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Content ArticleThis study in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health examines the demographic, clinical and socioeconomic factors associated with diagnosis of Long Covid in children aged 5 to 18 years. The authors conducted a population-based cross-sectional study using data from 20,601 children living in Israel who tested positive for Covid between 1 February 2020 and 30 June 2021. They found several variables associated with the development of Long Covid, including: the severity of acute infection being hospitalised recurrent acute infection ADHD diagnosis chronic allergic rhinitis chronic urticaria. The authors call for heightened clinical awareness that Long Covid can be present in children, and highlight that this should affect public health policy because of Covid-19's long-term health impacts.
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EventuntilPatient Academy for Innovation and Research (PAIR Academy) and the International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations (IAPO) in partnership with Dakshama Health are launching a series of webinars to introduce the Strategic Framework of the Global Patient Safety Challenge - Medication Without Harm. The 3rd webinar of the medication without harm webinar series is scheduled on 21 May 2022, from 11.30 to 12.30 GMT. The theme is "Understanding the process of Medication Management to reduce medication harm”. Register for the webinar
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Content ArticleIn this letter to Maria Caulfield MP, the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) First Do No Harm raises concerns that several recommendations from The Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety (IMMDS) Review have not so far been taken up by the government. The IMMDS Review looked at how the health system responds to reports from patients about harmful side effects from medicines and medical devices. It specifically looked at the cases of Primodos (a hormone pregnancy test), sodium valproate (an epilepsy medication) and pelvic mesh, and found that significant harm had been caused as a result of problems in the regulatory system and the reporting of side effects. It made a number of key recommendations to the government. The APPG highlights the urgent need to establish a redress scheme for those who have suffered avoidable harm related to the products in the IMMDS Review, a recommendation for which there is widespread cross-party support. They also express disappointment that the government continues to promote the litigation route for those who have suffered harm, arguing that it is an adversarial and difficult process for patients and families who have already suffered significant harm. The letter does recognise that the government has decided to appoint a Patient Safety Commissioner, as recommended by the IMMDS Review, and highlights the significance of this step.
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Content ArticleIn this guest blog for the Professional Records Standards Body (PRSB), Taffy Gatawa, Chief Information and Compliance Officer at everyLIFE Technologies, talks about the importance of ensuring that healthcare technologies comply with recognised standards. She discusses everyLIFE's experience on PRSB’s Standards Partnership Scheme, and their journey to implementing standards in their digital products. Taffy describes a process of learning and feedback, achieved through desktop research, clinical reviews and critical engagement with PRSB and customers.
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Content Article‘Digital clinical safety’ refers to avoiding harm to patients and staff that could be caused by technologies manufactured, implemented and used in the health service. In this blog, Dr Kelsey Flott, Deputy Director of Patient Safety at the NHS Transformation Directorate, looks at the importance of digital clinical safety in driving quality improvement. She talks about how the Digital Clinical Strategy is being implemented and the drive to collect better evidence about the effectiveness of improvement technologies.
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Content ArticleThis video is based on research interviews with acute medical patients and examines how staff and patients in hospital can create safe care together. It includes quotes from real-life patient experiences and highlights the importance of listening to and reassuring patients, and involving them in their care.
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Content ArticleThis first report in National Voices' ‘Behind the Headlines’ series gathers insight and intelligence from member organisations on what the cost of living crisis means for people living with ill health. It examines the close link between poverty and health, highlighting that people living in poverty are more likely to be living in poor health. Equally, lack of support for people living with ill health and disability can make people poor. The report gathers case studies and data on topics including include cancer, kidney conditions, older people and homelessness. It makes a set of recommendations based on this insight.
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EventuntilJoin the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Committee on Improving the Representation of Women and Underrepresented Minorities in Clinical Trials and Research as it discusses its newly released report Improving Representation in Clinical Trials and Research: Building Research Equity for Women and Underrepresented Groups. This new report makes a compelling case for why we need more equitable participation in clinical trials and clinical research, including an economic analysis on the cost of health disparities in the United States. It provides a review of the barriers to having more equitable participation in clinical trials, describes strategies to overcome those barriers, and provides actionable recommendations to drive lasting change on this issue. The webinar will take place at 11:00-13:00 EST (16:00-18:00 GMT+1) Register for the webinar
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Content ArticleThis French study in the Journal of Hospital Infection evaluated the frequency and factors associated with environmental air and surface contamination in rooms of patients with acute Covid-19. It aimed to increase understanding of how the virus is transmitted in hospitals. The authors found that surfaces seemed to be more frequently contaminated with Covid-19 than air or mask samples, and noted that viable virus was rarely found. They suggest that samples from the inside of patients' face masks could be used to identify patients with a higher risk of contamination.
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Content ArticlePersonalised care and support planning (PCSP) is a systematic process based around 'better conversations' between the person and their health and social care practitioners. The aim is to identify what is most important to each person for them to achieve a good life, and to ensure that the support they receive is designed and coordinated around their wishes. It's goal is to empower people to be the main decision-maker in their own care, and to arrive at one plan that encompasses all the person's care needs. This tool has been developed by Think Local Act Personal to support PCSP for people with health and social care needs. Featuring example characters who help bring the process to life, it covers the following stages of the PCSP process: Context Preparation Conversation Record Making it happen Review
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Content Article
This is part of our new series of Patient Safety Spotlight interviews, where we talk to people about their role and what motivates them to make health and social care safer. Lou worked in family liaison for the police service for thirty years, and she talks to us about how this experience is helping her develop family engagement services at the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB). She describes the importance of valuing the voices of patients and their families, and the vital role of their input in improving safety in the healthcare system. She also talks about the challenges the Covid-19 pandemic posed to HSIB's family engagement work, and how speaking to patients and their families is being increasingly valued and professionalised by the healthcare system. -
Content ArticleThis study in the journal Health and Social Care Delivery Research mapped interventions aimed at reducing restrictive practices in children and young people’s institutional settings around the world. It also assessed which process elements led promising behaviour change techniques, and compared the results with a companion review of adult psychiatric inpatient settings. In the first evidence review of its kind, the authors found that interventions tend to be complex, reporting is inconsistent and robust evaluation data are limited. But they did find some behaviour change techniques that warrant further research. They argue that better evidence could help address the urgent need for effective strategies.
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Content ArticleThe Reducing Restrictive Practice Collaborative (RRP) aimed to reduce restrictive practice by one third in participating wards, measuring the following practices: Restraint – to prevent, restrict or subdue movement of the body, or part of the body of another person Seclusion – confinement in a room or physical space Rapid tranquillisation – use of sedative medication by injection. This webpage contains a number of resources related to the work of the collaborative, including a resource booklet outlining learning about running successful quality improvement projects.
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Content ArticleNext Steps is a tool created by the Dementia Change Action Network to help patients find the right support, at the right time, while waiting for their memory assessment appointment. Some patients are facing longer waits as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, and it can be an uncertain time. Next Steps provides information about what to expect from the memory assessment process and about organisations who can help.
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Content ArticleThere are an estimated 3.8 million people with a wound being managed by the NHS, which is equivalent to 7% of the UK population. The impact of wounds on patients is significant and can lead to deteriorating mental health as well as further physical health issues. In addition, the cost to the NHS of providing wound care services is around £8.3 billion annually. This report by Mölnlycke and the Patients Association provides an outline of the state of wound care services in England by mid-2021. It features patient stories and data analysis on the following topics: Wound care in the health service The impact of Covid-19 Supported self-care Getting wound care right first time What next for wound care?
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Content ArticleSurgical smoke or surgical plume is the smoke created by electrical and cauterisation devices used in surgery. When surgical staff are exposed to this smoke, it may cause harm, with some studies finding that exposure increased cancer risk for surgeons. This study in the journal Scientific Reports aimed to compare the concentration of surgical smoke produced by different tissues and electric diathermy modes, and to measure the effectiveness of different local exhaust ventilations. The authors found that: there were varying levels of particulates given off by different devices and different tissues. in the cutting setting, all three smoke extractors had more than 96% efficiency in clearing surgical smoke. adapting an electric diathermy device with a urethral catheter is a simple and effective way to exhaust smoke in surgical operations. They highlight the need for more research to ensure surgical staff are well protected from the risks of surgical smoke.
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Content ArticleVolunteers make a huge contribution to the NHS, and there is evidence that the role of volunteers has expanded in recent years. The most recent NHS workforce plan recognises and commits to maximising the value of volunteers as services are rebuilt and reformed after the Covid-19 pandemic. This resource by The King's Fund provides a framework for identifying how to move from volunteering as an ‘added extra’ to it making an integral contribution to the delivery of health care. It also explores ways in which volunteering can have a positive impact for all involved.
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Content ArticleMore than 100,000 additional people have died across the UK since the start of the pandemic, compared to long term rates. Many of these people have died at home, and we know little about their experience, or the level of care and support they and their relatives received from the healthcare system. In this blog for the charity Hospice UK, Maureen describes her experience of caring for her parents after they were discharged from hospital to die at home during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. Maureen describes how she and her siblings were left to care for their parents with very little practical, clinical or emotional support. Hospice UK have also shared a video of Maureen telling her story as part of their Dying Matters campaign.
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Content ArticleRichard Murray, Chief Executive of The King's Fund, writes about what the recent passing of the Health and Care Act 2022 tells us about the government's approach to health and care, and highlights key issues the system faces. He highlights two areas of focus, workforce and social care, and looks at how problems in these areas are affecting the people who work in and use health and care services.
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Content ArticleThousands of patients worldwide have experienced extreme pain and life-altering side effects as a result of surgical mesh implants. This report was commissioned by the New Zealand Ministry of Health to evaluate the project ‘Hearing and responding to the stories of survivors of surgical mesh: Ngā korero a ngā mōrehu – he urupare’, which addressed issues raised by people injured by mesh in New Zealand. A restorative approach to addressing harm in healthcare seeks to provide a collaborative, non-adversarial approach to resolving disputes. It recognises the need for relational interaction and conversation to support healing. The project's restorative process was co-designed in 2019 by the Ministry of Health, advocacy group Mesh Down Under, and researchers and facilitators from Te Ngāpara Centre for Restorative Practice at Te Herenga Waka, Victoria University of Wellington. The evaluation was led by a team at the Te Ngāpara Centre, who evaluated the experiences of 230 people who took part in the restorative process. They aimed to find out if the project objectives were met and whether a restorative approach could be used in other health contexts.
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Content ArticlePregnant women seeking asylum in the UK face many challenges in accessing healthcare and support during pregnancy and after birth. In this blog, Ros Bragg, director of Maternity Action, highlights evidence the organisation recently gave to the Women and Equalities Select Committee as part of their inquiry into equality and the UK asylum system. She highlights the inadequate level of financial support given to pregnant women seeking asylum, which means they are not able to eat healthily or buy necessary equipment during the perinatal period. She also draws attention to the fact that recent updates to the Home Office policy on dispersal for pregnant women - that state that they should not be moved more than once during pregnancy, and should be moved to suitable accommodation - are not being followed in practice. This prevents women seeking asylum from accessing consistent healthcare and building trust and relationships with midwives and other healthcare professionals.
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Content ArticleThis report has been developed by the Patient Coalition for AI, Data and Digital Tech in Health, which aims to unite representatives from patient advocacy groups, including Patient Safety Learning, Royal Colleges, medical charities, industry and other stakeholders committed to ensuring that patient interests lie at the heart of digital health policy and discussions. The report focuses on how programmes have worked with patients to reduce digital health inequalities, by supporting those who are unable to access and use the internet and digital devices to improve their health and general wellbeing.
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Content ArticleRecent analysis shows that recognisable mental health issues are increasing amongst young people, with referrals to children and young people's mental health services increasing by 81% in April to September 2021, compared to the same period in 2019. In this blog, Martina Kane, Policy and Engagement Manager at The Health Foundation, looks at the contextual factors that influence young people's mental health, arguing that these are often overlooked in the way mental health issues are treated. She looks at factors such as parental unemployment, the energy crisis and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on education, and argues that these must be taken into account when designing mental health services for children and young people. She highlights that while young people benefit personally from good mental health, it is also an asset for society and the economy that must be invested in by the government.
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EventuntilFor the first time, RCOG World Congress will be an innovative and inclusive hybrid event, held simultaneously in London and online. To ensure we continue to support healthcare professionals at all stages across the globe, we wanted to provide a format accessible to all. Our hybrid event will feature a 350 in-person face-to-face event at the RCOG’s headquarters in Union Street, London and a state-of-the-art virtual experience available to all. Both will be linked using our virtual event platform and Congress app for networking, 121 meetings, Q&A, polling and live reactions. Find out more and register
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EventuntilThe results from the Five X More nationwide survey on Black women’s maternity experiences will be officially launching on Tuesday 24th May "No decisions about us, without us" For many years Black women and birthing people in the UK have experienced poorer health outcomes and lower quality of care. This is particularly true within maternity. In the recent MBRRACE reports, clear racial variations in maternal deaths were observed, showing that Black women are four times as likely to die as white women during pregnancy, delivery or postpartum, yet the reasons for the differences in maternal outcomes remain unclear. We believe a crucial step to solving this is to understand how maternity care is delivered from the perspective of women from the Black community. Join us as we delve further into the statistics of this landmark study completed by over 1300 respondents and hear updates from our special guest keynote speakers TBA.
