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Sam

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  1. News Article
    NHS executives and other staff who refuse to engage with investigations into maternity care failures could be sent to prison for up to two years under new government proposals. The requirement to engage with maternity reviews will apply to existing and former NHS staff, and to the ongoing inquiries at Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust and University Hospitals Sussex Foundation Trust. The announcement by health secretary James Murray came as Donna Ockenden published her 400-page report into care failings at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust. This makes 18 specific recommendations for national action and criticises the trust’s leadership for its arrogance and the service for not learning from past inquiries (see below). Health secretary James Murray said the government would compel staff to give evidence “to end a culture of secrecy and prevent further harm”. He added: “This action will help ensure the reviews in Leeds and Sussex are fair and comprehensive, so that uncovering the truth does not rely solely on those who choose to come forward voluntarily. Those who refuse to do so or deliberately withhold information about failures could face up to two years in prison.” Ms Ockenden’s report reveals that ”66 former and current” senior NUH staff were approached to contribute to the investigation. However, despite being ”contacted on multiple occasions”, only 37 came forward, 35 of which were interviewed. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 24 June 2026
  2. News Article
    A comprehensive programme of webinars has been unveiled for Clinical Audit Awareness Week 2026 (#CAAW26), including NHS England Chief Executive Sir James Mackey newly confirmed as a keynote speaker. Taking place from 22 to 26 June 2026, the annual campaign run by Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) promotes the role of clinical audit and evidence-based improvement in improving patient care and outcomes. The centrepiece of the campaign is a series of free, online webinars spanning five themed days, each examining a different dimension of clinical audit and healthcare improvement. Opening on Monday 22 June, the first session will explore how clinical audit supports major NHS strategic priorities, including the three shifts outlined in the NHS 10‑Year Plan towards prevention, community‑based care and greater use of data and digital tools. Tuesday’s programme shifts the focus to patient and public involvement, with discussions on how engagement at local and national levels can address inequalities and improve outcomes, including a dedicated session on maternity care disparities. Midweek, the spotlight turns to innovation and transformation, highlighting how emerging tools and technologies are reshaping audit and improvement practices across healthcare systems. On Thursday, a webinar delivered in partnership with Patient Safety Learning will examine patient safety, demonstrating how robust audit data can identify risks, reduce harm and support safer care pathways. The week concludes on Friday with a focus on data‑informed improvement and impact, exploring how evidence from audits and registries can be translated into tangible, real‑world changes in care delivery. Across the week, sessions will also be complemented by daily announcements of the Excellence in Clinical Audit Awards, recognising achievements and best practice from across the sector. Winners will be presenting their projects to inspire others and share this excellent work. All webinars are free to attend, though advance registration is required. The programme is aimed at a wide audience, including clinicians, audit professionals, quality improvement specialists and healthcare leaders interested in leveraging data to improve care. By bringing together expertise from across the NHS and beyond, HQIP hopes the week will not only celebrate achievements but also build momentum for future improvement efforts. Discover the full programme, including the speakers and topics for each webinar: Clinical Audit Awareness Week, 22-26 June 2026
  3. Event
    What does good consent look like in practice, and what are the patient safety consequences when patients are not truly informed? Join Radar Healthcare's webinar, Digital consent: How to deliver safer outcomes by bringing consent, risk and insight together, to explore the vital link between patient education, informed decision-making and safer care. Featuring perspectives from the Patients Association, Patient Information Forum, legal experts and frontline clinicians, this CPD-certified session will examine how organisations can strengthen consent processes, reduce risk and improve patient outcomes through better communication, education and insight. Register
  4. Event
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    Lord Darzi’s independent investigation into the NHS in England delivered a stark assessment of cancer care. Highlighting the gap between policy and reality, it found that the NHS is failing to meet some of its most important commitments, with core cancer waiting time standards missed for more than a decade and survival rates lagging behind comparable countries. The government’s 10-year National Cancer Plan for England sets out bold ambitions to improve survival, boost early diagnosis, and deliver more equitable, patient-centred care. With ambitious targets set for 2029 and 2035, the key question remains: can the NHS deliver these commitments while still fixing today’s pressures? At this pivotal moment, leaders across the health and care system face the challenge of building cancer services that are not only fit for today, but ready to adopt the next wave of innovation. Progress is already visible in areas, but translating national ambition into consistent, real-world improvement for patients will require co-ordinated action across the system. This conference brings together leaders from cancer alliances, policy, clinical services, commissioning, and the VCSE sector to explore what is working, and what must change, to turn plans into practice. Register
  5. News Article
    Trust chairs and chief executives must take mandatory antisemitism and anti-racism training within six months, as part of efforts to tackle “routine ostracism” of Jewish people in the NHS. A government-commissioned report on antisemitism and other forms of racism in the NHS and health regulation, published today, said training must take place for “approximately 400 chairs and chief executives of NHS provider trusts on antisemitism, anti-racism and building on the Macpherson principles, within the next six months”. The Macpherson principles were established by the 1999 Macpherson report, originating from the public inquiry into the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence. The report, by Labour peer and campaigner Lord Mann, said: “This training should support leaders to understand how they can take evidence-based actions to address discrimination and effect change in their organisations. Consideration should also be given to how this might be extended to integrated care boards and primary care networks’ leadership.” Leaders of health and care systems and professional regulators should also take the training, Lord Mann’s report said. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 4 June 2026
  6. News Article
    The family of a girl left brain-damaged at birth have agreed to accept £28m in damages after the NHS trust involved admitted that its mistakes led to the tragedy. Barking, Havering and Redbridge university hospitals NHS trust failed to monitor the baby’s heart rate while her mother was in labour or ask an obstetrician to review the case, either of which might have led to the girl being born in a healthy condition. The girl, who is six, suffered severe hypoxia-ischaemia – loss of oxygen to her brain – while she was being born at Queen’s hospital in Romford, east London, in July 2019. That left her badly disabled. She has epilepsy, experiences unpredictable seizures and is expected to lose mobility throughout her life. She will need lifelong care to help with her cognitive and language impairments. She will also need constant supervision because she has no awareness of danger and is overly friendly with strangers. The girl’s mother demanded urgent action by ministers and NHS bosses to overhaul maternity care, which is in the spotlight after a series of scandals at trusts across England. “My daughter is thriving and doing well. But it’s impossible for me to forget that I was robbed of the precious experience of most mothers giving birth by the horror of what happened to us,” said the mother. Neither she nor her daughter can be identified for legal reasons. “Seven years on, I’m still deeply affected by seeing the hospital’s name crop up in the press regarding tragedies for other families and their babies. This is despite the repeated promises of the government and endless reviews into maternity safety. Surely someone must take the bull by the horns and take action to change things.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 4 June 2026
  7. News Article
    A quarter of all babies in England are now delivered by emergency caesarean operations, BBC analysis shows - marking a significant rise over the last five years. The unplanned surgeries have increased by eight percentage points, while the rate of elective caesareans has also increased. At the same time, the rate of vaginal births without instruments has fallen - from more than half of all deliveries to 43%. Prof Marian Knight, director of the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, which researches the care of women and babies in pregnancy and birth, says the rise represents a "total change in how women give birth" in England, and that it has not been replicated in other European countries. The NHS does not publish data on why an emergency C-section is performed, and experts say there is no single, clear explanation for the increase. However, some have told the BBC they are concerned a culture of fear in maternity units and among pregnant women is driving up the number of procedures. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, which represents maternity doctors, says pressure on staff and operating theatres means the system is "really struggling" to meet the increased demand. NHS England says "decisions are made by considering individual circumstances and clinical advice to ensure the safest and most appropriate approach for each birth". Read full story Source: BBC News, 5 June 2026
  8. News Article
    Updated safety advice has been issued to strengthen warnings about potential psychiatric and sexual dysfunction linked to finasteride and to provide precautionary advice on dutasteride. Following an additional detailed review of the evidence, including the outcome of a European regulatory review, the MHRA has published a new Drug Safety Update and is updating product information for medicines containing finasteride and dutasteride to provide clearer guidance for healthcare professionals and patients. Finasteride is used to treat male pattern hair loss at a dose of 1mg, and benign prostatic hyperplasia at a dose of 5mg. Dutasteride (0.5mg) is used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia. The updates include: strengthened warnings in the product information for finasteride 1mg for androgenetic alopecia to clarify that sexual dysfunction may contribute to mood disorders, and that sexual dysfunction has also been reported with and without mood alterations. a precautionary warning added to the product information for dutasteride to note that mood alterations have been reported with a medicine in the same class, finasteride. Existing UK patient alert cards for finasteride, introduced in 2024, remain in place. These cards highlight the risks of sexual dysfunction, depression and suicidal thoughts and advise patients on what action to take if side effects occur. Read full story Source: MHRA, 11 May 2026
  9. Content Article
    In alignment with the implementation of the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF), East London NHS Foundation Trust conducted a comprehensive five-year analysis of reported incidents. This review analyses 411 completed investigations of serious incidents (SIs) and patient safety incidents (PSIIs) reported in the Trust from 2020 to July 2024. With patient safety as a top priority, this analysis examines whether key issues identified in these investigations have shown recurring patterns over time.
  10. Content Article
    This case study is one in a set of patient safety ‘how we acted on patient safety issues you recorded’ case studies which show the direct action taken in response to patient safety events recorded by organisations, staff and the public, and how their actions support the NHS to protect patients from harm. As part of its core work to review recorded patient safety events, the National Patient Safety Team carried out a thematic review of incidents where patients were entrapped in beds, bed rails and ancillary devices. The review identified emerging risks that could lead to these incidents happening, because of issues including changes to ways of working due to COVID-19, patient flow and capacity, and new devices and equipment coming to market. Incident reports described fatal asphyxiation and other injuries associated with the use of bed rails and the interface between beds (including extra width beds) and: trolley frames mattresses automatic turning devices bed levers specialist sleep equipment The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency used the insight from reported cases to update guidance and support a National Patient Safety Alert issued in August 2023. This included giving staff additional guidance on risk assessment, selection and suitability of appropriate equipment and ongoing monitoring.
  11. News Article
    More than 500 people have received potentially life-saving care thanks to Martha’s rule, which gives hospital patients the right to seek a second opinion about their health. They were moved to intensive care or a specialist unit after they, a loved one or a member of NHS staff triggered the patient safety mechanism, which the NHS in England began using in 2024. Martha’s rule lets patients, relatives and staff call a helpline run by the hospital if they are worried about the person’s condition or treatment and ask for a “rapid review” of their care. In the 18 months between September 2024 and February 2026, a total of 524 adults and children about whom concerns had been raised were moved to an intensive care or high-dependency unit, a specialist hospital or a specialist ward at the hospital where they were already an inpatient. Wes Streeting, the health secretary, said the figures proved that Martha’s rule is “already having a life-saving impact”. It has been widely hailed as a major advance in patient safety. Martha’s rule is named after Martha Mills, who died aged 13 in 2021 after her family’s concerns that she was deteriorating went unheeded by staff at King’s College hospital in London. NHS England’s latest data on how Martha’s rule is operating shows that 12,301 calls were made to Martha’s rule helplines during those 18 months. About one in three – 4,047 – helped to identify a patient whose health was getting worse. Three-quarters of them (2,967) were made either by a patient and their carer or by the patient themselves. Hospital staff made the other 1,080. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 1 May 2026 Further reading on the hub: Embedding Martha's Rule into practice—Lessons from the national pilot Martha's Rule - Merope Mills (Martha’s mother) explains Martha’s story (31 March 2026
  12. Event
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    The 3rd World Patients Conference is WPA’s flagship global hybrid event, bringing together patient leaders, policymakers, healthcare professionals, academics, civil society, and industry stakeholders from around the world. The conference aims to empower patient leaders through training, knowledge exchange, and networking, while advancing patient-centred policies through engagement with policymakers and global institutions. It will also showcase best practices and innovations from patient organizations worldwide, foster multi-stakeholder dialogue, and strengthen WPA’s global network and membership engagement. The programme will feature plenary sessions, high-level panels, workshops, patient leadership training, and networking opportunities. Register
  13. Event
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    AI and digital technologies are already reshaping health and social care. AI tools are being developed, tested and used in areas such as imaging, triage, risk prediction and workforce support, yet the pace of change can make it hard to understand what is working, what is still in development or needs more testing and the implications for people using services. The NHS 10 Year Health Plan aspires to a future where AI is seamlessly integrated into most clinical pathways, and the Medium Term Planning Framework reinforces this focus by accelerating implementation, scaling and national roll out of digital technologies. This will require attention to the practicalities of implementation and scale, not just pilots or technical breakthroughs, and services designed with people and communities at their heart. Although there are promising examples of AI improving care and easing pressure on staff, progress is uneven. Many parts of the system continue to struggle with basic infrastructure challenges – unreliable devices, unstable connectivity and fragmented data – that hold back the potential for AI to improve health and care services. For digital services to be truly inclusive, they must also serve the populations they are designed for, work as expected and be trusted by both users and staff. This year’s King's Fund Digital health and AI conference will cut through the noise to explore what it really takes to build an AI‑enabled health and care system that works for people – grounded in evidence, lived experience and the realities of the health and care system today. It will examine where AI and digital technologies are already adding value, where they are falling short, and what needs to change in leadership, culture, infrastructure and practice to unlock meaningful and sustained impact. Through case studies, discussion and hands‑on collaborative sessions, you’ll hear from those implementing AI today, and explore what trusted, inclusive and effective digital journeys could look like in the future. Throughout the day, it will dive into these issues through a series of sessions across three themes: people first, collaborate and learn, and innovate. digital health and AI in 2026: what’s real, what’s next and what’s at stake what developments in AI mean for consumer health and the workforce? leading digital and AI change in constrained and complex systems Innovators and investors in conversation: unlocking innovation and transformation ambient AI: is it leading to less admin, more people centred care? hack the future – a mini hackathon tackling real‑world challenges can the UK lead on safe, inclusive health AI? Register
  14. Content Article
    Qualitative research methods explore and provide deep contextual understanding of real world issues, including people’s beliefs, perspectives, and experiences. Whether through analysis of interviews, focus groups, structured observation, or multimedia data, qualitative methods offer unique insights in applied health services research that other approaches cannot deliver. However, many clinicians and researchers hesitate to use these methods, or might not use them effectively, which can leave relevant areas of inquiry inadequately explored. Thematic analysis is one of the most common and flexible methods to examine qualitative data collected in health services research. This article offers practical thematic analysis as a step-by-step approach to qualitative analysis for health services researchers, with a focus on accessibility for patients, care partners, clinicians, and others new to thematic analysis. Along with detailed instructions covering three steps of reading, coding, and theming, the article includes additional novel and practical guidance on how to draft effective codes, conduct a thematic analysis session, and develop meaningful themes. This approach aims to improve consistency and rigor in thematic analysis, while also making this method more accessible for multidisciplinary research teams.
  15. News Article
    NHS England has had to cancel the procurement of a “groundbreaking” cancer screening programme due to “procedural issues”. The NHS wants to roll out a new self-testing service to improve uptake of cervical cancer screening, which remains persistently below the NHSE target. The aim was to enable people in under-screened groups to order self-sampling test kits via the NHS App from June 2026 onwards. However, this target has now been put in doubt after NHSE announced on 12 March it had terminated the procurement. This came nine days after it had announced its intention to award the three-year contract worth £15.6m to supply and deliver the kits to diagnostics and digital health provider Chronomics. Last summer, the government announced the new HPV self-sampling service would be a “ground-breaking initiative” intended to “revolutionise cervical cancer prevention rates by tackling deeply entrenched barriers that keep some women away from potentially life-saving screenings”. Those barriers include “a fear of discomfort, embarrassment, cultural sensitivities and the struggle to find time for medical appointments”, the government said. Screening uptake remains at 68.8% against a target rate of 80%. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 31 March 2026
  16. News Article
    Nearly one in five NHS organisations are "rationing" crucial joint replacement surgeries based on patients' weight, a new report has claimed. Arthritis UK has warned that this practice is creating a "postcode lottery" of care across the country, leaving individuals in urgent need of operations at risk of enduring prolonged pain. The charity also expressed concerns that these policies are being implemented "in a bid to cut waiting lists and costs". An analysis conducted by Arthritis UK found that 31 out of 42 NHS integrated care boards (ICBs) currently have policies linking body mass index (BMI) to hip and knee replacements. Specifically, eight ICBs, representing 19% of the total, are "rationing" procedures by setting defined BMI thresholds as a criterion for surgical referral. A further 23 have policies that encourage or mandate weight loss to become eligible for these operations, the report said. According to Arthritis UK, ICBs justify the use of BMI policies by highlighting risks. However, it said research only shows a significant risk for people with a very high BMI, and these policies have “been inappropriately used” to cut off patients with lower BMIs, such as 35. This move has affected thousands of people “who would have received the significant improvements in their joint pain and function,” the charity said. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) advises against using BMI to exclude patients from referral to surgery. Read full story Source: The Independent, 26 March 2026
  17. Event

    HLTH Europe

    Sam

    Sam posted an event in Community Calendar

    HLTH Europe 2026 is the continent’s largest healthcare innovation conference, bringing together over 5,000 attendees from more than 50 countries. The event focuses on digital health, health tech, life sciences, and healthcare system transformation, providing a platform for decision-makers, innovators, and specialists to explore trends, solutions, and collaborations in European healthcare. The conference features a comprehensive programme, including: Keynotes and panels on healthcare IT, patient data exchange, AI in healthcare, interoperability, mental health, healthy ageing, and system change. Workshops and presentations led by industry leaders and experts. Networking opportunities with healthcare providers, policymakers, investors, pharmaceutical companies, tech companies, hospitals, and start-ups. Exhibition zones such as the Start-up Village, Investor Lounge, Policy Pavilion, and the NL Health~Holland Pavilion showcasing Dutch health tech innovations. Agenda Clive Flashman, Patient Safety Learning's Chief Digital Officer, will be leading a panel at the conference on Thursday 18 June on 'Blind trust: What happens to medical misinformation when we can no longer trust our own eyes?' Find out more. Register for the event here
  18. Event
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    The 8th Nordic Conference on Research in Patient Safety and Quality in Healthcare 2026 brings together experts, researchers, and professionals from across the Nordic-Baltic region to discuss how health and social care systems can adapt to change while ensuring safety, quality, and equity. Keynote speakers include leading voices in health policy, research, and digital transformation: Lasse Lehtonen (Kela), Liina-Kaisa Tynkkynen (Finnish institute for health and welfare), Anne Moen (University of Oslo), Josephine Ocloo (King’s College London), and Henrique Martins (Universidade da Beira Interior / ISCTE-IUL). The program features national and regional perspectives on client and patient safety, discussions on the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare, and presentations on medication safety, rehospitalization, home treatment, and client safety in social services. The conference also explores key issues such as digital health literacy, citizen engagement, educational innovations, and the impact of inequity in client and patient safety. Together, these sessions aim to strengthen collaboration, share evidence-based practices, and inspire progress toward safer and more effective health and social care across the Nordic-Baltic region. The conference also aims to foster dialogue between health and social care quality and safety and warmly welcomes social care experts, researchers, and practitioners to join the conference. Register
  19. News Article
    A hospital group CEO says its leaders have “managed to let people down” and, in some cases, “disconnected” from their staff, in response to very poor NHS Staff Survey scores. The Norfolk and Waveney University Hospitals Group CEO’s comments in an all-staff briefing email acknowledge the significant morale problems across the three trusts, which are undergoing a major restructure. Lesley Dwyer was appointed group CEO and took the group live last year. It comprises Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals, James Paget University Hospitals, and Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn Foundation Trusts. The results showed a year-on-year decline in staff satisfaction across all three trusts. Professor Dwyer told HSJ this was “from a starting point that was already too low”. “This is not the experience we want for our people, and it is not the standard they deserve,” she said. In a note to staff seen by HSJ, Professor Dwyer cited “re-structures and transformations… changes in leadership combined with waiting list, service, and financial pressures, pressures on beds, strikes etc”, adding: “It’s no wonder so many of you tell us you are weary.” She added: “But for me, these results speak even more deeply than that – I feel that somehow, despite the best of intentions, I/we have managed to let people down. These results show we have disconnected our people from the very purpose of the NHS organisations they work for and, in some cases, from the people who lead them.” Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 13 March 2026 Further reading on the hub: Patient Safety Learning’s response to the NHS Staff Survey Results 2025
  20. News Article
    The deaths of two people in Northern Ireland potentially linked to weight-loss injections have been reported to the government agency responsible for ensuring medicines are safe. The two cases are among more than 500 suspected adverse drug reaction reports submitted from Northern Ireland over the last two years related to GLP-1 medications. The drugs, prescribed under names such as Wegovy and Mounjaro, are widely used across the UK for weight management and to treat diabetes. The reports were made to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The MHRA said a report of a suspected reaction "does not necessarily mean it has been caused by the medicine, only that the reporter had a suspicion it may have". "Underlying or concurrent illnesses may be responsible, or the events could be coincidental," it added. The data shows that the two deaths were of a man and a woman, one who was in their 40s and the other in their 60s, although it does not specify which age category applied to which person. Read full story Source: BBC News, 9 March 2026
  21. News Article
    More than 400 lives may have been saved as a result of Martha’s rule, which lets NHS patients request a review of their care, official figures reveal. Helplines received more than 10,000 calls in the first 16 months of the scheme after its introduction in England in 2024, according to data seen by the Guardian. Thousands of patients were either moved to intensive care, received drugs they needed or benefited from other changes as a direct result of the calls. The system is named after Martha Mills, 13, who died in 2021 from sepsis after a bicycle accident. A coroner found she would probably have survived if she had been moved to the intensive care unit at King’s College hospital in London when she began deteriorating. Martha’s rule helplines received 10,119 calls between September 2024 and December 2025 from patients, relatives or staff who were worried about care, the figures show. That led to 446 people receiving improvements to their care that may have saved their life. One in three calls (3,457) identified a rapid worsening of a patient’s condition, helping raise the alarm more quickly and enable crucial interventions to be made. The NHS England data shows 1,885 patients had their treatment changed as a result. In addition, about 6,000 calls had addressed clinical, communication or coordination concerns, which led to “meaningful improvements” in care or navigating the healthcare system for patients and their families, health officials said. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 8 March 2026
  22. News Article
    “Medical misogyny” in the UK is letting women down, the health secretary, Wes Streeting, has admitted, as a survey showed half of female patients felt they had been dismissed or ignored because of their sex. A report from Mumsnet, which examined data taken from the site over the past decade, warned of “structural and deeply embedded” sexism in UK healthcare. A survey of women using the site found that more than half believed the NHS was institutionally misogynistic. The survey also found that: 50% of women believe they have been dismissed, ignored or not believed by an NHS professional because of their sex. 64% say they have been explicitly told their pain or symptoms were “normal” or “in their head”. 68% think the NHS does not take women’s health concerns seriously. Ahead of the publication of a women’s health strategy, which was announced in 2022 and is expected imminently, Streeting said the report showed that the NHS had let women down too often and for “far too long”. The health secretary said he was “driving change” through more funding, menopause support, moving health services into the community and the introduction of Martha’s rule, which gives patients a right to an urgent second opinion. He added: “Medical misogyny has no place within our NHS. It was founded on the principles of equality, yet time and time again, women are ignored and not believed. I want women across the country to know we’re going to tackle this.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 8 March 2026 Related reading on the hub: Top picks: Women's health inequity
  23. Content Article
    The Essentials of Safe Care is a practical package of evidence-based guidance and support that enables Scotland’s health and social care system to deliver safe care. It forms the building blocks for each Scottish Patient Safety Programme (SPSP) programme of work. Working in partnership with health and social care teams and several representative bodies across Scotland, the following essentials have been identified as being central to supporting the safe delivery of care across health and care. A people-led approach to the planning and delivery of safe care Effective and inclusive communication Leadership at all levels to support a culture of safety Safe clinical and care processes
  24. News Article
    Some ambulance trusts report that up to two-fifths of their ambulances are unavailable, with ageing vehicles sidelined for repairs and replacements. An over-reliance on old vehicles is being exacerbated by problems related to industry fixing and supplying new ambulances. In one case, 43% of South Central Ambulance Service’s vehicles are “off road”, which is having “a negative impact on 999 performance, with insufficient fleet capacity to meet operational hours required”. It blamed the need for repairs on an ageing fleet, delays in the delivery of new vehicles, and existing vehicles being “overused” in an attempt to compensate. South Central Ambulance Service Foundation Trust – which covers the Thames Valley and Hampshire region – also confirmed ambulance availability was a factor in it declaring a “business continuity incident” last month. The incident was called when winter pressures, compounded by the capacity problems, saw an increase in response times for category 2 incidents, which cover a wide range of 999 calls, including suspected heart attacks and strokes. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 16 February 2026
  25. News Article
    NHS England is worried about the “rigour of management” of neighbourhoods, its chair has said. Asked to summarise progress on neighbourhoods and what aspects needed most attention, Penny Dash told a conference on Wednesday: “The bit we worry about is, actually, management. “Because quite a lot of [neighbourhood health] still feels that it’s great people doing great work, but it hasn’t got quite that rigour of the management behind it that you might want to see.” Dr Dash also said she was concerned the health service was “still slightly struggling to create this impetus and momentum” to fulfil the ambitions of the 10-Year Health Plan. She stressed that progress needs to be made “now”, “not least because the science is here now”, referencing things like genomics. “There’s an awful lot happening in the live world of healthcare that we need to bottle and keep the momentum up on that,” she said. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 13 February 2026

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