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Showing results for tags 'External factors'.
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News Article
‘Overheating’ incidents nearly double across NHS estates
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The number of overheating incidents in clinical areas reported by NHS trusts has almost doubled over the last five years, with directors saying ageing estates make them vulnerable to extreme weather events. Providers reported that temperatures went above 26°C – the threshold for a risk assessment – more than 5,500 times in 2021-22, according to official data. Overheating looks set to become an increasingly significant issue for NHS estates, HSJ was told, as climate change makes extreme weather events more frequent and more intense. Janet Smith, head of sustainability at Royal Wolverhampton and Walsall Healthcare Trusts, said: “We’re feeling it now. And it’s not going to change unless we do something about it. We need a climate resilient estate to actually deliver sustainable care.” An overheating incident is when the temperature surpasses 26°C in an occupied ward or clinical space in a day, with each area counting as a separate incident. When this happens, trusts should carry out a risk assessment and take action to ensure the safety of vulnerable patients. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 16 February 2023- Posted
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- Infrastructure / building / equipment
- External factors
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News Article
Overheating and flooding at hospitals in England ‘pose threat to patient safety’
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Record levels of overheating and a sharp rise in flooding at England’s hospitals are putting vulnerable patients at risk, figures show. Analysis of NHS data by the Liberal Democrats found that the number of health trusts reporting overheating in clinical areas had doubled compared with six years ago, and floods had increased by nearly 60% from last year. An overheating incident is logged when an occupied ward or clinical area’s daily maximum temperature exceeds 26C, the temperature at which some patients become unable to cool themselves effectively. The latest government figures show that in the summer of 2022 there were an estimated 2,985 excess deaths due to heatwaves, the highest number on record. Heatwaves also forced a fifth of UK hospitals to cancel operations. The number of serious flooding incidents, where water caused disruption such as by breaching a building or flooding a road, rose from 176 to 279. The climate crisis is expected to increase these risks to hospitals and patients. Helen Buckingham, the director of strategy at the Nuffield Trust, said: “These figures are a cause for real concern about the resilience of the NHS’s estate to the growing threat from extreme weather in the UK. As temperatures have climbed, so too have the number of overheating incidents in NHS hospitals.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 27 November 2023- Posted
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- Infrastructure / building / equipment
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News ArticleMedicine shortages are an “increasing problem” for Australia and antibiotics are among the commonly prescribed drugs currently in short supply, the peak body for general practitioners says. The drugs regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), said the three most commonly prescribed antibiotics – amoxicillin, cefalexin and metronidazole – are scarce. They are used to treat a range of bacterial infections, including pneumonia and other chest infections, skin infections and urinary tract infections. To see patients through the shortage, the TGA has authorised pharmacists to provide alternative antibiotics without approval from the prescribing doctor. “Importantly, many of these medicines have alternatives available,” the TGA said. “Your pharmacist may be able to give you a different brand, or your doctor can prescribe a different strength or medicine with similar spectrum of activity.” A TGA spokesperson said “most of the antibiotic shortages are caused by manufacturing issues or an unexpected increase in demand”. Dr Nicole Higgins, the president of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, said the shortage of certain medicines was “becoming an increasing problem in Australia”. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 12 December 2022
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News Article
Main hospital corridor turned into ‘makeshift ward’
Patient-Safety-Learning posted a news article in News
The main corridor of an acute hospital has been closed to patients and staff and turned into a ‘makeshift ward’, in what sources describe as an ‘absolutely unprecedented’ situation. The move by Aintree Hospital comes after staff clashed with paramedics last week about whether ambulance patients could be brought into the crowded emergency department. One staff member, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “It’s exceptional for this to happen, but I can see it happening more over winter. It’s a rock and a hard place… either you wait in the ambulance if the queue is too long, or you wait in the main hospital corridor. Neither option is ideal.” Dr Adrian Boyle, president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said: “Across the country, the urgent and emergency care system is in unprecedented crisis. Emergency medicine teams and our paramedic colleagues are doing their very best to deliver effective care in exceptionally difficult circumstances. Circumstances like these require ICB leaders to engage, take control of the situation and accept their responsibility. This will both help to de-escalate the situation and ensure the right decision is made for the patients, the ED teams and ambulance crews." Read full story Source: HSJ, 19 October 2022 (paywalled)- Posted
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- Hospital ward
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News Article
Cancer patients in England and Wales facing ‘unacceptable’ wait for support
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The physical and mental health of tens of thousands of cancer patients in England and Wales is deteriorating because they are having to wait months for financial support from the government, a charity has warned. Macmillan Cancer Support said many are waiting as long as five months to receive their personal independence payment (PIP), which is paid to people with long-term physical and mental health conditions or disability, and who have difficulty doing certain everyday tasks or getting around. Health leaders said the “unacceptable” situation had now become critical, with thousands of cancer patients increasingly desperate for help. Research for the charity found that among people with cancer who receive PIP, more than one in four (29%) have reported a deterioration in physical or mental health while they wait to receive it. This rises to almost half (46%) among those who wait more than 11 weeks to receive their first payment. Macmillan is launching a “Pay PIP Now” campaign, saying it is hearing from patients going into debt, skipping meals and cancelling medical appointments due to travel costs, all because of delays to PIP. It wants ministers to cut the average wait times for PIP from 18 weeks at the moment to 12. Research suggests most people with cancer suffer a financial impact from their diagnosis, including from being unable to work while having treatment, increased heating bills to stay warm and the cost of attending appointments. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 6 October 2022- Posted
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- Cancer
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News Article
Energy costs risk humanitarian crisis, says NHS leaders
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Rising numbers of people will fall sick and see their health worsen unless the government takes further action to limit energy price rises, the NHS says. The NHS Confederation said the UK was facing a "humanitarian crisis". The group, which represents health bosses, said many people would face the awful choice between skipping meals to heat their homes or having to live in cold and damp conditions. But ministers said action was already being taken and the NHS supported. This includes £400 payments to every household this autumn to help pay energy bills. However, in a letter to ministers, NHS leaders said that rapidly rising energy prices, along with other cost-of-living pressures, will still leave individuals and families facing impossible choices. They warn that if people are forced to live in cold homes and cannot afford nutritious food, then their health will quickly deteriorate and the NHS will be left to pick up the pieces. Cold conditions can lead to a rise in respiratory conditions, and in older people can also increase the risk of heart attacks, strokes and falls. Cold homes are already linked to 10,000 deaths a year, the NHS Confederation said. The group warned the risk of ill-health linked to the energy crisis would come on top of what many expect to be one of the toughest winters on record because of the combination of flu, norovirus and Covid outbreaks. As well as leading to more sickness and illness, the NHS Confederation said it would also have a major impact on mental health and well-being. Read full story Source: BBC News, 20 August 2022 -
News ArticleA spike in Covid absences and the extended heatwave have left NHS hospitals and ambulance services struggling to cope. The hot weather is also driving more patients to A&E departments, and callers are being urged not to use 999 except in serious emergencies. All 10 ambulance trusts in England are on black alert, the highest level, while health leaders warn that “ill-equipped” hospital buildings are struggling to store medicines correctly amid the abnormally high temperatures. Martin Flaherty, managing director of the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives, said: “The NHS ambulance sector is under intense pressure, with all ambulance services operating at the highest level of four within their local resource escalation action plans, normally only ever reserved for major incidents or short-term periods of unusual demand. “Severe delays in ambulance crews being able to hand over their patients at many hospital emergency departments are having a very significant impact on the ambulance sector’s ability to respond to patients as quickly as we would like to, because our crews and vehicles are stuck outside those hospitals.” Read full story Source: The Independent, 12 July 2022
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- Organisation / service factors
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Content ArticleThis article, published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, looks at how outsourcing in health care has become increasingly common as health system administrators seek to enhance profitability and efficiency while maintaining clinical excellence. However, outsourcing clinical services often results in lower quality patient care, including patient harm, and compromises the values of the organisation.
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- Patient harmed
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Content ArticleThe Safety Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS) is arguably the best known and most published systems-based Human Factors framework in healthcare worldwide. Developed by Professor Pascale Carayon and colleagues in the University of Wisconsin, the SEIPS framework is partly based on Donabedian’s well-known Structure-Process-Outcome model of healthcare quality. SEIPS is strongly grounded in a Human Factors based systems approach.
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- Patient safety incident
- Human factors
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Content Article
Are agency healthcare practitioners adequately covered to work in private hospitals?
Anonymous posted an article in Occupational health and safety
I would like to share with you my experience of an injury I sustained when working as an agency nurse doing bank shifts in a private hospital and highlight to colleagues the importance of knowing your entitlements when working for an Agency. Please make sure you are adequately covered for injury. -
Content ArticlePart 6 of this series of blogs about human factors and investigations in healthcare discusses the 'How' and the 'Why'. How did the person die or was injured is different from understanding why it happened? At first this appears to be a pedantic, minor issue, but, as (hopefully) we shall see from this blog, it’s a vital distinction. Question How did the plane crash? Answer It was hit by a missile. Question Why was a missile launched, is a vastly different question. Question How was it that the pedestrian was hit by the car? Answer It was due to the driver not seeing them – but why did they not see them is the question. Without the why – you can’t do the intervention. Most investigations done stop at the how – few get to the why, especially in medicine, especially with root cause analysis.
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- Investigation
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Content ArticleThe purpose of this document, from the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors, is to provide health and social care teams with advice and guidance on the human-centred design of work procedures such as written instructions, checklists or flow charts during this period of 'crisis management' in response to COVID-19 and to support the design and re-design of care services and new ways of working. Implementation of the guidance will contribute to safer and easier to use procedures, which better support how people work and reduce risks to themselves, patients, carers and others.
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- Safety management
- Communication
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Content Article
COVID-19: The Private Eye Podcast (April 2020)
Claire Cox posted an article in Coronavirus (COVID-19)
This month’s Private Eye podcast is all about COVID-19. The Eye’s medical correspondent, Dr Phillip Hammond, discusses the latest developments, plus some faint lights at the end of the tunnel.- Posted
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- Information sharing
- Virus
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Content Article
COVID-19: Guidance for residential care, supported living and home care
Claire Cox posted an article in Guidance
This new guidance set out by the Department of Health and Social Care covers a variety of scenarios relating to care homes, staff, and providers who care for people in their own homes to ensure older people and those with pre-existing conditions and care needs who receive support are best protected. Elderly people and those with underlying health conditions are much more likely to develop serious complications. Anyone who is suspected of having COVID-19, with a new continuous cough or high temperature, should not visit care homes or people receiving home care, and should self-isolate at home. People receiving care will be isolated in their rooms if they have symptoms of coronavirus. To ensure they can continue to receive the care they require, care staff will use protective equipment to minimise the risk of transmission. Building on existing strong local relationships, the NHS will work with care providers where necessary to make sure people have the best possible care and remain in the community. GPs have been asked to look at the possibilities of offering digital appointments to provide advice and guidance to patients and potentially their families. Councils have been told to map out all care and support plans to prioritise people who are at the highest risk and contact all registered providers in their local area to facilitate plans for mutual aid.- Posted
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- High risk groups
- Community care
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Content Article
Medscape: Novel coronavirus (articles)
Claire Cox posted an article in Guidance
This is a collection of articles, news and alerts on coronavirus published on Medscape.- Posted
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- Clinical process
- Resources / Organisational management
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Content Article
'Storm in a Checklist'
Kathy Nabbie posted an article in Surgery
Kathy Nabbie reflects on the recent flights caught up in Storm Dennis and how 'routine' quickly became 'out of the ordinary'. As with aviation, in surgery we must always do the safety checks for each patient to ensure that every journey for the patient is a safe one.- Posted
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- Care navigation
- Behaviour
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Content Article
Suicide amongst anaesthetists 2019
Claire Cox posted an article in Staff safety
Anaesthetists are thought to be at increased risk of suicide amongst the medical profession. The aims of the following guidelines written by the Association of Anaesthetists are: increase awareness of suicide and associated vulnerabilities, risk factors and precipitants; to emphasise safe ways to respond to individuals in distress, both for them and for colleagues working alongside them; and to support individuals, departments and organisations in coping with a suicide.- Posted
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- Anaesthetist
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Content Article
The BAPEN self-screening tool for malnutrition
Claire Cox posted an article in Keeping patients safe
BAPEN’s web-based self-screening tool is designed for people who are worried about their weight or the weight of somebody they care about to quickly and easily work out if there is a risk of malnutrition.- Posted
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- Patient
- Patient / family involvement
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Content Article
Letter from America: Tomorrow is Another Day
lzipperer posted an article in Letter from America
'Letter from America’ is a Patient Safety Learning blog series highlighting fresh accomplishments in patient safety from the United States. The series covers successes large and small. I share them here to generate conversations through the hub, over a coffee and in staff rooms to transfer these innovations to the frontline of UK care delivery.- Posted
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- Leadership
- Leadership style
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Content ArticleBen Tipney and Vikki Howarths' presetation on Human Factors in practice. This presentation covers: an introduction to human factors human factors training implementation of human factors in practice new initiatives.
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- Confirmation bias
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Content ArticleHindSight is a magazine produced by the Safety Improvement Sub-Group (SISG) of EUROCONTROL. It is produced for Air Traffic Controllers and is issued by the Agency twice a year. Its main function is to help operational air traffic controllers to share in the experiences of other controllers who have been involved in ATM-related safety occurrences. The current Editor in Chief is Dr Steven Shorrock.
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- Confirmation bias
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Content ArticleEvery clinical laboratory devotes considerable resources to Quality Control (QC). Recently, the advent of concepts such as Analytical Goals, Biological Variation, Six Sigma and Risk Management have generated a renewed interest in the way to perform QC. The objective of this book is to propose a roadmap for the application of an integrated QC protocol that ensures the safety of patient results in the everyday lab routine.
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- Tests / investigations
- Workspace design
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Content Article
Museum of failure
Claire Cox posted an article in Miscellaneous
Museum of Failure is a collection of failed products and services from around the world. The majority of all innovation projects fail and the museum showcases these failures to provide visitors a fascinating learning experience. Every item provides unique insight into the risky business of innovation.The idea for the museum was born out of frustration. ‘I was so tired of reading and hearing the same boring success stories, they are all alike’ says the museum’s curator, Samuel West. ‘It is in the failures we find the interesting stories that we can learn from.’ Innovation and progress require an acceptance of failure. The museum aims to stimulate discussion about failure and inspire us to have the courage to take meaningful risks.Could we learn from our 'failures' in healthcare in the same way?- Posted
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- Perception / understanding
- Physical environment
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Content Article
Work as is done, work as imagined
Anonymous posted an article in Florence in the Machine
This blog highlights: The juxtaposition of how work is carried out by healthcare staff compared to the work that policy makers are 'imagining' healthcare workers are doing. The need for healthcare staff to be part of patient safety solutions.- Posted
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- Near miss
- Hospital ward
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Content Article
CQC case study: outstanding, safe care for all (May 2017)
Claire Cox posted an article in GP and primary care
Inclusion Healthcare, a social enterprise, provides primary medical services for homeless people in Leicester. It was rated outstanding following its CQC inspection in November 2014. CQC inspectors found strong leadership at its heart and a positive culture that ensures patient safety is paramount. In this short film, we hear from service users and staff and find out how they are promoting patient safety.- Posted
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- Walk in centre
- GP
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