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Patient Safety Learning

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Everything posted by Patient Safety Learning

  1. News Article
    Scientists in Australia say they have identified how the body's immune system fights the Covid-19 virus. Their research, published in Nature Medicine journal on Tuesday, shows people are recovering from the new virus like they would from the flu. Determining which immune cells are appearing should also help with vaccine development, experts say. "This [discovery] is important because it is the first time where we are really understanding how our immune system fights novel coronavirus," said study co-author Prof Katherine Kedzierska. The research by Melbourne's Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity has been praised by other experts, with one calling it "a breakthrough". Read full story Source: BBC News, 17 March 2020
  2. Content Article
    NHS staff are asking the same questions as everyone else about coronavirus. How deadly is it? How do we protect ourselves? Are the government’s tactics right? And how will the health service cope when – and it is when – it leaves large numbers of people seriously ill, many fighting for their lives? A senior consultant at a leading hospital for respiratory conditions such as pneumonia and cystic fibrosis talks to the Observer about his concerns.
  3. Content Article
    This article in the Washington Post simply describes COVID-19, how it spreads and how extensive social distancing helps.
  4. News Article
    Scientists and senior doctors have backed claims by France’s health minister that people showing symptoms of COVID-19 should use paracetamol (acetaminophen) rather than ibuprofen, a drug they said might exacerbate the condition. The minister, Oliver Veran, tweeted on Saturday 14 March that people with suspected COVID-19 should avoid anti-inflammatory drugs. “Taking anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen, cortisone . . .) could be an aggravating factor for the infection. If you have a fever, take paracetamol,” he said. Jean-Louis Montastruc, Professor of Medical and Clinical Pharmacology at the Central University Hospital in Toulouse, said that such deleterious effects from NSAIDS would not be a surprise given that since 2019, on the advice of the National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products, French health workers have been told not to treat fever or infections with ibuprofen. Experts in the UK backed this sentiment. Paul Little, Professor of Primary Care Research at the University of Southampton, said that there was good evidence “that prolonged illness or the complications of respiratory infections may be more common when NSAIDs are used—both respiratory or septic complications and cardiovascular complications.” Read full story Source: BMJ, 17 March 2020
  5. News Article
    Change course or a quarter of a million people will die in a "catastrophic epidemic" of coronavirus – warnings do not come much starker than that. The message came from researchers modelling how the disease will spread, how the NHS would be overwhelmed and how many would die. The situation has shifted dramatically and as a result we are now facing the most profound changes to our daily lives in peacetime. This realisation has happened only in the past few days. However, it is long after other scientists and the World Health Organization had warned of the risks of not going all-out to stop the virus. Read full story Source: BBC News, 18 March 2020
  6. Content Article
    In this blog published in the Guardian, a doctor on the frontline of the UK coronavirus outbreak talks about how he and others are ‘terrified’ about the lack of protection – and a plan. Working on the infectious diseases ward of a major UK hospital, which has now become the coronavirus ward, or 'red zone', the doctor explains why he is terrified. "I’m seriously considering whether I can keep working as a doctor. I may be OK – I’m young and healthy – but I can’t bear the thought of infecting other patients with a disease that could kill them. And that is the risk, without proper PPE. It’s terrifying; it’s indescribable. This is not seasonal flu. This is a new virus with greater mortality and we know much less about it."
  7. Content Article
    This study from Stevenson and Farmer concludes that underneath the stigma that surrounds mental health and prevents open discussion on the subject, the UK faces a significant mental health challenge at work. They start from the position that the correct way to view mental health is that we all have it and we fluctuate between thriving, struggling and being ill and possibly off work. People with poor mental health, including common mental health problems and severe mental illness, can be in any of these groups. An individual can have a serious mental health problem but – with the right support – can still be thriving at work.
  8. News Article
    NHS staff are to be given access to testing for covid-19, the government said this morning, but it remains unclear how the policy will be applied. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said at lunchtime: “Our testing regime is set up to provide for those who need tests the most. This includes key workers, such as NHS staff. We will set out more details shortly.” It remains unclear how this will be applied. The announcement follows concerns from healthcare professionals they are not being tested for the virus, even if they had been exposed to infected patients. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 17 March 2020
  9. News Article
    NHS hospitals have been told to cancel operations in an effort to free up 30,000 beds to create space for an expected surge in coronavirus patients. In a letter to NHS bosses today, NHS England said hospitals should look to cancel all non-urgent surgeries for at least three months starting from 15 April. Hospitals were given discretion to begin winding down activity immediately to help train staff and begin work setting up makeshift intensive care wards. Any cancer operations and patients needing emergency treatment will not be affected. The letter from NHS England Chief Executive Simon Stevens said: “The operational aim is to expand critical care capacity to the maximum; free up 30,000 (or more) of the English NHS’s 100,000 general and acute beds." In the meantime hospitals were told to do as much elective surgery, such as hip operations and knee replacements, as possible and to use private sector hospitals which it said could free up 12 to 15,000 beds across England. Sir Simon also said patients who did not need to be in hospital should be discharged as quickly as possible adding: “Community health providers must take immediate full responsibility for urgent discharge of all eligible patients identified by acute providers on a discharge list. For those needing social care, emergency legislation before Parliament this week will ensure that eligibility assessments do not delay discharge. Read full story Source: The Independent, 17 March 2020
  10. Content Article
    In January 2020 the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak of a new coronavirus disease to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. WHO stated there is a high risk of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) spreading to other countries around the world. In March 2020, WHO made the assessment that COVID-19 can be characterised as a pandemic. WHO and public health authorities around the world are acting to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. However, this time of crisis is generating stress in the population. These mental health considerations were developed by the WHO’s Department of Mental Health and Substance Use as messages targeting different groups to support for mental and psychosocial well-being during COVID-19 outbreak. 
  11. Event
    until
    Virtual Health and Care Design School are running an online course about human-centred design, the process of design thinking and its application in health and care. This course will give you the foundation to begin a project using the tools and skills of a designer. During each session you will work on your health and care problem with the advice and teaching of our exciting roster of speakers who have each been making great strides in the world of design thinking. You will also have the opportunity for one-on-one coaching with Design Lab consultants. In this session: Are you working on the right problem? Are the right people at the table? This session is all about how to frame - and reframe - problems to generate the most possibilities. Further information
  12. Event
    until
    Virtual Health and Care Design School are running an online course about human-centred design, the process of design thinking and its application in health and care. This course will give you the foundation to begin a project using the tools and skills of a designer. During each session you will work on your health and care problem with the advice and teaching of our exciting roster of speakers who have each been making great strides in the world of design thinking. You will also have the opportunity for one-on-one coaching with Design Lab consultants. This session will look at where are we on the landscape of healthcare and how we make sure we don't get left behind! Further information
  13. Content Article
    Surrey Heartlands share their best practice for dissemination.
  14. Article Comment
    We have just shared on the hub a blog from Joanne Hughes on this news item.
  15. News Article
    Frontline NHS staff are at risk of dying from Covid-19 after the protective gear requirements for health workers treating those infected were downgraded last week, doctors and nurses have warned. Hospital staff caring for the growing number of those seriously ill with the disease also fear that they could pass the infection on to other patients after catching it at work because of poor protection. Doctors who are dealing most closely with Covid-19 patients – A&E medics, anaesthetists and specialists in acute medicine and intensive care – are most worried. A doctor in an infectious diseases ward of a major UK hospital, who is treating patients with Covid-19, said: “I am terrified. I am seriously considering whether I can keep working as a doctor.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 16 March 2020
  16. News Article
    Italy has rapidly become the country hit second hardest in the world by the coronavirus pandemic. Marta Paterlini reports in the BMJ on the front lines of a country in total lockdown. The resulting government imposed state of emergency lockdown, which started in northern Italy and has expanded to the whole country, will last until at least 3 April in an attempt to contain a contagion that has, at the time of writing, infected over 24 747 people (including at least 2026 healthcare staff) and killed 1809. The fatality rate of 7.2 is now higher than in China (3.8). Italian doctors describe a warlike scenario in hospitals, with fewer places available than there are patients in critical condition. Lombardy, the region around Milan and the most affected in the country, has around 1000 beds available for patients in need of intensive care, but they are near to saturation. Italy is experiencing a chronic shortage of healthcare workers. On 9 March the government announced a plan to add 20 000 new doctors, nurses, and hospital employees to meet demand.567 Retired doctors may be called on, as well as students who have completed their medical degree and are in the final year of specialist training. Meanwhile, medical authorities are trying to avoid quarantining doctors who have come into contact with coronavirus patients. They are encouraged to work unless they show symptoms of the infection or test positive. Specialist physicians such as gastroenterologists and cardiologists have been asked to work outside of their fields. Read full story Source: BMJ, 16 March 2020
  17. News Article
    Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) failed to properly investigate child deaths, suggests evidence uncovered by the BBC. The source of one fatal infection was never examined and in another case GOSH concealed internal doubts over care. Amid claims GOSH put reputation above patient care, former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt urged it to consider a possible "profound cultural problem". Responding, the central London hospital said it rejected all suggestions that it treated any child's death lightly. BBC Radio 4's File on 4 programme has spoken to several families whose children were treated at the world-famous hospital. All said that while care at one point had been excellent, when things went wrong GOSH appeared to have little interest in fully understanding what had happened. The concerns over how Great Ormond Street is run are shared by staff. A staff survey, published last month, made grim reading for management. On two aspects, including whether there is a safety culture, it received the lowest score of all trusts in its category, while on three other questions, including how bad bullying and harassment were, and how good the quality of care was, its own staff rated it as among the worst. "If we want the NHS to offer the highest quality care in the world, then we have to change a blame culture and sometimes a bullying culture, for a learning and an improvement culture," the former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt told File on 4. "That staff survey would indicate they don't have that culture at Great Ormond Street." Read full story Source: BBC News, 17 March 2020 Read Joanne Hughes' response to this news in her blog shared on the hub.
  18. Content Article
    Consultant Mark Gallagher can’t understand why the NHS is not testing its staff for coronavirus. Mark, in a blog published in the Guardian, describes how he is at home with a temperature of 38 and is pretty certain he has Covid-19. But the NHS will not test him for it. Instead, he has paid for a test kit from a private UK clinic and a colleague in China is sending him another. Mark has been in and out of his London hospital every day for the last 28 in a row. In the past couple of weeks he saw maybe 70 people in outpatients.. He cannot understand why the NHS will not test him or other healthcare workers who are put at risk by their work and risk infecting other vulnerable patients in turn, as well as their families. “The policy is that I don’t need to be tested and even the people who have been in contact with me aren’t going to be tested,” he said.
  19. News Article
    The Prime Minister has said everyone in the UK should avoid "non-essential" travel and contact with others to curb coronavirus as the country's death toll hit 55. Boris Johnson said people should work from home where possible as part of a range of stringent new measures, which include: 1. Everyone of every age should avoid any non-essential social contact and travel. 2. Everyone to avoid pubs, clubs, cinemas, theatres and restaurants etc. 3. Everyone to avoid large gatherings - including sports events. 4. Everyone should work from home where possible. 5. If anyone in a house has CV19 symptoms, everyone in that house has to isolate for at least 14 days 6. Over 70s and those at risk (including pregnant women) to stay home for 12 weeks, which means no going out to shops or collect anything etc., unless there is no other option. Schools will not close for the moment. Read full story Source: BBC News, 16 March 2020
  20. Content Article
    Safe Steps Ltd creates digital web applications for UK care homes, local authorities and NHS trusts to help reduce falls for older people and residents.
  21. Content Article
    The Fall TIPS (Tailoring Interventions for Patient Safety) programme has been shown to be effective in preventing inpatient falls through formal risk assessment and tailored patient care plans. This study from Christiansen et al., published in the Journal on Quality and Patient Safety,  demonstrated that patients with access to the Fall TIPS programme are more engaged and feel more confident in their ability to prevent falls than those who were not exposed to the programme.
  22. Content Article
    Presentation slides for topic 5 of the WHO Multi-professional Patient Safety Curriculum Guide. The learning objective from this topic is to understand the nature of error and how healthcare providers can learn from errors to improve patient safety.
  23. News Article
    Experts have criticised NHS advice that people self-isolating with Covid-19 should take ibuprofen, saying there is plausible evidence this could aggravate the condition. The comments came after French authorities warned against taking widely used over the counter anti-inflammatory drugs. The country’s health minister, Olivier Véran, a qualified doctor and neurologist, tweeted on Saturday: “The taking of anti-inflammatories [ibuprofen, cortisone … ] could be a factor in aggravating the infection. In case of fever, take paracetamol. If you are already taking anti-inflammatory drugs, ask your doctor’s advice.” NHS guidance states that people managing Covid-19 symptoms at home should take paracetamol or ibuprofen. “I would advise against that,” said Prof Ian Jones, a virologist at the University of Reading. “There’s good scientific evidence for ibuprofen aggravating the condition or prolonging it. That recommendation needs to be updated.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 16 March 2020
  24. Content Article
    Sam Cartwright-Hatton and Abby Dunn have put together this useful sheet with tips on how we should talk to our children about COVID-19. The Flourishing Families Clinic is a totally new innovation in the NHS, piloted by Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. It's a specialist clinic, based in adult mental health services, that supports parents seeking treatment for mild to moderate mental health difficulties.
  25. Content Article
    Useful information on websites, guides and frameworks related to quality improvement. 
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