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Patient-Safety-Learning

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  1. Patient-Safety-Learning
    Nurses are being drafted in to an NHS hospital to help support the maternity unit due to dozens of midwife vacancies.
    According to the Royal College of Midwives, they were worried the staff shortages were becoming more widespread as the NHS are becoming more desperate to fill the vacancies, however, the College has warned against using registered nurses instead of midwives as it could have an impact on the care of women and babies. 
    Amid staff shortages at Basildon Hospital, there is now an active consideration to move planned caesarean sections to Southend Hospital, part of the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust. 
    One worker  has said “Basildon doesn't feel like a centre of excellence at the moment. I worry that flooding a department with newly qualified midwives and agency workies is a recipe for patient harm.” 
    Read full story.
    Source: The Independent, 28 July 2021
  2. Patient-Safety-Learning
    A public inquiry into the infected blood scandal has heard that the government was right to say there was "no conclusive proof" that Aids could be transmitted by blood products in 1983.
    According to Lord Clarke, the phrase was entirely accurate at the time it was said. However, evidence in documents reveal senior health officials believed HIV could be carried through blood.
    "Somebody, somewhere, decided that that was the best most accurate line to take. It was repeatedly used by every minister. We kept repeating that because that was the scientific advice we had until it was perfectly clear to the medics that there was in fact sufficient proof... we weren't playing down that possibility. It seems to me... it's a perfectly accurate description of where medical opinion was at that time." Lord Clarke told the inquiry. 
    Read full story.
    Source: BBC, 28 July 2021
  3. Patient-Safety-Learning
    The Department of Health and Social Care has been criticised after it accepted only 4 out of the 9 recommendations set out in the Cumerledge review.
    Marie Lyon, co-chairwoman of the patient reference group for the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review has said “Unfortunately, the culture of protect and deny continues to be the default response to patients, while stating lessons have been learned. These lessons will never equate to action and improved safety of drugs and devices, while government ministers mark their own performance as satisfactory when it is not. Many more women and children will be damaged unless this systemic culture of protect and deny undergoes a profound change.”
    Read full story. (paywalled)
    Source: HSJ, 22 July 2021
  4. Patient-Safety-Learning
    Breast surgeon Ian Paterson, was convicted and jailed for 20 years for performing unnecessary and dangerous surgery on women over the span of 14 years, being found guilty of 17 counts of wounding with intent and three counts of unlawful wounding. Thousands of his patients are only now just learning that they experienced unnecessary tests and surgery when there was no clinical need, having never been properly reviewed after his conduct had been revealed.
    Now, Spire Healthcare may be facing up to £50 million in compensation costs with the NHS and insurers having also paid £10 million.
    Linda Millband, head of clinical negligence at Thompsons Solicitors has said "“It is clear people have been missed and we will be urging anyone who believes they may have been a victim of Ian Paterson, at any time, to come forward and seek compensation for their injuries. Our job is to ensure any victim of Paterson, whenever they may have been contacted, get the maximum compensation.”
    Read full story.
    Source: The Independent, 27 July 2021
  5. Patient-Safety-Learning
    Eight hospitals have reported that at least 1 in 10 beds are now occupied by a patient with coronavirus, HSJ can reveal. 
    Operational information seen by HSJ showed the 8 Trusts were, Queen Elizabeth Hospital; Gateshead, South Tyneside and Sunderland Foundation Trust, North Tees and Hartlepool Foundation Trust, Barnsley Hospital, The Rotherham Foundation Trust, Pennine Acute Hospitals Trust, across several hospitals in north Manchester, Oldham and Bury, Whittington Health Trust, and Sandwell and West Birmingham. 
    Having 10 per cent or more beds occupied by Covid patients has a big impact on how the hospital is able to run due to the need to ensure the patients are in appropriate wards and isolated from patients who are negative for the virus. Compared to previous waves, current patients are much younger and healthier and have been found to have a shorter length of stay in hospital. 
    Read full story (paywalled).
    Source: HSJ, 26 July 2021
  6. Patient-Safety-Learning
    Experts have warned misinformation around the Covid vaccine may be helping fuel the spread of the virus. Director of the Oxford Vaccine Group has warned "confused messaging" around the effectiveness to protect the population could threaten confidence in the jab. 
    Sir Andrew, together with Professor of vaccinology Shabir Madhi at the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa, have suggested lessons can be learned from South Africa. Writing for The Independent, they said “South Africa was one of the first African countries to procure the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine from Serum Institute of India. Unfortunately, these doses were never deployed because of misguided fears over efficacy, allowing the present third wave to occur in a largely unvaccinated population.” 
    Read full story.
    Source: The Independent, 26 July 2021
  7. Patient-Safety-Learning
    According to reports, Covid-19 cases may be falling, raising hopes that the peak of the third wave has passed.
    However, experts are not so sure that Covid is truly in decline as figures have shown cases have gone up dramatically and declined just as quickly. 
    Prof Christl Donnelly, from University of Oxford and Imperial College London has said "It's certainly is good to see case numbers going down, but we need a reality check. We've had a dramatic increase - and then on the face of it, a dramatic decrease. We have to be careful not to over-interpret that."
    Read full story.
    Source: BBC News, 27 July 2021
  8. Patient-Safety-Learning
    US President Biden has said people suffering from long-term effects if Covid-19 could be considered a disability under federal civil rights laws.
    The administration does make clear however that having long covid doesn't automatically mean disability and that an individual assessment may be needed to determine whether a person’s long-term symptoms “substantially limits a major life activity.”
    President Biden has said the classification of long covid as a possible disability would “help Americans grappling with long-term effects of covid-19 that doctors call long covid.”
    Read full story.
    Source: The Washington Post, 26 July 2021
  9. Patient-Safety-Learning
    Researchers are looking at ways the Covid-19 vaccine could become a pill or inhaler instead of an injection. 
    In the hope of fighting against the coronavirus pandemic, a team in Sweden are hoping to create a new, powdered version of the vaccine which can be taken at home instead.
    ISR's founder, Ola Winquist, a professor of immunology at the Karolinska Institute has said, "The game-changer is that you could distribute the [powder] vaccine extremely easily without the cold chain, and it can be administered without the need for healthcare providers".
    Read full story.
    Source: BBC News, 26 July 2021
  10. Patient-Safety-Learning
    A Sage scientist has accused ministers of allowing infections to spread through the younger population in the hopes it would increase herd immunity before the NHS experiences winter pressures. The government scientist made ministers aware of their concerns after restrictions were eased on Monday 19th July, allowing nightclubs to open, with all previous restrictions being eased. 
    “Abandoning all precautions and allowing infections to climb not only risks further restrictions in the future, it condemns thousands to long-term illness and places huge pressure on the NHS. Rising Covid admissions are helping exacerbate a summer NHS crisis, with operations cancelled and increasing waiting times. It means we are heading into another difficult winter and high levels of virus circulating could see a vaccine-evading variant emerge. This is an utterly reckless strategy from Boris Johnson.” Shadow health secretary, Jon Ashworth, has said. 
    Read full story.
    Source: 23 July 2021
  11. Patient-Safety-Learning
    Midwives working at the Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) Trust have told The Independent that "women are still at a risk of harm". 
    This comes after Nottingham hospitals were investigated after it was found there was a high number of baby deaths and injuries on the maternity ward. However, midwives have revealed to The Independent that there are still not enough resources and support to help women deliver their babies safely. 
    One midwife working in the community told The Independent: “They keep saying ‘We’ve learned our lessons, it’s not like that now’ – but it’s even worse now. It’s worse because we know about it and it’s still bad. Women are still at risk of harm. Even more so in the community.”
    Read full story.
    Source: The Independent, 25 July 2021
  12. Patient-Safety-Learning
    NHS bosses have warned as Covid-19 infections rise, the demand for A&E ha surged, colliding with holiday season. 
    According to reports, hospitals are being told to brace themselves as admissions to hospital for patients with Covid have risen by more than 30 per cent over the past week.
    Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals, chief executive Dame Jackie Daniel has said, “We are going through the ‘perfect storm’ of high numbers of Covid patients in hospital, high Covid infections in the community, which is affecting staff and our families, unprecedented levels of urgent and emergency demand and peak holiday season, all of which comes after 18 months of exhausting work.”
    Read full story.
    Source: The Independent, 25 July 2021
  13. Patient-Safety-Learning
    Coronavirus infections continue to fall, according to new reports, with the UK recording 29,173 new cases on Sunday - down from 48,161 recorded from the 18th July.
    Prof Paul Hunter from the University of East Anglia has said, "Today's figures do not of course include any impact of last Monday's end of restrictions. It will not be until about next Friday before the data includes the impact of this change."
    Read full story.
    Source: BBC News, 26 July 2021
  14. Patient-Safety-Learning
    Owing to social distancing and a lack of exposure, childhood respiratory illness, RSV is on the rise, according to reports and parents are being warned to look out for signs and symptoms. 
    "This winter, we expect levels of common seasonal illnesses such as cold and flu to increase, as people mix more and given that fewer people will have built up natural immunity during the pandemic. Children under two are at a particular risk of severe infections from common seasonal illnesses," Public Health England, medical director Dr Yvonne Doyle has said. 
    Read full story.
    Source: BBC News, 23 July 2021
  15. Patient-Safety-Learning
    More than 20 families have said they want a completely independent inquiry into maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust.
    One mother, Hayley Coates has said her baby was delivered with forceps, a fractured skull and was starved of oxygen, suffering major brain injuries after a very difficult labour. An inquest this year found serious failings in the service Hayley received after her baby Kaylan, died of an infection a week later. 
    "I was pushing and pushing and nothing was happening. I kept saying the baby isn't coming and I need to go for a Caesarean, but staff kept saying I was going to have the baby naturally," Hayley has said. 
    NUH chief executive Tracy Taylor has said, "We apologise from the bottom of our hearts to the families who have not received the high level of care they need and deserve, we recognise the effects have been devastating".
    Read full story.
    Source: BBC News, 22 July 2021
  16. Patient-Safety-Learning
    Some people calling 999 are having to wait up to 10 minutes before their call is answered. Staff have warned patients may be coming to harm, and may be even dying as a result of the delays and with paramedics also reporting it's taking as long as 24 hours for some ambulances to reach patients. 
    One paramedic has told The Independent, “We are stacking over 500 jobs, with patients waiting hours for an ambulance response. That includes elderly vulnerable people who have fallen but only merit a category three, so their calls are routinely pushed further and further down the queue. In the last few days, I've been to patients waiting 11 or 13 hours. And just to be clear: this is not the hospitals’ fault. The system is profoundly broken.”
    Read full story.
    Source: The Independent, 22 July 2021
  17. Patient-Safety-Learning
    The care watchdog has warned patient care may be being affected by the current pressures on the NHS with healthcare workers suffering significant levels of stress.
    Concerns have been raised in recent weeks after a surge in Covid-19 infections has resulted in record numbers of people calling for ambulances and attending emergency departments, overwhelming the service. 
    Professor Ted Baker, the Care Quality Commission’s chief inspector of hospitals has said “It's imperative that not only do we deal with the immediate pressures on the system, we also need to deal with the underlying problems with the models of care. If we don't do that, patients will not be able to receive the care we want them to, and the pressure on staff to provide care under these difficult circumstances will continue.”
    Read full story.
    Source: The Independent, 22 July 2021
  19. Patient-Safety-Learning
    Health professionals have warned that if Covid-19 rates continue to rise, Maternity services may struggle to keep running.
    The Royal College of Midwives and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists have said home births have been cancelled amid ambulance shortages. 
    Leah Deutsch, a senior registrar in obstetrics and gynaecology at the Royal Free Hospital in north London, has told The Independent that some women were unable to have their home births during the first and second wave of the pandemic. 
    Read full story.
    Source: The Independent, 21 July 2021
  20. Patient-Safety-Learning
    The number of people who have died in each care home has been published for the first time. According to reports, more than 39,000 care home residents died with the virus between 10 April 2020 and 31 March 2021.
    The data, released by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) shows 21 homes had more than 30 Covid-19 related deaths, with the highest number of deaths in a single care home being 44.
    Kate Terroni, CQC chief inspector for adult social care has said "Every number represents a life lost". 
    Read full story.
    Source: BBC News, 21 July 2021
  21. Patient-Safety-Learning
    In this article, an Alabama doctor describes how her unvaccinated patients are dying from Covid-19. 
    Dr Brytney Cobia, a hospitalist at Grandview Medical Center in Birmingham said in a Facebook post on Sunday, “I’m admitting young healthy people to the hospital with very serious COVID infections. One of the last things they do before they’re intubated is beg me for the vaccine. I hold their hand and tell them that I’m sorry, but it’s too late.”
    Read full story.
    Source: Advance Local, 21 July 2021
  22. Patient-Safety-Learning
    The London Ambulance service declared a 'business continuity incident' on Monday after a surge in 999 calls. 
    Paramedics were told the ambulance service was under extreme demand after the calls threatened to overwhelm the service. The announcement was made after more than 400 calls were made in a single hour during Monday afternoon. 
    “Yesterday we saw high levels of demand for our services and used tested processes to care for our patients – this allowed some people with the least urgent care needs to be treated through alternative routes" said a London Ambulance Service spokesperson. 
    Read full story.
    Source: The Independent, 20 July 2021
  23. Patient-Safety-Learning
    The Royal College of Nursing has demanded the health secretary is made fully accountable for the planning and supply of nursing staff in England. 
    As the Health and Care Bill passes through parliament, the RCN insists key changes need to be made to Bill to enable the workforce crisis to be appropriately addressed, including ensuring that the commissioning of services is done in partnership with local communities and ensuring that the voices of experts such as royal colleges are part of the regulation of the profession.
    Read full story.
    Source: RCN, 17 July 2021
  24. Patient-Safety-Learning
    Mandatory mask wearing rules are set to return to Jersey from Wednesday 21 July amid concerns for rising case numbers. 
    The rules stipulate that anyone over the age of 12, must wear a mask when inside indoor public places such as transport, shops and health care settings.
    Minister for Health and Social Services, Deputy Richard Renouf has said: "While we have seen a rise in cases over the past two weeks, it is important to remember the effect our vaccination programme has had on the island".
    Read full story.
    Source: BBC News, 20 July 2021
  25. Patient-Safety-Learning
    In the past week, many people have been 'pinged' by the NHS app, informing them they have been in close contact with someone who has had the Covid-19 virus and that they should self-isolate. However, despite this advice there is no legal obligation. 
    Downing street, on the other hand, have urged those who have been 'pinged' to self-isolate when sent the alert via the app. 
    A spokeswoman for No 10 has said "Given the risk of having and spreading the virus when people have been in contact with someone with Covid, it is crucial people isolate when they are told to do so, either by NHS Test and Trace or by the NHS Covid app".
    Read full story.
    Source. BBC News, 20 July 2021

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