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Patient-Safety-Learning

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News posted by Patient-Safety-Learning

  1. Patient-Safety-Learning
    A new survey of half a million adults in the UK has revealed more than 2 million may have suffered from long Covid. 
    Currently, long Covid is not fully understood and its definition has not yet been agreed upon. The self-reported survey showed 37% of respondents experienced at least one symptom lasting 12 weeks or more with higher weight, smoking, lower incomes and having a chronic illness being associated with a higher chance of experiencing symptoms of long Covid. 
    The government has issued £50m in funding for research on long Covid. 
    Read full story.
    Source: BBC News, 24 June 2021
  2. Patient-Safety-Learning
    It has been reported Accident and Emergency are seeing record numbers of young children being brought in with mild winter viruses, overwhelming the department. 
    Experts have said it is unlikely to be serious and that people should seek to speak with their GP, pharmacist or NHS 111 as the first port of call, but that A&E is an option if parents are worried it could be an emergency. 
    It has emerged that most of the children are under the age of five and it may be that as lockdown has been easing and people are mixing, winter viruses are reappearing. 
    Read full story.
    Source: BBC News, 25 June 2021
  3. Patient-Safety-Learning
    A woman in Scotland has died from cervical cancer after she was excluded from the cervical cancer screening programme. 
    The error meant that more than 400 women have also not been tested and it has been revealed since then, a small number of women have developed cervical cancer. 
    It has also emerged that some of the women wrongly excluded from the screening programme had partial hysterectomies dating back to 1997.  
    Maree Todd, the Scottish public health minister extends her condolences to the family of the woman who died. NHS boards are putting together better measures to ensure the errors do not happen again. 
    Read full story.
    Source: The Guardian, 24 June 2021
  4. Patient-Safety-Learning
    A statement has been released by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and the Faculty for Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH) addressing the concerns raised by women on painful IUD fittings. 
    Dr Diana Mansour, Vice President of the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH) and Dr Edward Morris, President at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists give a statement in support to women who have experienced pain during an IUD fitting, describing their concern and dismay at women's pain being dismissed. 
    Dr Edward Morris calls 'on the UK government to ensure these experiences are recognised and addressed in the new Women’s Health Strategy for England'. 
    Read full story.
    Source: Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, 22 June 2021
    Related hub content:
    The pain of my IUD fitting was horrific…and I’m not alone
  6. Patient-Safety-Learning
    A new report by the Royal College of Nursing shows the number of learning disability nurses working in NHS Hospitals, NHS hospital and community services in England has risen by only 22 in three years.
    Worryingly, there is estimated to be only 17,000 learning disability specialist nurses on the NMC register in the UK. 
    The Royal College of Nursing is urging the government to address the shortage of specialist nurses for learning disabilities. 
    Read full story.
    Source: Royal College of Nursing, 22 June 2021
  7. Patient-Safety-Learning
    GPs have been given until the 31st July to sign up patients to the new enhanced long Covid enhanced service (ES).
    The new service was set up to help support patients with the condition as it was considered complex and needed consistent support. 
    The ES is also intended to help GP practices 'plan their workforce set up, training needs and infrastructure in order to support patients with this new condition’. 
    The payment to practices will occur on a monthly basis and will be paid 75% of the fee (£0.371) per registered patient. The remaining 25% (£0.124 )will be paid once patients have been signed up. 
    Read full story.
    Source: Pulse Today, 21 June 2021
  8. Patient-Safety-Learning
    The number of children being prescribed antidepressants has increased over the past 5 years, with analysis from The Pharmaceutical Journal showing peaks have coincided with Covid lockdowns. 
    It was found between April 2015 and April 2020, children from the ages 0-17 who were prescribed antidepressants by a GP increased by 26 per cent with an increase in prescriptions occurring more notably during lockdowns. 
    Furthermore, the analysis found an 8 per cent increase since March 2019 showing 17,902 females and 9,855 males were found to have been prescribed antidepressants when the country was locked down in March 2020.  
    Read full story.
    Source: The Independent, 24 June 2021
  9. Patient-Safety-Learning
    A new review by a Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) found outdated systems used to provide oxygen around hospitals struggled to cope with demand, particularly during the winter months during the Covid surge. 
    HSIB was created to investigate safety issues in England, and have said the problems with oxygen was not isolated to just one hospital. 
    Read full story.
    Source: BBC News, 24 June 2021
  10. Patient-Safety-Learning
    The charity Birthright have launched an inquiry into why women from ethnic minority backgrounds are experiencing higher maternity risks. 
    Evidence in the inquiry will be gathered from parents, anti-racist campaigners, midwives and obstetricians. 
    The NHS has said it is working on a new strategy to address inequalities, maternity and neonatal care. 
    Read full story.
    Source: BBC News, 23 June 2021
  11. Patient-Safety-Learning
    Barnsley Hospital declares 'black alert' as their A&E becomes overwhelmed with patients. 
    The hospital has seen more than 300 patients in one day, putting pressure on staff to free up beds. 
    It has been understood that the surge in numbers is due to other illnesses and not Covid-19 related. 
    Read full story.
    Source: The Independent, 22 June 2021
  12. Patient-Safety-Learning
    Ministers are to legislate more powers over how data on patients is collected and are imposing a 'duty' on the NHS to share patient information when doing so would benefit the system. 
    The Health and Social Care Act 2021 already allows for sharing of data on an individual basis but staff have reported finding it hard to share it when it comes to primary and secondary care and administrative purposes. 
    The new draft strategy produced by NHSX, has suggested it may want to use cloud storage to create a set of “structured data records” with the idea that it would make it easier for patients to access their own data. 
    Read full story. (paywalled)
    Source: HSJ, 22 June 2021
  13. Patient-Safety-Learning
    The government is being urged to make the term 'nurse' a protected legal title as it has now been found people are calling themselves a nurse despite not being registered or qualified. 
    Recently it has emerged that even in the NHS, unregistered staff have been using the term 'nurse', meaning patients cannot be sure the person treating them is qualified raising concerns for patient safety. 
    Currently, only the term 'registered nurse' is a protected legal title. 
    Read full story.
    Source: The Independent, 21 June 2021 
  15. Patient-Safety-Learning
    Hospitals around the UK are facing record numbers of patients coming into A&E, overwhelming the service. New records have been set, surpassing that of the worst days in the winter of 2019. 
    Concerns over patient safety have been raised amid fears lives may be lost. It has been revealed by doctors working in A&E that patients are waiting to be seen as long as nine hours and the increased influx of people needing urgent treatment is putting more pressure on hospital beds. 
    There are also reports of growing levels of violence towards medical staff from frustrated public. Dr Adrian Boyle has said "there is no quick fix" and that the increased pressure and violence from members of the public have created a "toxic work environment". 
    Read full story.
    Source: The Independent, 20 June 2021
  16. Patient-Safety-Learning
    It has been reported that people in quarantine due to having flown in from overseas, were denied medical treatment when they needed it.
    Among them, included a baby needing urgent treatment and was stopped from going to Accident and Emergency and a man who had suffered a heart attack. 
    In what has been described as a breach of the law, people quarantined in the hotels in the London area were denied basic facilities and medical treatment. After legal intervention, the government has issued an order to release certain individuals from the hotel after it was found their health was impacted by the quarantine. 
    Read full story.
    Source: The Independent, 20 June 2021
  17. Patient-Safety-Learning
    Margaret Evans, 86, from Nefyn, Gwynedd describes the ban on visitors as 'soul-destroying'. 
    Ms Evans, who had been in hospital for more than 10 weeks describes her experience as like being "torn away from the world".  Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board have said they understood the impact of having no visitors and is set to make changes to the restrictions this week by allowing visits by appointment. 
    Other hospitals around Wales have already implemented this change, including those run by Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, Powys Teaching Health Board, and Swansea Bay University Health Board.
    Read full story. 
    Source: BBC News, 20 June 2021
  18. Patient-Safety-Learning
    From 1974 to 1987, children from Treloar's College, a boarding school for children with physical disabilities, were offered treatment for haemophilia.
    However, more than 120 children were given contaminated drug which infected many with HIV and viral hepatitis, with at least 72 having died as a result. 
    Treloar's College had a specialist NHS haemophilia centre on site, however, the blood plasma used to make the drug had been imported from overseas. 
    Only 32 out of the 122 children with haemophilia are still alive today. 
    It is hoped that the public inquiry may shed some light on what happened. 
    Read full story.
    Source: BBC News, 21 June 2021
  19. Patient-Safety-Learning
    England's Chief Nurse has announced every pregnant woman will be able to access their maternity records from their smart phone. 
    The move has been made so that pregnant women will be able to have more control over their pregnancy and will be able to see all the decisions and information made via a smart phone. 
    GPs and health professionals will also be able to access this information, it is hoped that by doing so, it will mean pregnant women will no longer have to repeat information to different clinicians they see whilst pregnant, which may also help improve safety.  
    Read full story
    Source: NHS England, 17 June 2021
  20. Patient-Safety-Learning
    Millions of people may be affected for years to come by the disruption to surgery across England and Wales, possibly for many years ahead. 
    It has been reported that hospitals have performed around 1.5 million fewer surgeries which may also be in part because people have not attended for their operation or treatment. 
    Those who have not come forward for their surgeries or treatments it had been found, could be due to fear of contracting COVID-19, or that there were fewer accidents that caused significant injury requiring surgery. 
    Findings showed surgeries that involved gall bladders, burn reconstructions and hip and knee replacements were among those that experienced the shortest fall. 
    Read full story
    Source: BBC News, 18 June 2021
  21. Patient-Safety-Learning
    New research shows a rise in sharps injuries among healthcare workers around Europe over the last year.
    Respondents of the research said the rise in sharps injuries may be due to staff shortages and higher pressures and stress on healthcare staff. 
    The survey, which covered more than 300,000 healthcare workers, found workers were being put at unnecessary risk of contracting deadly diseases such as HIV, Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C, with nurses being the ones primarily affected by the sharps injuries. 
    The article concludes that more interventions need to be done to protect healthcare workers.
    Read full story
    Source: The Brussels Times, 15 June 2021
  22. Patient-Safety-Learning
    A new survey by the BMA was conducted throughout the UK on moral distress from 18 March 2021 to 12 April 2021. 
    It was found that those doctors who worked with Covid-19 patients and doctors who were from ethnic backgrounds, were more likely to say moral distress was a feeling they had experienced. It was also found  doctors from ethnic backgrounds were also more likely to say moral injury resonated with their experiences.
     The results of the survey has raised concerns for staff wellbeing with the BMA asking that the government increase staffing to the NHS, and provide emotional and psychological support for healthcare workers. 
    Read full story
    Source: BMJ, 16 June 2021
  23. Patient-Safety-Learning
    Two more NHS maternity units have been downgraded by the care watchdog amid safety concerns. 
    The services at Colchester Hospital and Ipswich Hospital were downgraded from good, to 'requires improvement', finding staff shortages at both hospitals.
    Moreover, it was also found handovers were not sufficient meaning staff were not sharing the proper information about the women and babies.  
    Among the concerns and issues raised, there were problems with team-working, properly recording patient information, and inefficient information systems. 
    Read full story
    Source: The Independent, 16 June 2021
  24. Patient-Safety-Learning
    As services return to normal, Chief executive of NHS Wales has warned the Welsh NHS is under "substantial pressure".
    As safety measures are needed to remain in place, the resuming of normal services has created a challenge, with patient waiting lists becoming longer and A&E attendance returning to pre-pandemic levels. 
    There is now some concern the new Delta variant may increase hospital admissions, adding more strain to the already strained system. 
    Read full story
    Source: BBC News, 17 June 2021
  25. Patient-Safety-Learning
    The World Health Organisation has said cuts to the UK budget may put millions of lives at risk of dying from "neglected tropical diseases", leaving some of the poorest people in the world exposed. 
    The diseases listed included elephantiasis, trachoma and Guinea Worm. According to the WHO, the UK was able to provide funding to at least 19 countries before the aid cut.
    There are now fears that vital medicine, an estimated at 277 million tablets used to treat tropical diseases would now expire.
    The financial impact of the pandemic, according to the The Foreign Office, meant the aid cuts were necessary. 
    Read full story.
    Source: BBC News, 17 June 2021

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