Mark Hughes

Lives could be saved and the public better protected against future epidemic and pandemic threats through a £33.2 million UK Government investment in vaccines against some of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases. This investment will help scientists to develop, test and deploy vaccines faster when new health threats emerge, both supporting people in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) and, in turn, protecting the UK by strengthening pandemic preparedness and improving resilience to future epidemic and pandemic threats. The programme has already demonstrated the value of investing, having supported development of the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. This latest investment will help researchers respond more quickly to future threats. Supported by the UK Vaccine Network and delivered through Innovate UK, the funding will target diseases including Ebola, plague, Marburg, Lassa fever, Nipah virus, chikungunya and Mayaro. Eight projects will advance promising vaccines, clinical trials and technologies that can make vaccine design and manufacture faster and more effective. The new awards will build the research, clinical trial and technical capability needed to develop, test and deploy vaccines at speed. They will also help make vaccines affordable, accessible and ready for use in countries at greatest risk. Read full article. Source: Department of Health and Social Care, 8 October 2026

Along-awaited review aimed at identifying “systemic changes” to Scotland’s crisis-hit maternity services has begun. The nine month-long nationwide review will examine how care can be improved for women, babies, and families across the country. The independent review is being chaired by the maternal and child health expert, Professor Christine McCourt, who is expected to submit her findings and recommendations in July 2027. The Scottish government said the review will take a “whole-system approach,” drawing on data, evidence and the direct experiences of women, families and staff at every level of care. However, some bereaved families have voiced misgivings about the scope of the review, and warned that it was in danger of becoming an “absolute insult” as a result. Read full article. Source: The Scotsman, 5 October 2026

This report sets out the findings and recommendations of an independent review into prevalence and support for mental health conditions, ADHD and autism. The review, chaired by leading clinical psychologist Professor Peter Fonagy with the support of vice chairs Professor Sir Simon Wessely and Professor Gillian Baird, found that mental distress has increased substantially among children and young people. The findings show this has been driven by several factors, including social media, financial insecurity, increased uncertainty about the future, poorer sleep, and reduced feelings of connection and belonging. While referrals and diagnoses for ADHD and autism have risen significantly, the review found that population-level prevalence of these conditions appears broadly stable.

This Health Services Safety Investigation Body (HSSIB) learning resource is aimed at learners with roles in healthcare safety investigation, including investigation, commissioning, oversight and involvement. By the end of this resource, you will be able to: Understand why you would use SEIPS in an investigation. Explain the elements of the SEIPS framework in their relation to a patient safety event. Justify the use of SEIPS as part of a safety investigation.

This strategy sets out Spain's strategic framework for strengthening patient safety over the next decade, promoting safer healthcare systems, fostering a culture of safety, and advancing patient-centred care across all levels of the health system.

There is a risk of people being over-diagnosed with ADHD and autism, an official review in England has found. Experts said a rise in diagnoses over the past 25 years meant cases now appear to be outstripping the expected number in the population for some younger age groups. The review called for tougher regulation of private firms offering assessments for the NHS, saying they had concerns about quality and consistency, and a ban on advertising. It concluded economic uncertainty combined with social media was driving an increase in mental health problems among young people and said there needed to be better support in place for all conditions. It is likely to feed into government policies on everything from NHS services and benefits to support for young people who are not in education, employment or training. Read full article. Source: BBC News, 9 October 2026

The World Health Organization (WHO) and partners have launched a new global roadmap to tackle hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, including pre-eclampsia, which affect millions of women every year. These disorders remain among the leading causes of death and serious illness for pregnant women and their babies, with tragic long-term impact on their families. Hypertensive disorders complicate an estimated 10–15% of pregnancies worldwide. They account for around 16% of maternal deaths globally, resulting in an estimated 42 000 deaths each year, as well as more than 500 000 stillbirths and newborn deaths. In many countries, women still lack reliable access to basic blood-pressure measurement, urine protein testing and essential medicines, including aspirin, antihypertensives and magnesium sulfate. Weak referral systems, shortages of trained health workers and limited emergency obstetric services can further delay life-saving care. Launched at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Global Conference, the Global roadmap for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy from 2026 to 2035 and beyond sets out coordinated actions across research and innovation, global clinical guidance, access to medicines and diagnostics, implementation, advocacy and accountability. The roadmap highlights a striking innovation gap between the scale of the problem and the lack of medicines specifically developed and approved by regulators for the prevention or treatment of pre-eclampsia or eclampsia. Research investment has largely focused on diagnostics, with chronic underinvestment in new preventive and treatment options. Read full article. Source: World Health Organization, 8 October 2026

At least a fifth of baby deaths last year may have been preventable, with this estimate considered “a minimum”, an analysis of thousands of care reviews has concluded. The findings were set out in the latest annual report into 2025 Perinatal Mortality Review Tool investigations, published today by MBRRACE-UK. The report comes amid intense scrutiny of maternity services following the publication of the national maternity and neonatal investigation and Donna Ockenden’s Nottingham review this summer. Read full article (paywalled). Source: Health Service Journal, 9 October 2026

Nine digital technologies for dementia diagnosis, including AI-enabled clinical decision support, remote cognitive assessments and faster MRI scans, will undergo real-world testing in NHS settings. Diagnosis for dementia can take more than a year, with around 60% diagnosed within 18 weeks of referral. The Dementia Challenge, backed by up to £80 million through UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) Research and Development Missions Accelerator Programme (R&D MAP), aims to increase the proportion of people diagnosed with dementia within 18 weeks of referral to 92%. Read full article. Source: Digital Health, 8 October 2026

The UK Government has confirmed it will accept all 44 recommendations made by the National Commission into the Regulation of AI in Healthcare, published 10 September, and has set out how they will be delivered across the UK. Alongside the response, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is opening the call for applications for the third phase of AI Airlock, its regulatory sandbox for AI-enabled medical devices, with testing themes directly informed by the Commission’s recommendations. The Commission concluded that the current regulatory approach must evolve for AI technologies by designing a more proportionate, lifecycle-based framework. The Government's response commits the UK to developing a world-leading agile approach to AI device regulation that supports innovation while maintaining patient safety and public trust. The reforms aim to ensure patients can benefit from safe, effective and trusted AI more quickly, while maintaining robust safeguards as technologies evolve. Among the first steps set out in today’s response, the MHRA is also committed to issue draft guidance by December 2026 on a new approach to managing changes to AI-enabled medical devices as they adapt and improve over time, moving towards a regulatory system that is designed to maintain safety while supporting timely access to innovative devices. The MHRA will also begin next year by consulting on how to qualify and classify AI-enabled devices, the first recommendation of the National Commission. Other commitments include exploring new staged authorisation pathways, allowing promising AI tools to be used in the NHS earlier under close supervision while further real-world evidence is gathered. A full implementation roadmap, setting out timelines and responsibilities across all 44 recommendations, will be published by Spring 2027, with regular progress updates to follow. Read full article. Source: MHRA, 6 October 2026 Related Reading Patient safety and the regulation of AI in healthcare (Patient Safety Learning) Reflections on the National Commission into the Regulation of AI in Healthcare recommendations (Clive Flashman)

Staff at a trust subject to a statutory inquiry are paralysed by fear, a review has discovered. Essex Partnership University Foundation Trust is under scrutiny by the Lampard Inquiry, which is examining the deaths of over 2,000 services users in the organisation’s care. It began in 2023 and is expected to report by 2028. An external review of how the trust is coping has been undertaken by the King’s Fund and charity brap. This has revealed the impact of the Lampard Inquiry, service pressure, and financial constraints on senior managers, middle managers, and frontline staff. Read full article (paywalled). Source: Health Service Journal, 6 October 2026

Women across the country will be better supported to spot the signs of breast cancer and know where to turn for help as the UK Government announces its first partnership to help deliver its renewed Women’s Health Strategy.  Marking Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Department of Health and Social Care will partner with the UK’s largest breast cancer charity, Breast Cancer Now, over the next 3 years, giving women practical information to build confidence in checking their breasts, recognising changes, and seeking advice sooner - particularly in underserved areas. It comes as new research from Breast Cancer Now reveals almost a third (29%) of women in England who regularly check their breasts do not feel confident to notice a change, while just over one in 10 (11%) of those checking less than once a month say it’s because they do not know what to look out for.   One in 5 (20%) UK adults also say they are not confident they would know where to find trusted information about breast cancer if they had concerns.   Women will also be provided with better support after their treatment, including clear information to understand the possible signs of breast cancer returning or spreading and how to live a healthy lifestyle post breast cancer treatment.   Healthcare professionals will receive additional training, alongside a practical toolkit for healthcare teams, so they can provide the best possible advice to women adapting post-treatment.  Read full article. Source: Department of Health and Social Care, 5 October 2026

Women report suffering more pain than men, a major new global study has found. That was true for all types of pain the researchers measured, and comes amid continuing concern about the gender pain gap, which means women are less likely to be prescribed the pain relief they need. Researchers from all over the world carried out “one of the largest harmonisation efforts in pain epidemiology to date”. Data was collected from more than 6 million people from 118 countries from 1990 to 2025, and included people from aged five years to more than 100. The research, published in Nature Medicine, looked at how pain, as the leading global cause of disability, was distributed both around the world and across the human lifespan. It found women’s self-reported pain across 11 bodily sites – head, face, neck or shoulder, foot or ankle, hand or wrist, elbow, chest, back, stomach or abdomen, hip and knee – was higher than for men. Read full article. Source: The Guardian, 5 October 2026

Ten mental health trusts have been reported to the health regulator after problems with patient consent procedures when monitoring patients using camera technology. The issue emerged during the latest hearings of the Lampard Inquiry, which is examining the deaths of more than 2,000 people who spent time in mental health units in Essex between 2000 and the end of 2023. The infrared technology is used in patients' bedrooms and can monitor breathing and pulse without staff having to enter the room. NHS England told the inquiry it had passed information to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) after reviewing the use of digital monitoring systems, including Oxevision. Read full article. Source: BBC News, 6 October 2026

NHS bodies are forcing people with suspected attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism to wait at least two years before they can be assessed as they struggle to meet surging demand for diagnoses of neurodiversity. Four NHS integrated care boards (ICBs) covering large regions of England have adopted the approach because they cannot afford the cost of the number of assessments that people are seeking. Patient groups are warning that the “scandalous” delays such policies involve may damage children’s chances of succeeding at school, deny people the help they need to manage their lives, and increase the risk of suicide. The charity ADHD UK denounced minimum waits as “heartless and dangerous”. In all, 15 ICBs, which between them cover 19 million people, have brought in various ways of rationing assessments for ADHD and autism to try to balance their books. These include limiting the number of assessments the ICBs will pay for in any given year and using “clinical prioritisation” criteria to restrict assessment to those with the most serious signs of neurodiversity. Read full article. Source: The Guardian, 25 September 2026

A final report into the care provided by neurologist Michael Watt finds some patients were misdiagnosed and received inappropriate treatment. Northern Ireland health minister Robbie Butler has apologised for failings in the care of patients treated by consultant neurologist Michael Watt. A final report into the cases has now been published by the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA). It found that patients were harmed in some cases by delayed or incorrect diagnoses, inappropriate treatment and failures in communication and support. The report reinforces significant failings identified in an earlier review published in 2022. The RQIA said poor diagnostic practice, inadequate communication, isolated clinical decision-making and weak multidisciplinary oversight meant standards of care “frequently fell below expectations”. Read full article. Source: Healthcare Today, 25 September 2026

The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy has urged caution over the use of autonomous artificial intelligence (AI) for the assessment and treatment of NHS patients. AI firm Flok Health secured Class IIa Medical Device approval under EU regulations in October 2025, meaning that it can carry out diagnostic decisions without human supervision. The regulatory clearance originally covered care for back pain and sciatica, but was extended to in August to cover all musculoskeletal and pelvic health pathways, including hip and knee problems and urinary incontinence. However the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy has warned that AI technologies being approved to perform specific diagnostic or clinical functions should not be confused with the autonomy of a healthcare professional. Read full article. Source: Digital Health, 24 September 2026

Overcrowding in accident and emergency (A&E) departments and corridor care is linked to hundreds of deaths every week in the UK, a new study has found. A review of more than 19,000 adult patients found that, for every 10% increase in emergency department occupancy, the chance of dying in the following 28 days rose by 1%. The work was carried out at 134 A&Es in Wales, Northern Ireland and England last year, and presented at the European Emergency Medicine Congress in France. For the research, occupancy was calculated by how many spaces, such as cubicles, the A&E department had compared with how many patients were being treated. Results indicated that, on average, emergency departments were operating at 175% occupancy, a marker of overcrowding. Read full article. Source: ITV News, 25 September 2026 Related reading Corridor care and patient safety

The Patient Safety Commissioner for England's strategy for 2026-2028 sets out an ambitious programme of work to make medicines and medical devices safer and ensure patients’ voices shape decisions across the healthcare system. It outlines practical action to address some of the most pressing patient safety challenges facing healthcare today, including strengthening safeguards around remote prescribing, improving medicines information, enhancing monitoring of medical devices and ensuring artificial intelligence is introduced safely and transparently.

As quality depends on the decisions made every day, it should be part of daily planning, decision-making and operational delivery, not checked after the event or seen as a separate governance process. A quality management system (QMS) can help NHS organisations do this by providing a consistent approach, creating a clearer link between patient care, organisational priorities and board oversight. This guide explains how a QMS works and includes an example implementation plan that organisations can adapt to their local context.

Traditionally, patient experience has had less focus than safety and effectiveness, even though it tells us whether care is compassionate, inclusive, responsive and person-centred. How care feels matters because it shapes trust, confidence, equity and outcomes. This document defines what excellent experience looks and feels like across NHS-funded care. This means being clear about the behaviours, systems and culture that help people feel listened to, respected, involved and supported throughout their care.

In this blog to mark World Patient Safety Day 2026, Patient Safety Learning argues that we need a transformation in our approach to patient safety. We explore what this year’s theme, “Safe care for noncommunicable diseases,” means for patient safety and highlight the work Patient Safety Learning has been doing to support the campaign. This includes a downloadable poster and a series of related blogs on the hub, offering practical insights and resources to help drive action for safer care.

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) impose substantial costs on economies by reducing workforce participation and productivity, increasing healthcare expenditure and affecting public finances. Quantifying these costs helps policymakers assess the potential economic and fiscal gains from public health policies that reduce the burden of NCDs. The OECD Health Working Paper assesses how NCDs affect public expenditure, including healthcare, pensions and other age-related spending. Applied to four major NCDs across 49 OECD, EU and G20 countries, this enhanced framework provides a more comprehensive assessment of their burden on GDP and public finances. World Patient Safety Day on the 17 September 2026 is focused on the theme “Safe care for non-communicable diseases”.