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PatientSafetyLearning Team

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Everything posted by PatientSafetyLearning Team

  1. Content Article
    17 September 2020 marks the second annual World Patient Safety Day. The theme this year is 'Health Worker Safety: A Priority for Patient Safety'. In the run up to this special event, Patient Safety Learning are publishing a series of interviews with staff from across the health and care system to highlight key issues in staff safety and gain a clearer idea of the kind of change that needs to take place to keep staff, and ultimately patients, safe.  In this interview, Yvonne Coghill, Director, Workforce Race Equality, NHS London and nurse by background, shares her insight.
  2. Content Article
    The All Party Parliamentary Group on Sexual and Reproductive Health (APPG SRH) opened the Inquiry into Access to Contraception in 2019, in response to reports of women being unable to access contraception in a way that meets their needs.  The Inquiry's report, Women's Lives, Women's Rights: Strengthening Access to Contraception Beyond the Pandemic has now been published and looks specifically at the following key areas: Fragmented commissioning Funding Workforce Data collection Education and information Access for marginalised groups Opportunities to improve contraceptive provision.
  3. Content Article
    This letter, published by the BMJ, is written by a group of doctors affected by persisting symptoms of suspected or confirmed COVID-19. Their aim is to share their insights from both personal experience of the illness and their perspective as physicians. In the letter they call for a number of principles to be used so that the best possible outcomes can be achieved for all people affected by persisting symptoms of COVID-19. These principles fall under three categories: Research and surveillance Clinical services Patient involvement Access to services.
  4. Content Article
    A large sample of non-hospitalised COVID-19 patients still experience multiple symptoms months after being infected. These persistent symptoms are associated with many clinically relevant outcomes, including poor health status and impaired functional status. To date, no information is available about care dependency. The authors of this study, published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine, aimed to explore the level of care dependency and the need for assistance with personal care in non-hospitalised COVID-19 patients. 
  5. Community Post
    COVID-19 has placed the health and social care system under enormous pressure. To meet the demand created by the pandemic, a range of non COVID care and treatment was postponed. Now staff are faced with the new challenge of responding to the treatment backlog safely. Many are understandably still struggling to cope with the mental and physical effects of working on the frontline during a global pandemic. Patients and relatives are also concerned. Some are worried that the delays will have had a negative impact on health outcomes or that they still do not know when they will be seen. Others feel they may have been prematurely discharged to help reduce the backlog. We want to hear from patients, relatives and staff who can share their insight on what is and isn't working, the challenges and the safety concerns. Your experiences will help us identify and highlight patient safety gaps that need addressing. Please comment below to join the conversation or you can get in touch with us at content@pslhub.org if you'd prefer to share your experience anonymously. Nb: You'll need to sign in to the hub to comment (click on the icon in the top right of your screen). If you're not a member yet, you can sign up here for free.
  6. Content Article
    17 September 2020 marks the second annual World Patient Safety Day. The theme this year is 'Health Worker Safety: A Priority for Patient Safety'. In the run up to this special event, Patient Safety Learning are publishing a series of interviews with staff from across the health and care system to highlight key issues in staff safety and gain a clearer idea of the kind of change that needs to take place to keep staff, and ultimately patients, safe.  In this interview, Kirsty Wood, Senior Critical Care Outreach Practitioner, shares her insight.
  7. Content Article
    Mind the Gap is a Handbook to raise awareness of how symptoms and signs can present differently on darker skin as well as highlighting the different language that needs to be used in descriptors.The aim of this booklet is to educate students and essential allied health care professionals on the importance of recognising that certain clinical signs do not present the same on darker skin. This is something which is not commonly practised in medical textbooks. It is important that healthcare professionals are aware of these differences so that care of certain groups is not compromised.
  8. Content Article
    This website has been developed by Wendy Jones BSc, MSc, PhD, MRPharmS, a Community Pharmacist for over 40 years. This website is designed to provide information and support for mothers and healthcare professionals struggling to balance the benefits of breastfeeding with the perceived risk of exposing the baby to medication through his/her mother’s breastmilk.The information provided is based upon Wendy's many years experience gained as a pharmacist and from running the BfN national Drugs in Breastmilk Help-line.
  9. Content Article Comment
    @Shamim Odera RN has kindly created a presentation explaining the process of informed consent. Available now on the hub: https://www.pslhub.org/learn/patient-engagement/consent-and-privacy/the-process-of-informed-consent-a-presentation-r2996/
  10. Content Article
    Refinery29 UK has published a series of articles focusing on the gender health gap: Uncharted Bodies: Exploring The Gender Health Gap. They looked at five distinct areas in reproductive and gynaecological health where a lack of research and therefore data is directly affecting women’s health: endometriosishormonal contraception and how it affects women’s brainspolycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) vaginismus. Follow the link below to find our more.
  11. Community Post
    Shared anonymously: "Six years ago I underwent hysteroscopy. Due to very heavy periods they wanted to investigate. I had an LA and the pain was bearable for me. But what really shocked me was that, while I was still in position, with my legs in the air, they said they were just going to insert something that would help with my periods. It wasn't really a question. It was a Mirena implant. They passed me the form to sign while I was still reclined which I thought was odd at the time but I trusted them. It was only when I came home that I could actually research what I had agreed to, something I would have done beforehand usually. Thankfully the Mirena has worked well for me but I know that isn't the case for all women. I still can't believe the approach used to get my 'consent', it certainly didn't feel informed."
  12. Community Post
    Thank you for sharing your insight @Sally A. I recently watched a webinar about the Your Covid Recovery portal and the lady presenting said that the assessments for post-covid clinic support would likely go via pulmonary clinicians. I am not sure if that is still the case but it sounds like it may be respiratory focused where you went. Which, like you said, may not be meeting everyone's needs as people have concerns and symptoms relating to different parts of the body. We hope the letter we have sent to Simon Stevens will prompt greater clarity so we can highlight any gaps like this.
  13. Content Article
    The aim of this review, published in Archives of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, is to provide an overview of the literature about the perception and management of anxiety and pain in women undergoing an office hysteroscopic procedure.
  14. Content Article
    On 28 August 2020, LongCovid.org and partners sent a letter to Jeremy Hunt, Chair of the Health & Social Care Committee, to ask for the UK Government to assemble a multi-disciplinary Long Covid taskforce to consider: improvements to (continuing) professional education more and better research quality psychosocial and mental health services better public health programmes help for NHS and social care workers to return to work safely funding for patient-led support groups. The full letter can be read via the link below.
  15. Content Article
    This blog, published in the BMJ, is written by Editor-in-Chief Alison Twycross and Dr Jake Suett, a staff grade doctor in Intensive Care, who both have suspected Long Covid. They discuss what Long Covid is and discuss some of the employment related issues health care professionals may encounter.  They are keen to hear from nurses, midwives and other health care professionals with Long Covid about the issues they are facing. Posts on several of the Long Covid Facebook groups suggest that these issues include: Being denied full sick pay because they haven’t had a positive test for COVID-19 (despite the unavailability of tests and relatively high incidence of false negatives). Employers only applying the COVID-19 enhanced sick pay to staff in the acute phase of illness. Being expected to use annual leave for a phased return to work.
  16. Content Article
    The aim of this research study is to better describe and understand the patient experience and recovery of those with confirmed or suspected COVID-19, with a specific emphasis on the Long COVID experience. The focus of this study includes participants’ backgrounds, testing, symptoms, and psychological wellbeing. A secondary aim of this study is to publish patient-driven data in order to advocate for the Long COVID population within the medical community. The survey was created by a group of patients with COVID-19 symptoms who are members of the Body Politic online COVID-19 support group. 
  17. Content Article
    17 September 2020 marks the second annual World Patient Safety Day. The theme this year is 'Health Worker Safety: A Priority for Patient Safety'. In the run up to this special event, Patient Safety Learning are publishing a series of interviews with staff from across the health and care system to highlight key issues in staff safety and gain a clearer idea of the kind of change that needs to take place to keep staff, and ultimately patients, safe.  In this 2-minute video, Surgical First Assistant and Scrub Theatre Practitioner, Kathy Nabbie talks about her personal experiences of speaking up for patient safety. She highlights the fears that many feel in raising concerns and how staff can be helped to feel psychologically safe to talk about unsafe practice.  A transcript of the video is also included below. 
  18. Content Article
    17 September 2020 marks the second annual World Patient Safety Day. The theme this year is 'Health Worker Safety: A Priority for Patient Safety'. In the run up to this special event, Patient Safety Learning are publishing a series of interviews with staff from across the health and care system to highlight key issues in staff safety and gain a clearer idea of the kind of change that needs to take place to keep staff, and ultimately patients, safe.  To launch the series, Patient Safety Learning's Chief Executive Officer, Helen Hughes speaks to Eve Mitchell, the hub Topic Leader for Safe Staffing. Eve's passion in this area led to the creation of ‘Establishment Genie’, a safe-staffing workforce planning and benchmarking tool, which was endorsed by NICE in April 2017. 
  19. Community Post
    Today (Friday 11 September), Patient Safety Learning has written to Sir Simon Stevens, Chief Executive of the NHS, calling on him to take steps to publicise the locations and details of these clinics. You can read the letter in the attached PDF below: Letter_PSLtoSimonsStevens_110920_Issued.pdf Thank you all for continuing to provide patient insight on this issue.
  20. Content Article
    Patient Safety Learning are calling on the NHS to publish details of post-COVID support clinics and clarify how these can be accessed by thousands of ‘Long COVID’ patients. Today (Friday 11 September), Patient Safety Learning has written to Sir Simon Stevens, Chief Executive of the NHS, calling on him to take steps to publicise the locations and details of these services. This follows Matt Hancock MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, expressing concerns in the Health and Social Care Select Committee on Tuesday that not all GPs know how to access these services. The body of the letter is available to read below, or you can download a PDF version via the attachment. 
  21. Community Post
    Below are some more comments that have been shared with us by patients (with their permission) from a Facebook COVID research group. Some wished to remain anonymous. "Asked GP in Southampton...she has been supportive....knew of none." Anon. "I tried mid-August to pull together a list by asking the Long Covid support group and literally got only 1 answer. I was trying to get my MP to follow up on it. it seems unfathomable to me that this doesn't exist already. FWIW, I asked my GP here in Bristol and he was unaware of any. I asked him to look at Southmead Hospital (have research underway) but there is nothing." Michelle Gates. "I have e-mailed a question re Covid Clinics (and where are they where I live) to my NHS Trust for their board of directors meeting and was told the question would be asked. I am waiting for a transcript/minutes of the meeting to see if the question was raised?" Anon. "This (the list) would be so helpful. My GP in the north east had never heard of any!" Anon. "No clinics in Durham." Tracey Birch. "I asked my GP a few weeks ago to refer me to such a clinic but she looked into it and said there was nothing for Bexley (just outside London) patients to be referred to." Karen Corbett-Smith. "My GP looked into the post-Covid clinic at Adenbrookes in Cambridge and confirmed rumours that I’d heard that it is only for previously hospitalised and I think also ventilated patients. There seems to be nothing available in the county and precious little in the East of England. Apparently there’s a clinic in Stevenage (Herts) - somebody I chatted to has a phone appointment with them next week. Thanks for looking into this- so many promises, so little follow-through." Annette Shelford. "I’m in East Berkshire and when I asked my GP a few weeks ago if there are any post Covid clinics in our area he said there is nothing he is aware of, that he’d ask around and get back to me if he found anything, but nothing." Anon. "I asked my gp multiple times and there is no covid hub in Bristol, despite Bristol-led long covid research study (that focus on hospitalised patients only) and other covid research. I did get sent to the respiratory hot clinic where the consultant was very knowledgeable outside of discipline eg we discussed blood clotting, heart and nervous system effects. I Have separate referrals to ENT. Cardiology-Echocardiogram. I Will get a lung CT scan, but it would make sense if they looked at multiple organs, but because it was ordered by the respiratory team they will only look at lungs. Frustrating ! Really need a multidisciplinary team to coordinate tests, meds and rehab." Jo House.
  22. Community Post
    @Raeven thank you for giving your insight. As you have highlighted, there are thousands of patients, who like you, are suffering chronic symptoms. Greater clarity around access to post-COVID support is really needed.
  23. Content Article
    The OSIRIS programme is a major project of research, to understand and improve the shared decision making process for patients at high risk of medical complications as they contemplate major surgery. Led by Barts Health NHS Trust & Queen Mary University London and funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), research will be conducted with patients, doctors and carers to understand the surgical decision making process. The OSIRIS team aim to understand the values and beliefs about long-term outcomes amongst high-risk patients contemplating major surgery, how these differ from doctors’ opinions, how these affect decisions about surgical treatments, and whether patients’ opinions change once they experience surgery. They will co-design with patients and doctors, a decision support intervention, to provide an accurate and individualised forecast of the risks and benefits of surgery for each high-risk patient. You can find out more about the research methodology and the aims of the project through the link below. 
  24. Community Post
    Yesterday Matt Hancock, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care said: "The NHS set up Long Covid clinics and announced them in July and I'm concerned by reports this morning from the Royal College of GPs that not all GPs know how to ensure people can get into those services."[1] Many patients are having to find out about Long Covid clinics through word of mouth or their own research, as Barbara Melville explains: "I admin the Long Covid Support Group on Facebook, which has over 20, 000 members. We're hearing of 'Covid Clinics', but we still don't know where they are, how we access them, or what support we can expect. I learned of Edinburgh’s Covid service on Facebook, when a friend photographed a poster on a GP surgery door – the absolute last place I would have gone. But it wasn’t plain sailing once I knew. I managed to access physio, but it is still light, and mostly phone based. One friend, who was hospitalised, was sent leaflets through the post – he had to push hard for physio. Neither of us were able to access investigations to determine if exercise is really safe, which is worrying given emerging evidence of multi-system complications." Where is the list of these clinics? Has it been widely shared with GPs and patients so those suffering symptoms of Covid-19 months later can access help? How many clinics are able to help patients access clinical investigations as well as rehabilitation? What about those who did not get a positive test result? Or were not hospitalised? Are they able to access these services? Do you know of a central list or of services near you? Please comment below to #share4safety. Nb: You'll need to sign in to the hub to comment (click on the icon in the top right of your screen). If you're not a member yet, you can sign up here for free. Health_and_Social_Care_Committee_08-09-20_11-14-22 (1).mp4 Reference 1. Matt Hancock, 8 September 2020, Health and Social Care Select Committee (00:01:35 of attached video).
  25. Content Article
    Patient Safety Learning, Health Plus Care and BD are holding a series of webinars on patient safety on the frontline, exploring burning patient safety issues and engaging with frontline health care workers, clinical leaders and patient safety experts. The first of these webinars is at 11.00am (BST) on Wednesday 16 September: Responding to the treatment backlog safely. This blog sets out some of the key points to inform the webinar.
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