene number of people who came through and the lack of resources”. “The damage that you’re doing to families like myself is terrible, because it was agony for us as a family waiting for that call,” she said. “Preparing our children, for their sister and her hospital visit, for then it to be cancelled. And I know you look and we’re all numbers, but actually they’re people waiting for care.” “The doctors, the nurses, everyone on the ward is just brilliant, considering what they’re under, considering the shortage of staff, considering the lack of resources,” she said. “That’s what’s really upsetting, actually, because we have a daughter with a life-limiting, life-shortening condition and we have some brilliant experts and they’re being worked to the bone, and actually the level of care they provide is amazing, but they are not being able to provide it in the way they want to provide it because the resourcing is not there.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 19 December 2022
  15. News Article
    Some patients waiting for an endoscopy in Guernsey may be "at risk" because of a large backlog in procedures, the States medical director has warned. The government has announced a tender process to bring in clinicians to help clear the list, which is three times longer than before the Covid pandemic. More than 430 people were on the gastroenterology waiting list as of Tuesday, Dr Peter Rabey said. "We're worried that there is risk to patients in waiting too long," he said. "Although a lot of patients who get an endoscopy have completely normal results, and some have benign disease which can be treated with tablets and things, there will be some patients who might have cancer and we need to find out as best as possible". Read full story Source: BBC News, 20 December 2022
  16. Content Article
    Professor Mary Dixon-Woods looks at improving the quality and safety of care in hospitals, and suggests that we need to take a three-pronged approach: ensuring we are collecting the right data and interpreting it intelligently, looking at the systems we work in and finally how culture and behaviour impact on quality of care.
  17. Event
    This masterclass will focus on developing your role as a SIRO (Senior Information Risk Owner) in health and social care. Key learning objectives Understanding the role of the Senior Information Risk Owner. Identifying information risks across the organisation. Working with others to mitigate the risk to patients, staff and organisation. Confidence that all reasonable technical and organisation measure are in place. Giving assurance to the Board that risks have been considered, mitigated or owned. Understand the requirements of external confidence that policies, procedures are in place to deal with Data Breaches, For further information and to book your place visit https://www.healthcareconferencesuk.co.uk/conferences-masterclasses/masterclass-developing-your-role-as-a-senior-information-risk-owner-siro or email kate@hc-uk.org.uk. hub members receive a 20% discount. Email info@pslhub.org for discount code.
  18. Event
    Never events are defined as “serious, largely preventable patient safety incidents that should not occur if healthcare providers have implemented existing national guidance or safety recommendations.” They are designed to act as a red flag for improvement by NHS organisations. This one day masterclass will focus on safety culture around Never Events within healthcare organisations. There were 364 never events in 2020/21 and 349 between April 2021 and Jan 2022. The masterclass will look at how Never Events have been investigated and at Human Factors approaches to improving learning and the systems to reduce harm. It will compare our experiences with learning from serious incidents from other countries. For further information and to book your place visit https://www.healthcareconferencesuk.co.uk/conferences-masterclasses/learning-from-never-events or email kate@hc-uk.org.uk. hub members receive a 20% discount, Email info@pslhub.org for discount code.
  19. Event
    until
    This two day intensive masterclass will provide Root Cause Analysis Training in line with the July 2019 Patient Safety Strategy. This intensive two-day masterclass will provide Root Cause Analysis training in line with the 2019 Patient Safety Strategy and subsequent guidance. The course will offer a practical guide to conducting RCA with a focus on systems-based patient safety investigation as proposed within the latest guidance released by NHS England and NHS Improvement. The course provides insights into how RCA is evolving and gives detailed information on what standards RCA investigations are expected to reach following the detailed recent reviews of patient safety work across the NHS and healthcare. For further information and to book your place visit https://www.healthcareconferencesuk.co.uk/conferences-masterclasses/root-cause-analysis-2-day-masterclass or email kate@hc-uk.org.uk. hub members receive a 20% discount. Email info@pslhub.org for further information.
  20. Content Article
    The Confraternity of Patients Kenya (COFPAK) is a registered non-profit organisation, independent of politics or religion, supporting health and social well-being of the public in Kenya. Their mandate is to advance, represent, safeguard and promote the interests of healthcare services seekers at all levels. COFPAK aims to collaborate with all stakeholders in the health sector to advance access to high quality, safe, accountable, affordable and sustainable healthcare ecosystem in Kenya. It exerts influence on policies and programmes toward the attainment of Universal Health Coverage.
  21. Event
    This conference will bring together current and aspiring Ward Managers to understand current issues and the national context, and to develop your skills as an effective Ward Manager. The conference will open with reflections on the characteristics and qualities required for the role, and understanding your role within quality and specifically meeting the CQC Quality Ratings at Ward level. The conference will include a look at the challenges and issues as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic for Ward Managers. For further information and to book your place visit https://www.healthcareconferencesuk.co.uk/conferences-masterclasses/effective-ward-manager or email frida@hc-uk.org.uk. hub members receive a 20% discount code. Email info@pslhub.org for discount code. Follow the conference on Twitter @HCUK_Clare #wardmanager
  22. Event
    This conference focuses on improving nutrition and hydration on the wards. Through expert guidance and practical case studies and advice the conference aims to support and equip you to improve practice on your ward and reduce the risk of malnutrition in patients. For further information and to book your place visit https://www.healthcareconferencesuk.co.uk/conferences-masterclasses/improving-nutrition-hydration-ward or email kate@hc-uk.org.uk. hub members receive a 20% discount. Email info@pslhub.org for discount code. Follow the conference on Twitter @HCUK_Clare #NHSNutrition
  23. Event
    This one day masterclass will focus on improving patient safety through enhancing psychological safety and safety culture. It will look at effective ways to encourage health professionals to routinely embed high-quality clinical evidence into their everyday work. It will explore the characteristics of relatively successful behaviour change interventions. All Clinical Staff and Team Leads should attend. For further information and to book your place visit https://www.healthcareconferencesuk.co.uk/conferences-masterclasses/improving-psychological-safety-patient-safety or email aman@hc-uk.org.uk. hub members receive a 20% discount. Email info@pslhub.org for discount code.
  24. Event
    This National Conference focuses on improving the investigation and learning from deaths in NHS Trusts. By collecting the data and taking action in response to failings in care, trusts will be able to give an open and honest account of the circumstances leading to a death. There will be an extended focus on engaging and involving patients, families and staff following a death, and on learning from deaths including an update from a coroner. The conference will discuss the role of Medical Examiners in learning from deaths which is now being extended to all non-coronial deaths wherever they occur. The conference will also include a split stream where delegates can chose to focus on investigating and learning from either deaths in acute care, or deaths in primary and community care. For further information and to book your place visit https://www.healthcareconferencesuk.co.uk/virtual-online-courses/investigation-learning-deaths-hospital-mortality or email aman@hc-uk.org.uk. With only a few places left, HCUK are offering hub members five discounted places at only £195+VAT with discount code HCUK195PSL. Follow the conference on Twitter @HCUK_Clare #LFDNHS
  25. News Article
    Police are investigating allegations of rape of a child involving two staff members at a scandal-hit mental health hospital, The Independent can reveal. Thames Valley Police confirmed it has launched an investigation after a report last month of rape made by a former patient of Taplow Manor, a private hospital in Maidenhead, Berkshire, run by The Huntercombe Group. The incident was reported to have taken place in 2019. Mark McGhee, a solicitor for Hutcheon Law, who is representing the family of the patient in a clinical negligence claim, said the allegation had been raised to the police about the patient who was a child and that the allegation involves two staff members at the time. In October, The Independent and Sky News revealed allegations of “systemic abuse” from 20 patients across The Huntercombe Group’s children’s mental health hospitals – Taplow Manor, Ivetsey Bank near Stafford, Watcombe Hall in Torquay, and The Huntercombe Hospital Norwich. Since the report, 30 more patients have come forward with allegations of poor treatment and the provider now also faces nine legal claims from former patients. Thames Valley Police are also investigating an incident involving the death of a child at the Maidenhead hospital in February. The CQC is conducting a separate criminal investigation into the serious incident which resulted in the death of the young person. Read full story Source: The Independent, 19 December 2022
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.

 Accept Cookies  Reject Cookies