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Joanne Hughes

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Everything posted by Joanne Hughes

  1. Content Article Comment
    Blodwen, I am so sorry to hear of your suffering and some of the appalling things that have been said to you. To be harmed by healthcare is a 'trauma' that is not properly understood (except for those of us that are suffering from it) , and in particular differentiating this trauma from the physical injury or loss suffered. It's obvious to us the help we should receive and that the worst thing is abandonment, and dismissal. What happened to anyone harmed by healthcare one would hope would be 'rare' so that's certainly no excuse is it?? Your comments are not irrelevant and are welcomed. Have you had any support at all? I am aware of two counsellors who specialise in this kind of trauma, they themselves have suffered which is helpful. https://www.maureeninsight-services.co.uk, https://burnbankcounsellin.wixsite.com/burnbank-counselling. Sending strength x
  2. Content Article Comment
    MaryAdams thank you for your feedback. I'm glad that you found the content useful. I will be expanding further on the needs of harmed patients and families and how we meet them in this blog series over time. With 3 small children at home and no childcare opportunity since the end of March progress has been stalled, but it is in the pipeline! I'd be very delighted to have a chat with you about your work and my views on how we treat harmed patients better, ...and as discussion/development for pathways unfolds do make sure you are a part! Jo
  3. Content Article
    Sidney Dekker says when there has been an incident of harm, we need to know "who is hurt, what do they need, and whose obligation is it to meet that need?" In this blog, commissioned by Patient Safety Learning, Joanne Hughes, hub topic lead, develops our understanding of the needs of patients, families and staff when things go wrong.  Using Joanne's expertise and informed by her personal experience and engagement with many others who have suffered second harm, this blog discusses the care needs for harmed patients, their families and for staff when things go wrong. It aims to highlight the chasm between what is needed and what is currently delivered.
  4. Content Article
    The nature and consequences of patient and family emotional harm stemming from preventable medical error, such as losing a loved one or surviving serious medical injury, is poorly understood. Patients and families, clinicians, social scientists, lawyers, and foundation/policy leaders were brought together to establish research priorities for this issue. I recommend that all those involved in 'engagement with harmed patients and families' read this and in particular, commit to making sure they are doing the '20 things organisations can do now' that is listed in table 3. This paper was published in the Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety. Register for free to view the full article. 
  5. Content Article
    A brief, heartfelt piece presented purely from the harmed patient's perspective and urging those involved in making decisions about whether or not to investigate to consider the impact of a good investigation on the ability of the harmed patient and their family to heal... Well received on twitter and described by a number of patients as 'you've said what I feel'. A reminder that a crucial purpose of the investigation is to give a harmed patient and their family a full explanation to help them understand, process and share for learning their experience. All necessary to their recovery. All necessary to their own 'safety' following an incident (we know poor responses cause additional suffering to those already harmed). The author also highlighted (via twitter) how much of this blog relates to the needs of staff involved in incidents too...
  6. Community Post
    When my daughter Jasmine was given Methylprednisolone unsafely in 2011, when she was already Hypertensive before being given the drug, unbeknownst to me, safety guidelines for giving the drug (to monitor BP) were not followed. She developed symptoms that were very alarming to me. I was certain she was in distress and as time went on she developed a facial palsy (as I described as 'a strange shaped mouth' ) strange movement of her limbs and slurred speech. She was in the care of a nursing team and a very junior doctor who mistook her initial distress as 'hyperactivity' in response to steroids. This initial misdiagnosis then 'remained' despite her progressing symptoms, and my repeated attempts to get somebody to 'do something' to alleviate her distress. Conversations with a senior on call clinician described a hyperactive child whose mother is asking for sedation due to the Childs distress. This did not convey a sense of urgency for a review. By the time the senior clinician arrived Jasmine was seizing. At that time, once it was established BP had not been monitored and the current BP was measured, a Methyl Prednisolone induced Hypertensive Crisis was suspected. Jasmine had to be transferred to PICU. There are many stories, like mine, where parents are on a ward with a deteriorating child, who are alarmed, and frightened, but have no power to escalate their own Childs care. Was I at home and Jasmine presented like that, I am certain I would have rushed her to A&E myself or called an ambulance. On the ward, I had to rely on the nurses and junior doctor to do this for me. For whatever the reasons were, and there were many (I do no blame them as individuals for what happened) their judgement that day was wrong. I firmly believe Patient Activated Call4Concern should be provided in every trust. Why should parents / patients be disempowered from escalating care themselves once their child / they become an inpatient. I am aware that what evidence there is on this subject demonstrates it is not abused or used inappropriately, it has avoided serious incidents that likely would have otherwise occurred, and every call provides the trust with insight of some sort to help with patient safety improvement. https://www.royalberkshire.nhs.uk/call-4-concern.htm
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