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Sam

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  1. Sam
    Two people have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter following the death of a woman believed to have undergone a non-surgical Brazilian butt lift (BBL).
    Alice Webb, 33, died after being taken to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital in the early hours of Tuesday after falling unwell.
    Gloucestershire Police said it had been called by the ambulance service at 11:35 BST on Monday and an investigation, led by the major crime team, was ongoing.
    The two arrested people have been released on police bail.
    Save Face, a national register of accredited practitioners who offer non-surgical cosmetic treatments, said this was the "first case of a death caused by a non-surgical BBL in the UK".
    While non-surgical BBLs are not illegal in the UK, last year Wolverhampton City Council barred a company from carrying out the procedure after identifying risks associated with their processes, including blood clots, sepsis, and the potential for the death of body tissues.
    Save Face’s director Ashton Collins said the organisation had supported 500 women who had suffered complications from the procedure.
    Ms Collins said: “Liquid BBL procedures are a crisis waiting to happen. They are advertised on social media as ‘risk-free’, ‘cheaper’ alternatives to the surgical counterpart and that could not be further from the truth.”
    Read full story
    Source: BBC News, 25 September 2024
  2. Sam
    The chair of the Covid inquiry has refused an application from the UK Health Security Agency to keep the identities of two junior clinicians secret.
    Lawyers for UKHSA applied for an order preventing publication of their names, on the grounds they could be subject to abuse and harassment on social media and in person.
    Both individuals attended Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Cell meetings to discuss the guidance on masks and personal protective equipment (PPE) during the pandemic.
    Baroness Hallett ruled their names could be published in minutes of those meetings, as any risk was outweighed by the public interest in reporting on the group's work.
    From February 2020 until it was disbanded in 2022, guidance on the use of PPE in healthcare settings was drawn up by the IPC Cell, a group of clinicians and officials from the NHS, government and public-health bodies such as Public Health England, which then Health Secretary Matt Hancock replaced with UKHSA in 2021.
    Critics have said the IPC Cell was too slow to strengthen its recommendations on PPE after it became clear Covid could be spread by tiny airborne particles.
    The Covid-19 Airborne Transmission Alliance (CATA), a group made up of healthcare organisations and individuals which campaigned for stronger guidance, has called it a “shadowy” organisation with “unclear” accountability structures.
    UKHSA said the “heated and aggressive” public discourse around the subject meant there was a “high likelihood” junior members of staff could face online abuse if they were named in minutes published by the inquiry.
    Read full story
    Source: BBC News, 26 September 2024
    Related reading on the hub:
    Covid-19 : A risk assessment too far? A blog by David Osborn
  3. Sam
    The chair of an inquiry into more than 2,000 mental health-related deaths in Essex has praised the "courage and candour" of victims’ families.
    The Lampard Inquiry is investigating the deaths of people in the care of mental health services in Essex between 2000 and 2023.
    The inquiry, which has been sitting for the last three weeks, has now adjourned until November.
    Baroness Lampard said that statements from bereaved families “had made a lasting impression” on her.
    More than 40 people have given commemorative statements so far, telling the inquiry about their loved ones and what kind of people they were before they died.
    Addressing the inquiry on its final day before an adjournment, Baroness Lampard said the opening statements had been “thought-provoking”.
    Read full story
    Source: BBC News, 25 September 2024
  4. Sam
    New York officials announced an “imminent threat” to public health this week after a resident died from the state’s first case of mosquito-borne eastern equine encephalitis, or EEE, in nearly a decade.
    The deceased individual was a resident of Ulster County, two hours north of New York City. The case, the state’s first human case since 2015, was confirmed earlier this month.
    “We’ve been informed this patient has passed away from EEE, we extend our sympathies and our hearts go out to their family,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul said.
    Eastern equine encephalitis is a rare but severe viral disease, spread by infectious mosquitoes. Approximately 30 percent of those who contract EEE die from the disease, and survivors are often left with neurologic problems. There are no vaccines or medications to treat or prevent it.
    State Health Commissioner Dr James McDonald issued the declaration to unlock state resources and help support response to the virus, including continued efforts to spray for mosquitoes through the end of November.
    Governor Hochul activated multiple agencies to expand access to insect repellent at New York parks and campgrounds, and to increase public awareness of the threat by placing signs at potentially vulnerable sites.
    “Keeping New Yorkers safe is my top priority,” Hochul said.
    Read full story
    Source: The Independent, 24 September 2024
  5. Sam
    A mother has won a 12-year battle for compensation against an NHS hospital after successfully claiming her child suffered brain damage as a result of a botched surgery.
    The toddler, now a teenager, was left wheelchair-bound as a result of the operation in Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in 2012, with lawyers claiming the child was starved of oxygen.
    A settlement has now been reached between the NHS Litigation Authority, which handles claims against the NHS for negligent care, and the family.
    The trust that manages the Liverpool-based hospital has also apologised for the “failings in care”.
    The mother said: “Ever since that day, my child has had to go to countless appointments, see countless therapists and doctors and specialists, and will do for the rest of their life. I am traumatised and exhausted, and I am on the defence all the time.
    “I can’t cut any of them any slack after what happened 12 years ago. Twelve years is such a painfully long time.”
    She also hit out at the process of claiming compensation through medical negligence claims.
    She added: “It takes years and this length of time is not good enough. Parents commit suicide, marriages break down, they’re often too frightened to have more children. All because of how long it takes to get justice for your child, and how hard that is to achieve.” 
    Read full story
    Source: The Independent, 25 September 2024
  6. Sam
    GP practices should be working with complex patients to "actively avoid hospital admissions" this winter, according to NHS England.
    In a letter to ICBs and trusts, NHSE set out the actions necessary to ensure delivery of "safe, dignified and high-quality care" this winter, which must be an "overriding priority".
    There was a particular focus on the winter vaccination campaign, with NHS England urging providers to "make every possible effort" to boost vaccine uptake among patient-facing staff.
    The letter also stressed the importance of promoting the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine, which from this month practices began administering to over-75s and pregnant women as an essential service under the GP contract.
    "This is a year-round offer but its promotion ahead of winter by health professionals is vital, particularly to those at highest risk," NHSE said.
    NHS England also urged local commissioners to take a "whole-system approach to managing winter demand". 
    The letter asked ICBs to "ensure the proactive identification and management of people with complex needs and long-term conditions so care is optimised ahead of winter". 
    "Primary care and community services should be working with these patients to actively avoid hospital admissions," NHSE added.
    These patients should also be offered ‘alternatives to hospital attendance’ as they may be "better served with a community response".
    Read full story
    Source: Management in Practice, 19 September 2024
  7. Sam
    Government-led negotiations on the world’s first agreement to protect people from future pandemics made significant progress during the latest round of discussions that ended today at the World Health Organization (WHO).
    Substantive progress on the draft agreement, increased involvement of civil society and non-State actors, and a commitment by all parties to sustain momentum towards a  pandemic agreement were hallmarks of the 11th meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB), which comprises the 194 member governments of WHO, and ran from 9-20 September in Geneva. Negotiators will resume discussions, at a 12th round, from 4-15 November.
    Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, praised the “collective commitment” shown by governments and other stakeholders to conclude the pandemic agreement, and an urgent need to do so in light of the persistent threat shown by viruses with pandemic potential. 
    “The next pandemic will not wait for us, whether from a flu virus like H5N1, another coronavirus, or another family of viruses we don’t yet know about,” Dr Tedros told the meeting. “But all the ingredients are in place to meet the objective of countries to negotiate a generational pandemic agreement. The world needs hope that it is still possible for countries to find common solutions to common problems. You can provide that hope.”
    Ambassador Anne-Claire Amprou, INB Bureau Co-chair of France, said the latest round of negotiations demonstrated the commitment by governments towards a pandemic accord to make the world safer and healthier. It also showed the critical role being played by civil society and other non-governmental stakeholders to ensure that equity, innovation and collaboration are at the heart of the agreement.  
    “During extensive discussions, visible commitment was shown by Member States of WHO towards a pandemic agreement,” Ambassador Amprou said. “There was clear recognition from all countries that we must agree on a way forward to work better, together, to protect their citizens from future pandemics.”
    Ambassador Amprou added: “The constructive contributions by INB relevant stakeholders were incredibly valuable. Together, we must sustain this progress during the coming months to realize our shared goal to forge a pandemic agreement that guides future global responses to pandemics.”
    Source: WHO, 20 September 2024
  8. Sam
    Infections that were once easy to cure with antibiotics are becoming untreatable, and a novel treatment for bacterial infection is the holy grail for teams of researchers around the world.
    However, severe financial challenges have left the pipeline of new antibiotics thin and fragile – and treatments are unavailable in many of the places they are most needed. Big pharmaceutical companies have left the field in search of greater profits elsewhere, and talented researchers have opted for new jobs in more stable sectors.
    The number of deaths caused by drug-resistant bacteria in 2019 was 1.27 million, and economic costs are on track to exceed $1tn (£765bn) by 2030. The death rate is highest in sub-Saharan Africa, where children under five are particularly affected.
    “This is a problem which truly affects the whole world, rich and poor countries alike,” says Jeremy Knox, the head of infectious disease policy at Wellcome. “[But] the impact is definitely asymmetrical. People in low and middle-income countries are bearing a far greater burden.”
    Global leaders will gather in New York this month to discuss antimicrobial resistance (AMR) at the UN general assembly. They will consider how to convince researchers and companies it is worth their while to create new replacement drugs, and how to improve access to tests and treatments.
    Read full story
    Source: The Guardian, 16 September 2024
  9. Sam
    A carer who was caught on camera tormenting his vulnerable patient over several hours has been jailed.
    Enow Tambe was one of two carers responsible for looking after a man, aged 60, with learning difficulties and blindness. The man required constant care and lived in supported accommodation, as heard in Manchester Crown Court. The man's sister, worried about his care, installed CCTV which revealed the shocking nature of 33-year-old's Tambe's treatment.
    He was seen shouting in the man's face, threatening to shave his head, poking him repeatedly and laughing at him when he had no choice but to urinate on the floor. After pleading guilty to being a carer causing ill-treatment of an individual, Tambe was sentenced to 11 months in prison.
    Upon sentencing, Recorder Phillip Barnes said: "He was being bullied, harassed, belittled and abused for a number of hours. He was ignored and refused help when he asked for it. He was blind and couldn't see what was going on about him. He was shouted at in close quarters, he was threatened to have his head shaved. He was poked and prodded, not to harm but to intimidate, upset and bully."
    Read full story
    Source: Mirror, 18 September 2024
  10. Sam
    There is only “weak evidence” that high-grade face masks better protected health workers than surgical ones in the pandemic, the Covid inquiry has been told.
    Prof Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said respirator masks – known as FFP3s – may have performed no better than thin surgical masks in real-life situations.
    She said there could be “significant harms” from wearing tight-fitting FFP3s, including blisters and breathing difficulties.
    “If the evidence was strong that FFP3s really protected people, and we saw a definitive reduction [in infections], they would have been recommended,” she said.
    National guidance on face masks from April 2020 was drawn up by a group of experts from across the United Kingdom known as the IP (Infection Prevention) Cell.
    The inquiry was shown minutes from an IP Cell meeting on 22 December 2020, just after the new Alpha variant of Covid had been detected, which appeared to show disagreement about the use of higher-grade FFP3 masks.
    The records quote Dr Colin Brown, now the deputy director of clinical and emerging infections at UKHSA but at the time with PHE, as saying: "Our understanding of aerosol transmission has changed. A precautionary approach to move to FFP3 masks [in all healthcare settings] whilst we are awaiting evidence should be advised."
    However, the wider IP Cell decided that no upgrading of the guidance was warranted at the time, and NHS trusts were told to continue to supply staff with standard surgical masks in almost all cases outside intensive care.
    It was not until January 2022 that the advice changed, saying that FFP3 respirators "must be worn" by all staff if they are caring for patients with a virus such as Covid, and should be offered to other staff depending on a risk assessment.
    By that point, the World Health Organization, and other health bodies, had recognised Covid could be spread in tiny airborne particles over distances longer than 6.5ft (2m), something officials said was impossible at the start of the pandemic.
    Read full story
    Source: BBC News, 19 September 2024
    Related reading on the hub:
    Covid-19 : A risk assessment too far? A blog by David Osborn  
  11. Sam
    Wendy McLean was due to start her seventh round of IVF when her doctor said she needed a hysteroscopy – a procedure to examine the inside of her uterus.
    “It was sold to me as a smear test, basically. A thin narrow camera up through your cervix.
    "It’ll take minutes. You won’t need pain relief. You’ll be absolutely fine,” she said.
    Wendy, 38, took over-the-counter pain killers before the outpatient procedure at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary in case it was uncomfortable, but this did not prepare her for what happened.
    “It felt like getting a hot poker, like getting my insides ripped out. I think I described it to somebody before as like being clawed, like sharp nails, just ripping at my insides.”
    Wendy said she lost consciousness twice, vomited and asked for the procedure to be stopped.
    It was only when searching online she discovered thousands of other women had had similar experiences of painful hysteroscopies without anaesthetic.
    According to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), a third of those undergoing a hysteroscopy report pain levels of seven or above out of 10.
    It says patients should be offered local or general anaesthesia for the procedure and their medical history should be taken into account, including trauma or difficulty with smear tests.
    But despite RCOG producing new clinical guidelines promoting pain relief and choice, many women say they are not being offered it.
    Dr Geeta Kumar, consultant gynaecologist and vice president of RCOG, said they had listened to patients’ concerns.
    “Clear accurate written and verbal information must be provided, both at the time of referral, and at the procedure appointment,” she said.
    “This will support a woman to make an informed choice, including whether they want to proceed with the procedure and if so, their preferences for treatment setting and pain relief options.”
    Katharine Tylko, from the Campaign Against Painful Hysteroscopy, said: “It will have no impact whatsoever, apart from a few very conscientious and compassionate fighting-types of gynaecologist - young women who will say – ‘We want decent care for our patients.’
    Read full story
    Source: BBC News, 18 September 2024
    Related reading on the hub:
    Improving hysteroscopy safety (Patient Safety Learning, November 2020) Painful hysteroscopy - Patient's share their experiences on our Community thread
  12. Sam
    An acute trust has claimed “experienced and dedicated staff” have quit their roles because of “the stress and anxiety caused by the instability” of its imaging IT system as its row with a private provider intensifies.
    Gloucestershire Hospitals Foundation Trust said the picture archiving and communication system imaging software, provided by Philips, had caused “significant disruption” since its deployment in May 2023.
    Trust CEO Kevin McNamara wrote in a highly critical report to the trust’s September board meeting that “the improvements we would reasonably expect from [the] supplier have not been delivered”.
    As well as alleging the system’s failings were having a “serious impact” on care quality, the CEO claimed in the report that the disruption had meant “experienced and dedicated staff leaving the service and the trust due to the stress and anxiety caused by the instability of the system”.
    He also alleged the trust had incurred “significant costs” due to additional staffing and outsourcing for its radiology service “to mitigate the impact of an unstable PACS system”.
    Read full story (paywalled)
    Source: HSJ, 16 September 2024
  13. Sam
    Music from the Spice Girls is blaring out from speakers as the surgeon Paddy Subramanian grabs a bone saw and gets to work on Jacqueline Carby’s left knee. The 78-year-old is one of four patients being operated on side by side in the same room at an NHS hospital in north London.
    Each of the four operating zones in the vast “barn theatre” is a hive of activity; with half a dozen staff in scrubs buzzing around the foot of each bed, hovering over trays holding an array of surgical tools required to perform routine knee and hip replacements. The surgeons’ soundtrack of choice — jaunty Nineties pop tunes — is punctuated only by the noise of drills, saws and of metal hammering away at bone.
    The pioneering barn theatre complex at Chase Farm Hospital, part of the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, has been designed to ensure doctors get through as many operations as possible, as quickly and safely as possible. In a week when a report by Lord Darzi criticised the lack of productivity in crumbling hospitals, it provides an example of the NHS at its most ruthlessly slick and efficient.
    The large open-plan theatre equipped with cutting-edge air canopies that ensure infection cannot spread between the four beds. Compared with traditional single operating theatres it offers the crucial advantage of allowing consultant surgeons to supervise numerous operations at once.
    Subramanian, a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at the hospital, said: “It is super efficient. There is no bed wasted, and no time wasted. We can do four hip replacements in the same room. One consultant can supervise two parallel operating tables. Communication and the sharing of expertise is key in surgery. Registrars [trainee surgeons] can stick their hand up and ask for help or a second opinion. It is much safer and better for patients and staff.”
    Read full story (paywalled)
    Source: The Times, 16 September 2024
  14. Sam
    An eight-year-old girl died of sepsis hours after she was sent home by a GP who said that the local hospital was full and advised her mother to give her fluids and ibuprofen.
    Mia Glynn visited a GP surgery twice in four days but her parents Soron, 39, and Katie, 37, were told to take her home, even though she displayed symptoms of group A strep.
    Her parents, from Biddulph, Staffordshire, first took Mia to the doctor on 5 December 2022, after she had begun vomiting, had a severe headache and complained of a sore throat.
    They returned to the surgery on 8 December after Mia, who hadn’t eaten properly for the past three days, had a raised heart rate, reduced urine output and was feeling sleepy.
    The Glynns were told to take their daughter home because the hospital was full and they would have to wait in a corridor.
    Mia slept in her parents’ bed that night but woke up in the early hours of 9 December, disorientated, with blue lips and rashes on her arms and legs. She complained of feeling hot but was cold to touch.
    After being rushed to the hospital by an ambulance, she was given intravenous fluids and antibiotics, but went into suspected septic shock and suffered a cardiac arrest about 15 minutes after arriving. Despite attempts to resuscitate her, she died 20 minutes later. Her cause of death was given as sepsis caused by a group A strep infection.
    Victoria Zinzan, a specialist medical negligence lawyer at Irwin Mitchell who is representing the couple, said: “Sadly through our work we see too many families affected by sepsis; with Mia’s death vividly highlighting the dangers of the condition. Early diagnosis and treatment is key to beating sepsis, therefore it’s vital people know what signs to look out for when it comes to detecting this incredibly dangerous and life-threatening condition.”
    Read full story (paywalled)
    Source: The Times, 15 September 2024
    Related to reading on the hub:
    Top picks: 10 resources about sepsis Improving diagnosis for patient safety: World Patient Safety Day 2024
  15. Sam
    Up to 11,000 patients may have received incorrect test results – including being misdiagnosed as diabetic – due to an equipment error at a trust, HSJ has learned. 
    Bedfordshire Hospitals Foundation Trust (BHFT) experienced an intermittent issue with a machine used to analyse blood samples at its Luton hospital between April and July this year.
    This affected blood tests are used to measure glucose levels, to diagnose type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes, as well as to monitor those with known diabetes. 
    The trust is contacting all patients who may have received an incorrect result and inviting them to take another test.
    The trust said a review into this was ongoing and the incident had been reported to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency.
    BHFT said it could not determine the level of harm until all patients have been retested. However it did not expect the issue to have caused serious harm at this stage, and patients were being advised not to worry.
    It said patients may have received an incorrect diagnosis of diabetes, or prediabetes or given management advice for known diabetes based on an erroneous result. There were no concerns that a diagnosis of diabetes may have been missed as the issue was causing higher results to be measured, according to the trust. 
    Read full story (paywalled)
    Source: HSJ, 11 September 2024
  16. Sam
    The public inquiry into what happened when Lucy Letby murdered seven babies at a hospital starts this week amid a growing debate on the evidence used to convict the nurse.
    Letby was sentenced to 15 whole life orders after she was convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others at the Countess of Chester Hospital following two trials.
    On Tuesday, an independent statutory inquiry, called the Thirlwall Inquiry, begins to specifically explore what happened at the time of the crimes.
    It begins, however, at a time of growing debate around scientific evidence used to convict Letby, 34, which has led to questions over whether the hearings should take place.
    In a letter to ministers last month, a group of 24 neonatal experts said they feared a narrow scope for the inquiry based on Letby’s convictions could lead to “a failure in understanding and examining alternative, potentially complex causes for the deaths, thus missing important lessons”.
    The terms of reference for the inquiry are the experience of the hospital for the parents of the babies, the conduct of those working at the hospital over the Letby and the effectiveness of NHS management across the country.
    However, the concerns raised by some over Letby’s convictions have impacted the families of the babies.
    Tamlin Bolton, who represents the families of six victims, said: “I can’t stress enough how upsetting that has been for all of the families that I represent.
    “And they have thought about so many ways in which they can try to address that and deal with it and make sure they put their voice across. But of course they’re restricted by wanting to keep themselves confidential and private.”
    She said it was important to highlight that this week’s inquiry was focussed on the “duty of candour” between patients and hospitals, rather than the criminal convictions “which are final”.
    Read full story
    Source: The Independent, 9 September 2024
  17. Sam
    Men taking sodium valproate are being warned to use contraception while on the medicine, because of a "potential small increased risk" of autism and other neurodevelopmental problems for any children conceived.
    They should continue to do so - and cannot donate sperm - until three months after they have stopped taking the drug.
    Sodium valproate, prescribed under brand names including Epilim, Belvo, Convulex and Depakote, is an effective treatment for epilepsy and bipolar disorder.
    The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which issued the warning, stressed patients must speak to their doctors before making any changes to their medicines.
    The guidance follows a similar warning from the European Medicines Agency, after data from national registries in Norway, Denmark and Sweden suggested 5% of children born to men taking the drug were harmed.
    That study did not prove sodium valproate was the cause, the MHRA said, or compare risks for children whose fathers were not on medication.
    But it raised an "important safety issue that warrants action on a precautionary basis".
    Read full story
    Source: BBC News, 5 September 2024
  18. Sam
    A hospital in the US had introduced a lifesize hologram device to replace in-person visits and reduce patient wait times.
    Patients at a Texas hospital who expect to see doctors in person now encounter doctors via 3D holograms.
    The Holobox is a two-metre-plus device that projects a hologram of a doctor to conduct real-time consultations.
    It was designed by Netherlands-based next-gen hologram company Holoconnects.
    It is set to revolutionise patient care while reducing wait times and accommodating non-hands-on visits, such as consults or pre- and post-operative appointments.
    Crescent Regional Hospital’s CEO Raji Kumar reports it is ‘much more engaging, interactive, and realistic than a Zoom or telehealth call’.
    Collaborating with Holoconnects, the hospital sees itself as pioneering the future of healthcare with this innovation.
    ‘Now, you’re seeing the person as a whole. I’m able to see you as a whole. I can see you walk and talk; I can make you do certain tests, which I cannot do with a smaller screen,’ Kumar said.
    Kumar reported that about 10 doctors have tested the device with around 15 patients, and despite its early stages, it has received positive feedback.
    Read full story
    Source: Surgery, 21 August 2024
  19. Sam
    Hundreds of doctors and nurses have been left free to practise unchecked despite being accused of serious sexual assault and rape in the last six years, The Independent can reveal.
    Between 2018 and 2024, some 248 doctors faced allegations of rape, sexual assault or attempted rape without their licences being suspended, according to new figures from the General Medical Council (GMC).
    The Independent can reveal:
    Between 2018 and 2024, 11 doctors were accused of possessing indecent images of children but no interim orders were made. Over the same period, 261 doctors faced no restrictions despite allegations of physical assault. In 2018, one doctor accused of murder had no restrictions placed on their ability to practise. A doctor found to have sexually assaulted colleagues was able to practise as long as he informed the GMC of his job movements. The shocking figures, obtained via a freedom of information (FOI) request, call into question the decision-making of the UK’s two biggest health watchdogs after a series of exposés by The Independent.
    Helen Hughes, chief executive of the charity Patient Safety Learning, said the figures were “deeply troubling” from both patient and staff safety perspectives.
    She said: “In healthcare, patients are often faced by a significant power imbalance. When serious allegations are made against healthcare professionals, there must be robust processes in place to safeguard both staff and patients while these are being investigated.”
    Read full story
    Source: The Independent, 12 August 2024
  20. Sam
    Press release
    12th August 2024
    Public Policy Projects, in partnership with charity Patient Safety Learning, is today announcing a patient safety policy and conference programme. The programme, chaired by Patient Safety Learning Chief Executive Helen Hughes, will consist of three roundtable events and a conference in early 2025.
    The new programme is designed to embed patient safety as a core priority across national and local health systems. PPP and Patient Safety Learning will develop the programme with a focus on how technology can enable patient centred patient safety. A new editorial board will be established, chaired by Helen Hughes, where key stakeholders, including industry partners and patient leaders, will set editorial direction. Global enterprise software company, RLDatix, is the first programme partner and will join the editorial board. As Patient Safety Learning has recently highlighted, we are not getting safer. Prioritisation of patient safety remains inconsistent across health and care and there is a need for a fresh forum through which stakeholders can engage in collaborative, challenging and meaningful debates that lead to action.
    PPP’s new programme, Harnessing technology to enable a system wide approach to patient safety, is the product of a unique collaboration between Public Policy Projects and Patient Safety Learning. Both organisations have established track records of engaging with system leaders and key stakeholders and will leverage their networks to convene a unique and influential audience.
    PPP and Patient Safety Learning argue that patient safety needs to be a core purpose of health and care, not just one priority of many. There is a need for a new system-wide forum and network, for insight and analysis to position patient safety at the core of integrated care systems, NHS and independent health organisations, and care providers.
    PPP and Patient Safety Learning, along with a range of strategically selected partners, will develop a unique programme of engagement and policy to deliver actionable insights that support systems to drive improvement and reduce avoidable harm. The programme will centre on patient safety across UK health and care, and discuss it through the lens of technology, digital innovation, and data-driven transformation.
    As the new Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has recognised that industry collaboration will be essential to getting the NHS back on its feet, this programme aims to unite industry experts with sector leaders in strategic partnership. This will ensure the insights and policy delivered reflect all pertinent stakeholders and their ability to drive forward the improvement of patient safety in UK health and care.
    The programme will also include the establishment of an editorial board, which will bring together some of the country’s foremost leaders in patient safety, along with industry experts, system and patient leaders to set the programme’s editorial direction, ensuring the outputs of the programme are practical and credible.
    Commenting on the programme, Helen Hughes, Chief Executive of Patient Safety Learning and programme chair, said: “Patient safety needs to be core to health and care. Despite the efforts of many, globally and nationally, the challenges of delivering safe and effective care are as great as ever.
    “To make the transformational change needed, we need to collaborate system-wide to address often complex systemic issues, using the opportunity of technology innovation and user engagement to drive improvement. Bringing multi-disciplinary leaders together across the health and care system with a focus and drive on patient safety technology is an exciting and much needed innovation. We are delighted to partner with PPP on this exciting impact-focused programme with the support of RLDatix as our first programme partner.
    Policy for impact
    The first series of roundtables within this programme, Harnessing technology to enable a system wide approach to patient safety, will both highlight the essential role of technology and digital innovation in ensuring standards for patient safety are met, as well as stressing the importance of ensuring technology and innovations are developed and implemented with the patient front and centre.
    Each roundtable will focus on a distinct area of technological advancement in health and care, and will host collaborative discussion between sector leaders, industry experts, as well as patient and end-user representatives.
    Topics:
    Session one: Uniting system partners and integrating approaches to patient safety. Session two: Data, insight and safety performance: harnessing patient safety information. Session three: Safety design and user engagement: the power of digitally enabled people. Conference
    PPP has a rich, vibrant and varied portfolio of conference events convening hundreds of carefully selected stakeholders for vital debate and networking.
    Following the completion of the roundtable series, PPP and Patient Safety Learning will collaborate to produce an annual Patient Safety conference. These events will be used to present findings from the roundtable series as well as engaging a broader audience.
    The conference will convene the patient safety community and drive strategic prioritisation of patient safety across the health system.
    Programme contacts:
     
    [email protected] [email protected]  
    About Public Policy Projects
    Public Policy Projects (PPP) is an organisation operating at the heart of health and life sciences policy delivery. We bring together senior leaders and practitioners in the public and private health and life sciences sectors to find realistic solutions to the most pressing issues relating to health and care delivery.
    We facilitate effective collaboration between public and private sector organisations. We help businesses to grow their profile within the NHS and wider public sector. In turn, we support public sector leaders and organisations with practical recommendations on implementing policy to improve health and wellbeing outcomes for local population.
    About Patient Safety Learning
    Patient Safety Learning is a charity and independent voice for improving patient safety. We harness the knowledge, enthusiasm and commitment of healthcare organisations, professionals and patients for system-wide change and the reduction of harm.
    We support safety improvement through policy, influencing and campaigning and the development of ‘how to’ resources such as the hub, our free award-winning platform to share learning for patient safety, and our unique Patient Safety Standards and support tools.
  21. Sam
    A surgeon has been suspended on the same day a hospital review concluded harm had been caused in hundreds of cases.
    A tribunal ruled that Tony Dixon, who used artificial mesh to treat prolapsed bowels at Southmead Hospital, in Bristol, and the Spire Hospital, still posed a risk.
    The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service's hearing concluded on Thursday that a six-month suspension was "appropriate".
    Spire Healthcare has now released its review of Mr Dixon, and found 259 cases where harm had been caused. Health bosses have "apologised sincerely".
    The majority of harm was in three main areas: the failure to adequately investigate patients prior to offering the procedure; the failure to adequately offer alternative treatments; and poor consent with risks and benefits of the procedure not adequately discussed.
    The tribunal found Mr Dixon’s fitness to practise is impaired and his suspension would allow him time to "to develop further insight and remediate his misconduct".
    The General Medical Council brought the case against Mr Dixon, who denies all the allegations and maintains that the procedures were carried out in good faith.
    His suspension will start immediately.
    Read full story
    Source: BBC News, 18 July 2024
  22. Sam
    NHS England has tasked systems and providers with ending or significantly reducing 104-week waits for community mental health services by March 2025, following worsening performance.
    It was announced in a webinar held by NHSE last week, in which mental health programme directors explained how the new metric would be implemented this autumn.
    They confirmed that when an integrated care board or provider has a “small number” of 104-week waits, they should work to end them by March, and provide “trajectories” for 78-week and 52-week waits.
    For those with a “larger number” of long waits, NHSE said ICBs should work with providers to agree an improvement plan throughout the rest of 2024-25. It said they would need to “detail ICB and provider-level trajectories” and submit these soon.
    It said: “At a minimum, ICBs should ensure that less than 10 per cent of community mental health waits are over 104 weeks.”
    Read full story (paywalled)
    Source: HSJ, 18 July 2024
  23. Sam
    Thousands of children’s lives are being blighted by shocking delays to NHS care of up to three years, according to a report that warns a “forgotten generation” will suffer long-term harm as a result.
    The health service is struggling to cope with rapidly rising demand for increasingly complex and acute care needs among children and young people, the research by NHS Providers shows.
    Health leaders say the crisis in England is so severe that there is now “deep concern” that lifelong, permanent harm is being caused by crippling delays to NHS care. Long waits for basic healthcare are derailing children’s development, educational attainment and mental health, they revealed.
    One trust reported that waiting times for children’s autism assessments had risen from about 14 months before the Covid-19 pandemic to 38 months today. Children are also being forced to wait too long for essential speech and language therapy, hearing tests, medical treatment and surgery.
    “Too many young lives are being blighted by delays to accessing vital NHS care,” said Sir Julian Hartley, the chief executive of NHS Providers. “We’re in danger of seeing a forgotten generation of young people.”
    Read full story
    Source: The Guardian, 15 July 2024
  24. Sam
    The waiting lists for diagnostic tests, including cancer scans, is at a record high in NHS England, with doctors warning of a “staggering shortfall” of clinical radiologists.
    Figures published on Thursday reveal the diagnostic waiting list stands at 1,658,221 – twice what it was 10 years ago. Nearly 500,000 patients are waiting for CT scans and MRIs.
    The figures show the scale of the task facing the new health secretary, Wes Streeting, who has ordered a review into the NHS. Labour pledged in its manifesto to double the number of scanners, but doctors warn there is an urgent need for more staff to operate them and read the resulting scans.
    “The NHS is broken,” a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said in response to the figures. “Waiting lists are too high and patients have not been able to access the care they desperately need.
    “The longer patients wait for tests and scans, the worse their outcomes will be. We’ve got to get patients diagnosed much earlier.”
    Read full story
    Source: The Guardian, 14 July 2024
  25. Sam
    An integrated care board has named Oracle Health as the “likely” supplier of an electronic patient record that will be the first to be used across acute, mental and health services.
    Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board is planning to procure a single electronic patient record for both its sole acute, Mid and South Essex Foundation Trust and mental health and community service provider Essex Partnership University Trust. 
    Details of the move were revealed in the integrated care system’s “joint forward plan” for 2024-2029 which was presented to the ICB’s July board.
    Mid and South Essex Foundation Trust – which was formed by a merger of three trusts – currently uses seven different EPRs, while Essex Partnership University Trust has three. The new unified EPR is expected to go live in 2026-2027.
    NHS England has encouraged ICSs to “converge” their EPR system for over two years. A number of acute trusts operating within the same system have already launched plans to share the same EPR. This includes Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire and Norfolk and Waveney.
    Read full story (paywalled)
    Source: HSJ, 12 July 2024
    Related reading on the hub:
    EPR systems and concerns about patient safety NHS England warns electronic patient record could pose ‘serious risks to patient safety’: what can we learn? The foundations for a safe digital service delivery in health—A blog by Rob Ludman

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