Search the hub
Showing results for tags 'Patient / family support'.
Found 286 results
-
Content ArticleIn this letter nine charities and patient organisations write to Sajid Javid MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, urging him to reconsider plans to impose fixed costs on lower value clinical negligence claims. They argue that the proposals are a threat to both access to justice and patient safety.
-
Content ArticleThis action plan to implement the recommendations of the Neonatal Critical Care Transformation Review outlines how the NHS will further improve neonatal care with the support of funding set out in the NHS Long Term Plan. It includes information on capacity, staffing and support for parents.
-
Content ArticleIn a wide-ranging Report on NHS litigation reform, the Health and Social Care Committee finds the current system for compensating injured patients in England ‘not fit for purpose’ and urges a radically different system to be adopted. Reforms would introduce an administrative scheme which would establish entitlement to compensation on the basis that correct procedures were not followed and the system failed to perform rather than clinical negligence which relies on proving individual fault. The new system would prioritise learning from mistakes and would reduce costs. Currently, litigation offers the only route by which those harmed can access compensation. MPs say in addition to being grossly expensive and adversarial, the existing system encourages individual blame instead of collective learning. This is a House of Commons Committee report, with recommendations to government. The Government has two months to respond.
-
News Article
Failing NHS negligence system must change, say MPs
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
A major reform of the way NHS clinical negligence claims are handled in England is needed, MPs say. The House of Commons' Health and Social Care Committee said the current system was too adversarial, leading to bitter and long legal fights for patients. More than £2bn a year is paid out on claims, but 25% goes to legal fees. An independent body should be set up to adjudicate on cases and the need to prove individual fault should be scrapped, the cross-party group said. Instead, the focus should be whether the system failed, which the MPs believe would create a better culture for learning from mistakes. The committee heard from families who had lost children or whose babies had been left with brain injuries from mistakes made during birth. Parents described how they had to fight for years to get recognition for the harm that had been caused. One woman criticised the "complacent attitude" of the hospital involved, saying they just wanted to put it down to one mistake and carry on as normal. Another woman whose daughter died aged 20 months after errors in her care said she felt lessons had not been learnt despite a settlement in her favour. She said the whole process had left her feeling devastated. The average length of time for these settlements was over 11 years, the committee was told. Read full story Source: BBC News, 27 April 2022 -
Content Article
Laura Cockram, Head of Policy and Campaigning at Parkinson's UK, and regular blogger for the hub, shares with us what Parkinson's UK will be doing to support World Parkinson's Day.- Posted
- 1 comment
-
- (and 3 more)
-
News Article
Thousands have PTSD symptoms after miscarriage
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Tens of thousands of women in the UK may be experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after miscarriages each year, a leading researcher warns. Prof Tom Bourne estimates the number affected could run to 45,000 annually. But he says most are not given prompt psychological support that could help prevent PTSD developing. The Miscarriage Association says there is an urgent need for better access to talking and other psychological therapies for those affected. At present, most women have to ask for help themselves rather than support being in place. Prof Bourne believes there needs to be more research into other ways of helping people experiencing loss. His team is trying out a variety of new approaches - including virtual reality - to help address the issue. One idea his team is experimenting with is offering women virtual reality headsets during miscarriage procedures. It builds on previous work that shows VR headsets can help reduce pain during some medical procedures. Researcher Dr Nina Parker says the aim is "to transport them to sort of a more calm, virtual reality world for distraction from the pain and anxiety during the procedure". She adds: "There is nothing that we are ever going to be able to do that takes away from the loss and the trauma of losing pregnancy and having a miscarriage. "But if we can do everything that we can to minimise any additional trauma we might be adding to in the interactions that are had within the hospital, then we are obligated to do that." Read full story Source: BBC News, 8 April 2022 -
Content Article'Cautious Tortoise' is an easy to follow flow chart that aims to guide parents and caregivers through the early steps of their child's recovery from Covid-19 and Long Covid, while supporting them to preserve energy to aid ongoing recovery. Alongside an infographic flow-chart, this webpage contains frequently asked questions about Covid-19 and Long Covid in children, including: What does the government advise? Long Covid Kids urge families to proceed cautiously When can a child be referred to a Long Covid Paediatric Hub? How many children get Long Covid? Long Covid Symptoms In Children What is post exertional malaise/post exertional symptom exacerbation? When is the right time to return to school?
-
Content ArticleIn March 2015, Bill Kirkup published his report on avoidable harm in maternity services at the Morecambe Bay NHS Trust. His introduction carried a warning: “It is vital that the lessons, now plain to see, are learnt... by other Trusts, which must not believe that ‘it could not happen here.’” With the publication of the Ockenden report, we now know that one of those other Trusts was the Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Hospital Trust. “For more than two decades,” Donna Ockenden wrote, “they [famiies] have tried to raise concerns but were brushed aside, ignored and not listened to.” But why should patients and families have had to show that kind of courage in the first place? Instead of seeing patient feedback as a foundation stone of high quality, evidence based care, healthcare providers too often see it as a threat writes Miles Sibley in this BMJ Editorial.
-
Content ArticleThis duty of candour animation offers guidance on the importance of being open and honest. Being open and honest with patients and those close to them is always the right thing to do and is often referred to as the duty of candour. NHS Resolution have produced a short animation to help those working in health and social care to better understand the similarities and differences that exist between the professional and statutory duties of candour. The 8-minute animation also offers guidance on how they can be fulfilled effectively.
-
Content ArticleThe Independent review of maternity services at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust was commissioned in 2017 to assess the quality of investigations relating to newborn, infant and maternal harm at the Trust. When it commenced this review was of 23 families’ cases, but it has subsequently grown to cover cases of maternity care relating to 1,486 families, the majority of which were patients at the Trust between the years 2000 and 2019. Some families had multiple clinical incidents therefore a total of 1,592 clinical incidents involving mothers and babies have been reviewed with the earliest case from 1973 and the latest from 2020.
-
Content ArticleIn this article in the journal Health Expectations, the authors explore how current investigative responses can increase the harm for all those affected by failing to acknowledge and respond to the human impacts. They argue that when investigations respond to the need for healing alongside learning, it can reduce the level of harm for everyone involved, including including patients, families, health professionals and organisations.
-
News Article
NHS gender identity service for children can’t cope with demand, review finds
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The only NHS gender identity service for children in England and Wales is under unsustainable pressure as the demand for the service outstrips capacity, a review has found. The interim report of the Cass Review, commissioned by NHS England in 2020, recommends that a network of regional hubs be created to provide care and support to young people with gender incongruence or dysphoria, arguing their care is “everyone’s business”. Led by the paediatrician Hilary Cass, the interim report explains that the significant rise in referrals to the Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) at the Tavistock and Portman NHS foundation trust in London has resulted in overwhelmed staff and waiting lists of up to two years that leave young people “at considerable risk” of distress and deteriorating mental health. Last spring, the Care Quality Commission demanded monthly updates on numbers on waiting lists and actions to reduce them in a highly critical report on GIDS. Differing views and lack of open discussion about the nature of gender incongruence in childhood and adolescence – and whether transition is always the best option – means that patients can experience a “clinician lottery”, says the new review, which carried out extensive interviews with professionals and those with lived experience. It notes that the clinical approach used by GIDS “has not been subjected to some of the usual control measures” typically applied with new treatments. Another significant issue raised with the review team was that of “diagnostic overshadowing”, whereby once a young person is identified as having gender-related distress, other complex needs – such as neurodiversity or a mental health problem that would normally be managed by local services – can be overlooked. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 10 March 2022 -
Content ArticleAt present there is a single specialist service providing gender identity services for children and young people – the Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust. In recent years GIDS has experienced a significant increase in referrals which has contributed to long waiting lists and growing concern about how the NHS should most appropriately assess, diagnose and care for this population of children and young people. The Cass Review has submitted an interim report to NHS England, which sets out their work to date, what has been learnt so far and the approach going forward. The report does not set out final recommendations at this stage.
-
Content ArticleIn this blog, Aimee Robson, Deputy Director of Personalised Care at NHS England, talks about how healthcare workers can introduce one simple question into their communication with patients: “What matters to you?” She highlights that facilitating dialogue with patients about their own priorities is the first step in achieving personalised care, a key commitment outlined in the NHS Long Term Plan.
-
Content ArticleThis report by Bliss, the UK’s leading charity for babies born premature or sick, found that young parents are often underprepared and under-supported when their babies are in neonatal care. Research by Bliss found that more than half of young parents felt they were not as involved in caregiving or decision-making as they wanted to be when their baby was born premature or sick. It also highlighted contradictory messages that young mothers are given throughout their pregnancy that their youth will be a protective factor, despite an increased risk of prematurity and neonatal mortality for babies born to mothers aged under 20. This myth leaves many young parents feeling unprepared, enhancing their feelings of shock and disbelief if their babies are born unwell.
-
Content ArticleAlthough the direct effects of Covid-19 on children and young people are usually milder than for older age groups, the pandemic’s effect on the overall health and care of the youngest generation has nonetheless been extensive. This analysis from the Nuffield Trust looks at the impact Covid-19 has had on healthcare for children and young people. The review has looked at both physical and mental health services and come to the same conclusion - support has been badly disrupted and the plight of children overlooked.
-
Content ArticleIn this blog for National Voices, Sue Brown, CEO of the Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance, argues that using the word 'elective' when referring to elective surgery is misleading, and downplays the seriousness of waiting for a long time for treatment or surgery. She looks at the impact of waiting too long for surgery such as joint replacement on the lives of patients. Intense, long term pain and loss of mobility can lead to deteriorating mental health, isolation from friends and family and job loss, among other things. Patients needs support while they wait for surgery, and Sue outlines what she believes is needed to support patients who have had community and secondary care delayed: Design support with those with lived experience – ask what is important to them. Use the things we know can help, like social prescribing and health coaching – individual or group personal support. Use the voluntary and community sector who have a wealth of experience in supporting long term condition management – people need to know they are not alone and get support from others in the same situation.
- Posted
- 1 comment
-
- (and 4 more)
-
Content ArticleThis study in Patient Education and Counseling aimed to systematically review parental perceptions of shared decision-making (SDM) in neonatology, and identify barriers and facilitators to implementing SDM. The study identified the following key barriers to SDM: Emotional crises experienced in the NICU setting Lack of medical information provided to parents to inform decision-making Inadequate communication of information Poor relationships with caregivers Lack of continuity in care Perceived power imbalances between HCPs and parents. It also identified the following key facilitators for SDM: Clear, honest and compassionate communication of medical information Caring and empathetic caregivers Continuity in care Tailored approaches that reflected parent’s desired level of involvement.
-
News Article
Mothers beg for their sons to be released from locked hospital units
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Three mothers whose sons have been locked in hospital psychiatric units in Scotland for years have spoken to the BBC because they’re desperate to get them out. The three young men did not break the law but have autism and learning disabilities. Jamie has autism and was sectioned after becoming distressed at 19. Although he was free to go after 3 months there was no where for him to go so he has lived in hospital units since then. He is now 24. The Scottish government said it was unacceptable to hold people with complex needs in hospital when they could be cared for in the community. "He's left to rot", says his mother. Watch video Source: BBC News, 9 February 2022 -
Content ArticleCOVID-19 has meant people have died the ultimate medicalised deaths, often alone in hospitals with little communication with their families. But in other settings, including in some lower income countries, many people remain undertreated, dying of preventable conditions and without access to basic pain relief. The unbalanced and contradictory picture of death and dying is the basis for the Lancet Commission on the Value of Death. Drawing on multidisciplinary perspectives from around the globe, the Commissioners argue that death and life are bound together: without death there would be no life. The Commission proposes a new vision for death and dying, with greater community involvement alongside health and social care services, and increased bereavement support.
-
Content Article
A series of failures: a relative's story
Patient Safety Learning posted an article in Keeping patients safe
At the first Patient Safety Management Network (PSMN)* meeting of 2022, we were privileged to hear from a bereaved relative about her shocking experience, which reminded us all of why we do what we do. Claire Cox, one of the PSMN founders, invited Susan (not her real name to protect her confidentiality) to share with us the causes of her relative’s untimely death and the poor and shameful experience when she and her GP started to ask questions. This kicked off a valuable and insightful discussion about how patients are responded to when things go wrong and about honesty and blame, patient and family engagement in decision making when patients are terminally ill, and how we need to ensure that the new Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF) guidance embeds good practice informed by the real-life experience of patients and staff.- Posted
- 3 comments
-
1
-
- (and 10 more)
-
Content ArticleIn this podcast, Gill Phillips speaks to Nadia Leake and Rachel Collum, parents of premature babies who had long stays in neonatal care after birth, about the importance of Family Integrated Care. Gill developed Whose Shoes?® as a tool to allow people to 'walk in other people's shoes'. Through a wide range of scenarios and topics, Whose Shoes?® helps groups explore many of the concerns, challenges and opportunities facing the different groups affected by the transformation of health and social care.
-
Content ArticleKath Sansom’s surgery changed her life forever – and motived her to lobby for its halt.
-
Content ArticleThe duty of candour is a general duty to be open and transparent with people receiving care from you. It applies to every health and social care provider that CQC regulates. The duty of candour requires registered providers and registered managers (known as ‘registered persons’) to act in an open and transparent way with people receiving care or treatment from them. The regulation also defines ‘notifiable safety incidents’ and specifies how registered persons must apply the duty of candour if these incidents occur. This document from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) gives the background to the duty of candour and explains the statutory and professional duties of candour.
-
Content ArticleUniversity Hospitals Leicester NHS Trust has published a guide to help parents and carers know what to do when young children fall ill. It gives advice on when and where to seek treatment for children suffering from common illnesses or injuries. The guidance, written by doctors, focuses on coughs, minor head injuries, vomiting and fever. The trust said it hoped to help families avoid long waits in A&E departments. Advice in the guide aims to help people decide whether to seek help from their GP, call 111, visit A&E or treat children at home.
