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  1. Patient Safety Learning
    Almost three-quarters of people undergoing fertility treatment in the UK are using “unproven extras” to increase their chances of having a baby, despite little evidence that they work.
    The findings, from the UK’s fertility watchdog, mean that about 40,000 people a year wanting to conceive are spending money on acupuncture, supplements and drugs, even though they are largely unproven.
    The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) issued the caution in its latest annual national patient survey, which captures patients’ experiences of NHS and private fertility care.
    Overall, 73% of patients are using at least one additional test, treatment or emerging technology when undergoing IVF or donor insemination treatment, the survey of 1,500 people showed.
    The regulator has been trying since 2017 to reduce the use of such extra treatments “since almost all remain unproven in increasing the chance of having a baby for most patients”.
    More than half (52%) of patients who opted to pay for what the HFEA calls an “unproven extra” did so after discussing with their doctor how effective it was likely to be. Even more (59%) went ahead based on their clinic’s recommendation, the HFEA found.
    The regulator voiced concern about the fact that “only 37% of patients said their clinics explained the risks of using an additional test, treatment or emerging technology”.
    “It’s disappointing to see a significant number of patients are still using add-ons and emerging technologies, and particularly disappointing that only half of patients had the effectiveness explained to them, let alone the risks”, said Julia Chain, the HFEA’s chair.
    Read full story
    Source: The Guardian, 26 March 2025
  2. Patient Safety Learning
    A coroner has warned of a "culture of cover-up" at a care home where neglect contributed to the death of a disabled 12-year-old girl.
    Raihana Awolaja, who required 24-hour one-to-one care, died of cardiac arrest in 2023 after her breathing tube became clogged while she was left alone at Tadworth Court in Surrey, a residential care facility operated by The Children’s Trust. 
    Now a senior coroner looking into her death, Professor Fiona Wilcox, has written to the Trust's chief executive, warning there could be further deaths at the home if improvements aren't made.
    Prof Wilcox raised several serious concerns about the home, including that severely disabled children may not be receiving the level of care needed to keep them safe and more staff training was required.
    She also warned there "may be culture of cover up at Tadworth Children’s Trust".
    She added: "They carried out a flawed investigation after this incident, pushing blame onto an innocent individual and thereby avoiding highlighting systemic failures and learning and thus risking lessons that should be learned are lost that could prevent future deaths."
    Read full story
    Source: ITV News, 21 May 2025
  3. Patient Safety Learning
    Women who have delayed coming forward for cervical screening will be offered a test to be taken at home, NHS England has said.
    The DIY test kits, available from January, contain a long cotton-wool bud to swab the lining of the vagina.
    The test is for human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes most cervical cancers, and women between the ages of 25 and 64 are offered it every few years.
    The Department for Health and Social Care in England said the scheme would tackle "deeply entrenched barriers" that keep women away from cervical screening.
    This can be due to embarrassment, discomfort, lack of time as well as religious or cultural concerns.
    Just 68.8% of women currently take up the offer of cervical cancer screening - well below the NHS England target of 80%.
    Younger women, those with a disability, ethnic minority communities and LGBT+ groups are more likely to miss appointments.
    A recent trial showed the rollout of home test kits across England could increase the proportion screened to 77% over three years.
    Hazel Stinson, 49, from Kent, suffers from chronic fatigue syndrome and was last able to visit the GP for a cervical screening six years ago.
    She says she is "absolutely thrilled" that at-home testing is being rolled out across England.
    "This will mean that I and millions of other people just like me will be able to have the test when otherwise they might not be able to do it," she added.
    Ms Stinson said as someone with chronic fatigue, which is also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis or ME, "the most important thing is to advocate for yourself".
    Read full story
    Source: BBC News, 24 June 2025
    Related reading on the hub:
    Top picks: 9 resources about improving access to cervical screening The Eve Appeal: What adjustments can you ask for at your cervical screening? Catching cancer early: what more can we do as GPs? Improving healthcare services for people with ME and Long Covid: Patients share their challenges, and the actions needed
  4. Patient Safety Learning
    With the UK bracing for another heatwave this week, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is reminding people that high temperatures can affect medicines and how well they work. Hot weather changes how your body responds to medications, which could impact people managing long-term conditions – but a few simple steps can help avoid problems.
    Alison Cave, Chief Safety Officer at the MHRA, said:
    “Let’s face it – when there’s a heatwave, most of us are focused on getting outside and enjoying it while it lasts. But it’s easy to forget that medicines left in the heat – in cars, bags, or on sunny windowsills – might not work properly when you need them.
    “Some medicines can also make you more likely to burn in the sun, feel dizzy, or get dehydrated, especially if you’re taking diuretics or have a condition like asthma, heart disease, or diabetes.
    “To stay safe in the heat:
    Store medicines somewhere cool, dry and out of direct sunlight – especially if you’re out and about. Know the signs of heat-related illness – stay hydrated and listen to your body. Take extra care in the sun if your medicine makes your skin more likely to burn. “And remember, for all medicines it’s important to read the leaflet and speak to a healthcare professional if you have any questions.” 
    Read press release
    Source: MHRA, 10 July 2025
  5. Patient Safety Learning
    Warnings about common medications that can cause impulsive behaviours, such as sex and gambling addictions, are being officially reviewed after BBC News identified an error in drug leaflets.
    Side effects of a family of drugs used to treat Parkinson's, Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) and other conditions have led to huge debts, broken marriages, criminality and suicide, our year-long investigation found. More than 350 affected people have contacted the BBC during that period.
    One in six Parkinson's patients taking the drugs are affected by impulse control disorders, the clinical term for these behaviours, according to one study cited as the largest of its kind.
    Yet those side effects are described as "uncommon" in leaflets for one of the drugs, suggesting they only affect fewer than one in a hundred patients.
    After being alerted by the BBC, the UK's drug safety regulator said that "an error has been identified" and it would be changing that label to "common".
    In response to our findings, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has also begun reviewing warnings for all eight of these medications, which are known as dopamine agonist drugs.
    Boehringer Ingelheim, the developer of Pramipexole - the Parkinson's drug with impulsive behaviours listed as "uncommon" - said the regulator had approved its leaflets and that it was committed to improving patient safety.
    Neither it nor the MHRA were able to say how long the error had existed for, but the BBC has discovered its inclusion in a leaflet from 2021 - meaning patients have been misled for at least five years.
    The MP who heads the Health Select Committee has told us she "wants answers" from the MHRA and believes it should apologise to families for the mistake.
    "I just can't even begin to imagine hearing what they've been through - abuse, financial ruin, all that you've uncovered - and then to find out that they could have been so much better forewarned," said Layla Moran.
    Read full story
    Source: BBC News, 28 March 2026

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