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Showing results for tags 'Lack of resources'.
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Content ArticlePeople in England’s most deprived neighbourhoods work longer hours than those in the rest of the country but live shorter lives with more years in ill health costing an estimated £29.8bn a year to the economy in lost productivity. People living in these communities were also 46% more likely to die from COVID-19 than those in the rest of England. The findings, revealed in a joint report released today by the All-Parliamentary Party Group for ‘left behind’ neighbourhoods and Northern Health Science Alliance, shows the devastating impact of poor health for those living in deprived areas and left behind neighbourhoods (LBNs) and makes a number of recommendations to overcome the health inequalities faced by people living in these places. Those living in local authorities that contain ‘left behind’ neighbourhoods have a further £2bn gap in lost productivity compared to those areas with a similar rate of deprivation but with more civic assets, connectedness and an active and engaged community. Across most measures people in these areas fair even worse than those in deprived neighbourhoods.
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Content ArticleIn this opinion piece for The BMJ, Partha Kar, consultant endocrinologist and NHS England National Specialty Advisor for Diabetes, looks at the crisis facing primary care in the UK. He highlights that many primary care professionals are feeling burnt out due to the intense pressure and negative attention GPs are currently experiencing. The cost of relying on primary care for the vaccination programme is that treatment for mental health and long term conditions has been neglected. GPs are at the receiving end of patients' frustrations about delays to their care. Partha highlights the need to: prepare well in advance for potential future waves of Covid-19, including by developing a vaccine delivery workforce that is not reliant on primary care. ensure vaccines are distributed to less developed countries, and move away from seeing vaccination as an issue of nationalism. increase funding for primary care in a focused and sustained way.
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Content ArticleWhen the pandemic began, many nations’ emergency stockpiles came into the spotlight—and were found wanting. Twenty months later, Jane Feinmann asks what happened, and if procurement has got any better.
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Content ArticlePandemic and backlog pressures may make candour more challenging but do not make it any less essential, the panel at a recent HSJ webinar argued.
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Content Article
In this blog, Patient Safety Learning’s Chief Executive, Helen Hughes, reflects on participating in a recent Health Service Journal (HSJ) Patient Safety Congress webinar, held in association with BD, which considered some of the key emerging patient safety issues for 2022.- Posted
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Content ArticleThis analysis by The British Medical Association (BMA) highlights that the health service has a shortage of hospital beds, and that occupancy rates consistently exceed safe levels. It states that bed capacity will be a critical limiting factor in the NHS recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. The analysis looks at: NHS bed data compared to other countries. bed stocks over time. the impact of Covid-19. safety breaches. intensive care capacity.
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Content ArticleThe UK has fewer acute hospital beds relative to its population than many comparable health systems, and the Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on their availability and use. This article by The King's Fund illustrates long-term trends in hospital beds, using 2019-20 data from before the pandemic as the most recent comparator. However, where data is available for 2020/21, the authors have included this for information and to show the impact of the pandemic.
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Content ArticleIn this blog, a patient who experienced life-changing surgical complications describes the process of reconciliation between medical staff and patients when harm has occurred in healthcare. She highlights the need for both the patient and healthcare professional to be engaged and open in the process. She also looks at how different human factors can negatively impact on the duty of candour process, and why they need to be acknowledged. These factors include lack of communication, distraction, lack of resources, stress, complacency, lack of teamwork, pressure, lack of awareness, lack of knowledge, fatigue, lack of assertiveness and norms.
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Content ArticleEven those at the top admit the NHS can’t do what is being asked of it today. But it is far from unsalvageable – we just need serious politicians who will commit to funding it, writes Gavin Francis, who shares his experience as a GP in this Guardian long read.
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Content ArticleThe Covid-19 public inquiry has been in the news recently, with former Chancellor George Osborne and ex Prime Minister David Cameron denying that austerity policies in the UK before the pandemic weakened how prepared the NHS was for such a crisis. In this blog, published by the Nuffield Trust, Leonora Merry and Sally Gainsbury take a closer look at how true this is.
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Content ArticleNew research from Healthwatch shows that people are currently facing multiple cancellations or postponements of care which are having a significant impact on their lives and symptoms, while further increasing health inequalities. Healthwatch cmmissioned a survey of 1084 people who have seen their NHS care either cancelled or postponed this year to understand the extent of disruption to care amid rising waiting lists, workforce issues, and industrial action, and other pressures on the NHS.
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Community PostDear all, I am delighted to join this community and look forward to learn from others. By way of introduction, I coordinate HIFA HIFA (Healthcare Information For All) is a dynamic global health community working in collaboration with the World Health Organization and supported by more than 300 health and development organisations worldwide. We have more than 19,000 members (health professionals, librarians, publishers, researchers, policymakers, human rights activists and others) in 180 countries, working to improve the availability and use of reliable healthcare information, especially in low- and middle-income countries where lack of information can contribute to indecision, delay, misdiagnosis, incorrect treatment and consequent morbidity and mortality. Our work prioritises patient safety. HIFA's members interact on 6 global discussion forums in 4 languages (English, French, Portuguese and Spanish). Website www.hifa.org Join here: www.hifa.org/joinhifa Best wishes, Neil Let's build a future where people are no longer dying for lack of healthcare information - Join HIFA: www.hifa.org HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of the HIFA global health campaign (Healthcare Information For All - www.hifa.org ), a global community with more than 19,000 members in 177 countries, interacting on six global forums in four languages. Twitter: @hifa_org FB: facebook.com/HIFAdotORG neil@hifa.org
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Content ArticleNHS urgent and emergency care is under intolerable strain. This strain is increasingly causing harm to patients. Timely and high quality patient care is often not being delivered due to overcrowding driven by workforce and capacity constraints. While the covid-19 pandemic has accentuated and arguably expedited the crisis; the spiral of decline in urgent and emergency care has been decades long and unless urgent action is taken, we may not yet have reached its nadir, writes Tim Cooksley and colleagues in this BMJ opinion article.
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Content Article
The pain and distress of not being able to see an NHS dentist are "totally unacceptable", an inquiry has told the government. A review was launched after a BBC investigation found 9 in 10 NHS dental practices across the UK were not accepting new adult patients. Some people drove hundreds of miles for treatment or even resorted to pulling out their own teeth, the BBC found. The government says it invests more than £3bn a year in dentistry. But a damning report, by the Commons' Health and Social Care Committee, says more needs to be done, and quickly. The House of Commons Committee report with recommendations to government can be viewed at the link below. The Government has two months to respond. -
Content ArticleAppeals to give better resources to the NHS ‘front line’ are problematic when they divert attention away from more serious issues, especially when spending on more staff comes at the price of investing in other areas where the money may have a greater impact, emphasises Steve Black in this article published by HSJ.
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Content ArticleThis white paper from CEMBooks aims to unpick some of the deeper issues surrounding bed block and emergency department crowding from the perspective of a frontline medic with two decades of emergency and flow management experience. It aims to provide a greater understanding of the factors influencing the current situation and the measures used to define it followed by some practical implementable solutions.
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Content ArticleThe nature of patient needs and ward activity is changing. Inpatients tend to be more ill than they used to be, many with complex needs often arising from multiple long-term conditions. At the same time, hospitals face the challenges of a shortage and high turnover of registered nurses. This review presents recent evidence from National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)-funded research, including studies on the number of staff needed, the support workforce and the organisation of care on the wards. While few research studies have explored the similar pressures that occur in community and social care, the learning from hospitals may be useful to decision makers in these areas.
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Content ArticleThe results from the 2022 British Social Attitudes survey made for very difficult reading for those of us working in the NHS right now. Overall satisfaction with the NHS is at the lowest level ever recorded and similarly satisfaction with individual services is at record lows across the board, but it was satisfaction with A&E services that saw the sharpest fall in 2022. Kelly Ameneshoa, an Emergency Medicine Doctor working across South London and Surrey, reflects on the findings.
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News Article
Majority of ‘last resort’ ambulance diverts reported by only two trusts
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Two acute trusts account for almost two-thirds of emergency department ‘diverts’ reported over the last two months. Between the start of December and the start of February, Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust and University Hospitals Sussex Foundation Trust implemented 122 temporary “diverts” between them – representing around 60% of the national total. The measure is taken when a particular site, such as Worcestershire Royal or Royal Sussex County Hospital, comes under significant pressure and ambulances are temporarily directed to an alternative hospital, usually within the same trust. NHS England guidance says diverts of emergency patients due to lack of physical or staff capacity to deal with attendances or admissions “should be an action of last resort” and that this “should only need to happen in exceptional circumstances, where internal measures have not succeeded in tackling the underlying problem”. Helen Hughes, chief executive of Patient Safety Learning, said: “For ambulance services, the impact of A&E diverts is two-fold. It both increases the length of journeys that crews have to make once a divert is implemented, and increases the travel time required to get back to subsequent emergency calls." “This has the potential to increase waiting times for patients, increasing the risk of avoidable harm, particularly for those who are seriously ill, frail or elderly.” Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 15 February 2022 -
News Article
GPs each seeing 15% more patients, BMA says
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The average number of patients each individual GP is responsible for has increased by 15%, or around 300 people, since 2015, the BMA has said. This is due to the ‘slow but steady haemorrhaging’ of GPs over the last few years, which has led to pressures on services growing ‘even more acute’, it suggested. The Association’s statement comes in response to the latest GP workforce data – published by NHS Digital (10 February) – which showed that 188 FTE GPs left between December 2020 and December 2021. Dr Farah Jameel, chair of the BMA’s GP committee, said the figures are the direct result of an ‘over-stretched’ and ‘under-resourced’ NHS. She said: ‘Family doctors, exhausted and disenchanted, feel as though they have no choice but to leave a profession they love because of chronic pressures now made worse by the pandemic. Workload has dramatically increased, there are fewer staff in practices to meet patient needs.’ Insufficient staffing is particularly concerning as the backlog for care continues to grow, she suggested, with many GPs believing ‘the day job is just no longer safe, sustainable or possible anymore’. The NHS and the Government must work to retain current staff as its ‘immediate priority’ and must urgently refocus on retention strategies as a key enabler for the NHS’ recovery. She said: ‘The Government has repeatedly argued that the number of doctors is growing, but this isn’t the reality for general practice, and it begs the question: how many more have to go before something is finally done about it? Our NHS is the people who work in it, and without them, the entire system and provision of patient care is under threat.’ Read full story Source: Management in Practice, 11 February 2022 -
News Article
Surgery delays: Man feels forgotten after six-year wait
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
A County Tyrone man who has been waiting six years for a gall bladder operation has said he feels forgotten about by the health service. John Doherty, 55, said he could not understand why he was unable to get updates on his operation. BBC News NI can reveal almost 475,000 people are waiting for surgery or to see a consultant for the first time. The Royal College of Surgeons wants patients to be told how long they will have to wait for treatment. Mr Doherty said he felt anxious and depressed waiting for a telephone call from his local hospital and blamed the government for "letting him down". "I feel forgotten about, they don't even get in touch with you, not even a letter to say it could happen three months down the line... they say they'll phone back but never do," he added. "I feel neglected." Mark Taylor, a consultant surgeon, people who had been languishing for years on lists deserved to know when to expect their surgery so they could attempt to get in shape for it. He said about a one third of operations had to be cancelled daily as a result of people not being ready, either their blood pressure was too high, they were overweight or their diabetic control was not right. "Pre-habilitation schemes can help to get patients ready for their operation as much as possible, a more personalised pre operation plan is required," he said. Mr Taylor called on the government to have a proper conversation with the public about how hospitals might look in the future. "This is not about closure, this is about the redesign and re-profiling of hospitals to get maximum gain," he said. Read full story Source: BBC News, 15 February 2022 -
News Article
Lack of hospital beds makes Covid spread 'inevitable'
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
A lack of beds in Welsh hospitals meant it was "inevitable" Covid patients would come into contact with others, a doctor has said. "Seeing patients in bed at the time of admission is becoming a rarity," Dr Nicky Leopold said. Some patients, including those with Covid, have had to spend nights on chairs in A&E due to a lack of beds. The Welsh government said it aimed to deliver 12,000 more staff by 2024-25. Health Minister Eluned Morgan and the chief executive of the Welsh NHS are due to give evidence to the Senedd's health committee on winter pressures.. Dr Leopold, a consultant geriatrician, who is a member of the BMA union in Wales, said there had been recent improvements since the number of NHS staff testing positive for Covid fell, but the flow of patients through hospital was still a problem. She said: "So many patients are stranded in hospital and that's very difficult and frustrating. There just aren't the staff in the community to support the increased level of need." Outpatient appointments had also been affected by shortages, she added. A lot of patients were in "dire need" and staff were "desperately" trying to keep clinics running. Read full story Source: BBC News, 10 February 2022 -
News ArticleThe government has promised to build more surgical and community diagnostic hubs in England and to give patients greater control over their healthcare provider as part of its long awaited recovery plan for elective care to reduce the NHS backlog and tackle waiting times. But the targets set out on 8 February will not be met without the staff to run the expanded services, health leaders have warned. Andrew Goddard, president of the Royal College of Physicians, said that the plan depended on the “recovery of urgent and emergency care, as the two are intimately entwined both with respect to workforce and estate.” He added, “We will also need to build on it with a full plan for recruiting enough new staff to meet patient demand and the steps we’ll take to retain existing staff, including flexible and remote working for those returning to practice." Read full story (paywalled) Source: BMJ, 8 February 2022
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News Article
New mothers left alone and in pain as maternity crisis worsens
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Unable to move and with her newborn baby crying out of reach, Neya Joshi was left alone for hours on an understaffed maternity ward and had to beg for a glass of water. “It was awful, I was so helpless and so desperate, and no one was interested in helping me. I have never felt fear like it,” she said. The medical copywriter, 30, was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder months after giving birth to her son Arjun at Croydon University Hospital in May 2020 and had therapy for a year to recover from the trauma. She is one of thousands of mothers across the country experiencing poorer care because maternity units lack enough staff. Data from 122 NHS trusts in England shows maternity units were forced to shut their doors to women in labour more than 323 times in 2020-21, with units shut for a total of 16,294 hours, the equivalent of 679 days. When this happens women are forced to go to an alternative hospital to give birth. Staffing shortages were given as a reason in more than two-fifths of the closures. Joshi saw first hand the impact of a lack of midwives when she was admitted to hospital to be induced after her waters broke at the height of the pandemic. Visiting restrictions meant she was alone on a ward for 24 hours and, despite being told she was a high priority, there were no free beds. “After they had started the induction I was told someone would come and check me within six hours but no one came and I was just left on my own for hours,” she said. Eventually, after concerns over her baby’s heart rate, she had an emergency caesarean section but her husband was then made to leave an hour later. “I was taken to the postnatal ward and that’s where it all really went downhill,” she said. “It was awful. I was just lying there. I couldn’t move because I had the epidural and my baby was crying." Read full story (paywalled) Source: The Times, 6 February 2022 -
News ArticleChildren with mental health problems are dying because of failings in NHS treatment, coroners across England have said in what psychiatrists and campaigners have called “deeply concerning” findings. In the last five years coroners have issued reports to prevent future deaths in at least 14 cases in which under-18s have died while being treated by children’s and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). The most common issues that arise are delays in treatment and a lack of support in helping patients transition to adult services when they turn 18. Coroners issue reports to prevent future deaths in extreme cases when it is decided that if changes are not made then another person could die. Dr Elaine Lockhart, the chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ faculty of child and adolescent psychiatry, said the findings were “deeply concerning” and every death was a tragedy. She said there were too often lengthy delays and services were under strain as demand rises and the NHS faces workforce shortages. “In child and adolescent mental health services in England, 15% of consultant psychiatrist posts are vacant,” Lockhart said, calling for more support, investment and planning to grow staff levels. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 3 February 2022
