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Patient-Safety-Learning

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News posted by Patient-Safety-Learning

  1. Patient-Safety-Learning
    The number of Covid-19 cases reported in Scotland has now reached 7,113, previously recorded as 6,835 on Friday.
    Health Secretary Humza Yousaf has warned the NHS was facing a "perfect storm" of pressure, with latest government figures showing a total of 507 people are in hospital with Covid and 52 are in intensive care.
    "We are seeing a rising curve of cases in Scotland. It's reassuring that vaccines are preventing the levels of serious health harms that case numbers like this would once have caused. However, we can't be complacent and are monitoring carefully. In the meantime, please take care." Tweeted First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. 
    Read full story.
    Source: BBC News, 30 August 2021 (Scotland)
  2. Patient-Safety-Learning
    A new study focused largely on unvaccinated or partially vaccinated people has found the Delta variant is more likely to cause hospitalisation than the Alpha variant.
    The Delta variant, first identified in India, is already understood to be far more infectious than the previously dominant Alpha variant that was initially detected in Kent. 
    Dr Gavin Dabrera, one of the study’s lead authors and a consultant epidemiologist for Public Health England has said, “This study confirms previous findings that people infected with Delta are significantly more likely to require hospitalisation than those with Alpha, although most cases included in the analysis were unvaccinated.”
    Read full story.
    Source: The Guardian, 27 August 2021
  3. Patient-Safety-Learning
    According to reports, senior managers at an NHS trust knew up to 30 cancers may have gone undetected two years before an official probe into a backlog of thousands of X-rays.
    Although the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and Healthwatch made investigations in 2016, neither one were told of potential harm to patients. The backlog was publicly exposed by Ken Hall, who approached the Care Quality Commission in 2016, where it then identified 11,000 X-rays had not been processed, but was subsequently struck off after allegations of fraud. 
    "These go through a rigorous quality assurance process and the Care Quality Commission would not publish any statement in an inspection report that it did not believe to be true." Said the CQC when asked about its findings of no harm after being shown the 2014 trust management committee reports, the CQC also told the BBC it could find no record of inspectors having had sight of them. 
    Read full story.
    Source: BBC News, 27 August 2021
  4. Patient-Safety-Learning
    According to Elizabeth Cotton, of Cardiff Metropolitan University, an expert in mental health at work, more than four in 10 – 41 per cent – of therapists working for the NHS’s talking treatments programme had been asked to manipulate data about patients’ progress.
    This was done in order to  to improve the scheme’s apparent achievement rates, although NHS chiefs insist patients’ views are recorded when therapists are not present.
    Read full story.
    Source: The Independent, 26 August 2021
  5. Patient-Safety-Learning
    Following a number of serious infections, hospitals have warned about the risks of wearing the wrong kind of face mask during surgery. 
    This comes after a patient safety alert was issued by NHS England where it was reported that respirator masks have been acquired by the millions during the coronavirus pandemic but sometimes have been deployed in inappropriate settings. 
    “These incident reports and feedback from services suggest that the risks of valved respirators and PAPRs for surgical and invasive procedures is not well recognised, and that their use may have become routine in some theatre environments.” NHS England said in the document. 
    Read full story.
    Source: The Independent, 26 August 2021
  6. Patient-Safety-Learning
    A major review of vaccines suggests the AstraZeneca jab does raise the risk of blood clots and another serious condition that can cause bleeding. However, the study also found the complications following coronavirus infection to be much higher.
    The University of Oxford-led team also found an increased risk of stroke after the Pfizer jab but also found it at a much lower rate than after infection. This comes after a coroner ruled that BBC Radio Newcastle presenter Lisa Shaw died due of complications from the AstraZeneca jab.
    Lead author Professor Julia Hippisley-Cox said it was "important people were aware of the risks, but that they were kept in context given the higher risk from being infected".
    Read full story.
    Source: BBC News, 26 August 2021
  7. Patient-Safety-Learning
    A spike in hospital acquired Covid-19 has been observed in two acute trusts, The Royal Wolverhampton Trust and Yeovil District Hospital Foundation Trust. 
    According to NHS England, it is can be considered hospital acquired if covid infections are diagnosed eight days or more after admission. Data suggests The Royal Wolverhampton Trust had a weekly average of 25 probable hospital-acquired covid infections in mid-August and a spike at the start of August for Yeovil District Hospital Foundation Trust. 
    Infection Prevention Society president Jennie Wilson said "Infection prevention and control teams are totally aware it’s a problem and they strive to do their best to keep it under control. It’s hugely challenging but [staff] are doing their best."
    Read full story.
    Source: HSJ, 25 August 2021
  8. Patient-Safety-Learning
    Local NHS organisations are increasing their efforts to conserve ubiquitous blood collection products amid concerns current measures are not working and stocks may run even lower. There is also a concern in east London that the message to reduce routine tests is not being heeded, with GPs not cutting back enough. 
    However, this week the British Medical Association raised concerns over suspending routine tests, including “NHS Health Checks, monitoring of quality of care, and medication reviews”.
    The union said: “It would also be unreasonable to ask healthcare staff to simply delay these tests until a later date — not only for the sake of our patients, but also the entire system, which is already tackling an enormous backlog of care.”
    Read full story.
    Source: HSJ, 25 August 2021
  9. Patient-Safety-Learning
    A new report from the British Medical Association has published results showing 9 in 10 female doctors have experienced sexism at work in the UK, including unwanted physical contact, denial of opportunities and being asked to massage male colleagues in meetings.
    The findings showed 91% of female doctors have experienced sexism at work, almost one-third (31%) of female doctors had experienced unwanted physical conduct in their workplace, and two in five (42%) of female and male doctors who had witnessed or experienced sexism felt that they could not report it.
    A female GP has said "I was asked at an interview if I was planning on having children. I’ve had patients refusing to see me as they want to see a proper – i.e. male – doctor … Advised I was not pretty enough to cause a distraction in meetings so they could treat me like a bloke.”
    Danny Mortimer, the deputy chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents hospital trusts, said "NHS organisations are working hard to make sure their staff do not experience sexism, or indeed, any form of discrimination, and Amanda Pritchard’s recent appointment [as NHS England’s new chief executive] signals a more representative leadership. But as this report makes clear, there is far more work to be done.”
    Read full story.
    Source: The Guardian, 26 August 2021
  10. Patient-Safety-Learning
    Appletree Hospital in Durham, a unit that provides female patients needing mental health care, has received an urgent enforcement notice from the Care Quality Commission.
    According to a report published by the CQC today, the hospital had “ineffective leadership”, also warning staff were carrying out “inappropriate” restraint on patients and that restraint was used “as a first line intervention”. The CQC report revealed staff had also claimed managers accepted the use of “unnecessary” restrictive practices.
    A spokeswoman for Cygnet’s Appletree unit said: “We move forward with strengthened local leadership, including a new hospital director and safeguarding and quality improvement leads.”
    Read full story (paywalled).
    Source: HSJ, 25 August 2021
  11. Patient-Safety-Learning
    According to reports, GPs and healthcare staff are receiving a torrent of abuse and threats of violence from patients, with some surgeries being sent hate mail, bomb threats and graffiti. This rise in abusive behaviour comes as GP's become overwhelmed with demand, often working many hours overtime with delays being able to get to appointments due to staff shortages. 
    Professor Martin Marshall, chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners, said: “It’s entirely unacceptable for anyone working in general practice to be at the receiving end of abuse of any kind, let alone the threat of physical violence. General practice has been open throughout the pandemic, and face-to-face appointments have been offered wherever safe and appropriate.
    Read full story.
    Source: The Independent, 23 August 2021
  12. Patient-Safety-Learning
    On 10 August NHS England issued guidance for healthcare workers, including medical directors and GPs, in the light of global shortages of blood tube products, now, doctors have raised concerns about the effects that a shortage of blood tubes in England will have on patient care and the NHS, which already faces backlogs.
    Read full story (paywalled).
    Source: BMJ, 24 August 2021
  13. Patient-Safety-Learning
    In an effort to tackle heart problems, a new NHS scheme will be rolled out in pharmacies where patients over 40 will be able to have their blood pressure checked. 
    The scheme, set to begin checks from October in some 11,300 pharmacies across England, will also give patients clinical and lifestyle advice or referred to treatment where necessary when getting their blood pressure checked. 
    Helen Williams, national speciality adviser for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention at NHS England and NHS Improvement, said: “As a pharmacist, I am delighted that this service is being rolled out across England. Community pharmacies are ideally placed to deliver blood pressure checks, being accessible within local communities and regularly used by most adults. This service will enable people with high blood pressure to be identified and treated early and will encourage conversations about lifestyle change to help people live healthy lives for longer.”
    Read full story.
    Source: The Independent, 24 August 2021
  14. Patient-Safety-Learning
    According to reports, a hospital in the northeast of England is having to turn away non-emergency patients from A&E due to "unrelenting" pressures on the service. This new policy was announced on Tuesday by Hull Teaching Hospitals Trust, warning patients they may need to travel up to 30 miles in order to receive care. 
    Dr Makani Purva, chief medical officer said in a statement on the trust website on Tuesday: “Staff are working incredibly hard to provide care for patients in challenging circumstances but we need people to use the full range of services available. One in four patients who attend A&E in Hull could have been treated more appropriately elsewhere, that’s around 100 patients every day. So from today, after an initial screening process, those arriving at A&E who could safely be cared for elsewhere will be referred on to one of several alternative care centres and providers. Doing so will help us to reduce waiting times for more seriously ill patients and ensure they receive the priority care they need in hospital, while enabling those patients with non-urgent needs to receive care more quickly from a suitably skilled health professional elsewhere.”
    Read full story.
    Source: The Independent, 24 August 2021
  15. Patient-Safety-Learning
    New rules for care home staff are set to come into force on November 11, 2021, requiring all staff to be vaccinated against Covid-19, unless they are exempt.
    Care homes will also be able to refuse entry to anyone who is unable to prove they have been fully vaccinated, with the Care Quality Commission warning that care homes will be monitored around their implementation of the new rules.
    In a letter to members of the House of Lords it warned: “The sector faces 112,000 vacancies currently, if the 5 per cent, who may eventually choose not to have the vaccine, leave the sector and are added to the current vacancies it will completely destabilise an already fragile sector.”
    Read full story.
    Source: The Independent, 23 August 2021
  16. Patient-Safety-Learning
    The authors of a new study in Australia, published in the Emergency Medicine Journal, have said moving emergency care patients to other hospital departments by wheelchair or trolley is prone to a high rate of mishaps, with nearly 40% leading to incidents.
    The study, which took place at Austin Hospital, a teaching hospital in the Melbourne suburb of Heidelberg, also found endotracheal tubes, ventilator hoses, and arterial lines were also associated with high mishap rates. 
    “Risk events are common and some result in harm. Risk factors include a high equipment number, transport to a ward and some abnormal vital signs. As many risk events are likely preventable, our identified predisposing factors may inform preventative strategies that may benefit other emergency departments.” The authors have said. 
    Read full story.
    Source: Nursing Times, 24 August 2021
  17. Patient-Safety-Learning
    According to a new study, mothers at risk of premature birth could be identified as soon as 10 weeks into their pregnancy.
    The study, conducted by King's College London and published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, found that by looking for specific bacteria in the in a pregnant woman’s cervicovaginal fluid, it could reveal warning signs for premature birth, meaning inflammation can be found and treated early to protect mothers and babies.
    Study author Andrew Shennan OBE, who is Professor of obstetrics at King’s College London, explained: “Premature birth is very hard to predict, so doctors have to err on the side of caution and mothers deemed to be at risk often don’t actually have their babies early, putting undue strain on everyone involved. My team has developed preterm birth prediction tools that are very accurate later in pregnancy, like fetal fibronectin tests – but at that stage, you can only manage the risks, not stop it from happening. The sooner we can find out who’s at risk, the more we can do to keep mothers and babies safe.”
    Read full story.
    Source: The Independent, 23 August 2021
  18. Patient-Safety-Learning
    According to reports, Covid-19 was the 9th biggest cause of death in England in July, and the 26th most common in June, with data showing it was the 22nd leading cause of death in Wales.
    Figures from the Office for National Statistics show the number of deaths was 7.6% higher than average in England and 10.4% higher in Wales.
    However, when there isn't a pandemic, the top causes of death are usually heart disease and dementia, but in the months when Covid-19 has been dominant, it has been the leading cause by a long way. 
    Read full story.
    Source: BBC News, 23 August 2021
  19. Patient-Safety-Learning
    BBC News Research has revealed disabled and vulnerable adults in England will face a steep rise in the amount they have to pay towards their care, with Directors of council services blaming years of government funding cuts.
    One woman, Saskia Granville earlier this year was shocked when she found her care charges had increased from £92 to £515 per month. A sum of almost £1,500 was also taken out of Saskia's bank account as a backdated payment, in March, leaving her in debt.
    Her mother, Bobbie, says: "Without my intervention, she wouldn't have had any food that week. She wouldn't have been able to pay her gas, electricity or water bills."
    Read full story.
    Source: BBC News, 24 August 2021
  20. Patient-Safety-Learning
    Midwives at Suffolk Hospital have spoken out in a whistleblowing letter describing problems in their department as ‘demoralising and heartbreaking’.
    In the letter, written by midwives who declined to give their names "for fear of retribution", describe constant staff shortages, a culture of blame and fear, a high pressure environment and substandard care, saying " We entered midwifery to be able to give women centred, holistic care. Instead it feels like we are being overwhelmed by the unmanageable and relentless workload, and as a result are giving substandard care which is demoralising and heartbreaking. We are all feeling like we are now desperate for change. This change is beyond what we can achieve ourselves so we urge you to please help us to generate it. It should not be accepted or tolerated for us to be forced into giving unsafe care entirely due to unsafe staffing". 
    In response, Karen Newbury, head of midwifery at the trust, said: “We are working exceptionally hard to recruit additional midwives and we are very grateful for the flexibility and dedication of our staff in ensuring that we provide a safe and caring service – this was recognised by our Care Quality Commission inspection in April which found we managed safety well. We have recently completed recruitment so there will be at least two senior midwives on every shift to provide flexible and experienced support to our maternity teams, and we are working with colleagues regionally to recruit staff both locally and internationally as well as running a full student training programme.”
    Read full story.
    Source: Suffolk News, 20 August 2021
  21. Patient-Safety-Learning
    Young people experiencing long Covid have urged people to get their vaccine in a new NHS video, featuring three previously healthy people in their early 20s and 30s.
    Quincy Dwamena, a 31 year-old a support worker, described himself in the video as a “healthy young guy”, warned “I ended up being hospitalised and thought I was going to die. My advice is to get the vaccine: don’t put yourself and others at risk, I wish I’d got mine as soon as it was offered.”
    Data from Public Health England has shown young people aged 16 to 29 at more likely to develop long Covid, however, vaccine uptake among this age group is lower than average, particularly within the London area. 
    Speaking in the NHS video, Dr Emeka Okorocha, an emergency medicine physician said, “As an A&E doctor, I’ve seen a lot during the pandemic. But nothing has shaken me like the sight of young, otherwise healthy adults being rushed into our hospitals with Covid-19. As well as their age, many of them have one other thing in common: they are unvaccinated.”
    Read full story.
    Source: The Guardian, 23 August 2021
  22. Patient-Safety-Learning
    A new antibody testing programme has been launched where participants will be sent two finger-prick tests to complete at home and then inform the UK Health Security Agency of the antibody response to different coronavirus variants.
    The new programme was created in order to generate new data on antibody protections for people following infection by different coronavirus variants, and from Tuesday, anyone over the age of 18 in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, will be able to opt into the programme.
    Health Secretary Sajid Javid has said "Our new national antibody testing will be quick and easy to take part in [and by] doing so you'll be helping strengthen our understanding of COVID-19 as we cautiously return to a more normal life. I'm proud to see all parts of the UK uniting around this new initiative and working together to arm ourselves with even more valuable insights into how COVID-19 vaccines are protecting people up and down the UK."
    Read full story.
    Source: Sky News, 22 August 2021
  23. Patient-Safety-Learning
    There has been a "harrowing" rise in child deaths and serious cases of harm linked to to abuse or neglect of children since the first Covid lockdown, according to reports from the Local Government Association (LGA).
    Data has revealed there were 536 serious incident notifications in England between April 2020 and March 2021, with LGA saying it was a "huge cause for concern" and it is extremely concerned about children’s safety.
    Councillor Anntoinette Bramble, chair of the LGA’s children and young people board, has said, "The pandemic has put extra pressure on families, particularly those living in difficult circumstances, which can fuel harmful acts of abuse or neglect on children. Councils have been working hard with their partners to identify this and provide the help children need, but it is vital that children’s social care services are funded to meet this need.”
    Read full story.
    Source: The Independent, 21 August 2021
  24. Patient-Safety-Learning
    Almost 100 members of the army have been brought in to help four ambulance trusts amid staff shortages in the South Central, South West, North East and East areas of England, with Unison saying it was a sign "things were not right".
    Vicky Court, assistant chief operating officer at North East Ambulance Services has said "It will ensure everyone continues to get the care they need by freeing up paramedics to be more available to attend potentially life-threatening incidents."
    Read full story.
    Source: BBC News, 21 August 2021
  25. Patient-Safety-Learning
    Fifty senior consultants from a minority ethnic background at University Hospitals North Midlands have written to Tracy Bullock and trust chair David Wakefield asking for action to ‘protect’ staff from bullying behaviours following an internal survey in which 348 medics claimed to have experienced bullying and harassment.
    In a subsequent letter on 5 August, seen by HSJ, 50 doctors have now said: “We are forced to express our concerns over the prevailing poor culture within our organisation with most senior medical staff presently reporting they have suffered or witnessed first-hand discrimination, bullying, harassment, or victimisation. We… ask for urgent action by the executive and non-executive boards to immediately implement measures to protect senior medical staff from unacceptable ill-treatment.”
    A separate external review is now understood to have been commissioned amid concerns over bullying within ophthalmology services. 
    Read full story (paywalled).
    Source: HSJ, 19 August 2021

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