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The Care Quality Commission (CQC) will restart inspections from 1 February with a focus on the urgent and emergency care system, the regulator has announced. In December, CQC postponed inspections of some services to support the acceleration of the vaccination booster programme. They also prioritised activity to help create more capacity in adult social care. However, considering the current situation – including the easing of restrictions across the country – they have reviewed and updated their regulatory approach. From 1 February the CQC will inspect where: there is evidence that people are at risk of harm. This applies to all health and social care services, including those where inspections were previously postponed except in cases where we had evidence of risk to life CQC can support increasing capacity across the system, particularly in adult social care a focus on the urgent and emergency care system will help us understand the pressures, where local or national support is needed, and share good practice to drive improvement. Much of their approach is unchanged and remains in line with the update from the Chief Inspectors on 10 December 2021. This includes: achieving their ambition to complete 1,000 infection prevention and control (IPC) inspections in adult social care rapid response to requests to set up new Designated Settings activity to rate adult social care services that are registered and not yet rated inspections of adult social care providers currently rated as Requires Improvement to identify where improvement has taken place and re-rate where possible. Alongside their risk-based activity, CQC will undertake ongoing monitoring of services. This helps to identify where CQC may need to take further action to ensure people are receiving safe care and offer support to providers. It also remains important that people share concerns or examples of good practice, CQC said. Read full story Source: CQC, 27 January 2022

Swedish expert has praised Scotland for leading work in improving patient safety, with a decade-long programme which is now expanding into social care. Dr Pelle Gustafson (below), chief medical officer, of Swedish patient insurer Löf, said he was “particularly impressed” by the work in Scotland over the past 10 years during a meeting of the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee. The Scottish Patient Safety Programme (SPSP), which has been in existence for around 13 years, was set up to make patient safety a priority in NHS Scotland, drawing on lessons from the airline industry such as introducing checklists. Gustafson was asked by Tory MP Dr Luke Evans which country he would hold at the “very top of the pillar” for preventative work during an evidence session on NHS litigation reform last week. He responded: “If you take all preventive work as regards patient safety, I would say that I am personally very impressed by Scotland. “In Scotland, you have a long-standing tradition of working. You have development in the right direction. “You have a system that is fairly equal all over the place and you also have improvement activities going on. I am very impressed by Scotland.” He added: “I am particularly impressed by the Scottish work over the last 10 years. There are a lot of things that we, in the Nordic countries, can learn from Scotland too.” Read full story Source: The National, 16 January 2022

On Monday 22 November, the UK under its G7 Presidency convened a meeting on ‘Patient safety: from vision to reality’, co-sponsored with the World Health Organization (WHO). Patient safety is a critical global public health issue and is essential if health systems are to advance and achieve universal health coverage (UHC). This event provided an important opportunity to demonstrate the continued importance of patient safety as an urgent global endeavour, facilitate international collaboration, and support strategic initiatives designed to eliminate avoidable harm in healthcare globally. Since 2016, the UK has worked closely with international partners, including in the G7, to raise the profile of patient safety issues and work together to drive solutions. This engagement led to the establishment of the annual Global Ministerial Summit on Patient Safety and adoption by the 72nd World Health Assembly (2019) of a UK co-led Resolution on ‘Global Action on Patient Safety’ (creating an annual World Patient Safety Day on 17 September) and WHO’s ‘Global Patient Safety Action Plan 2021 to 2030’ by the 74th World Health Assembly (2021). The event on 22 November brought together G7 countries, UK devolved administrations, system partners and patient advocates to share learning and reaffirm the importance of this critical issue. With the unprecedented coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, patient safety has become an even more crucial area for international cooperation, and the event underlined the importance of countries continuing to work together to maintain momentum on improving patient safety worldwide. The event was chaired by Dr Aidan Fowler, National Director of Patient Safety for NHS England and NHS Improvement, and was very well attended by global experts. The importance of continued international work to improve patient safety was underlined in the keynote speeches from Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of WHO, as well as Sajid Javid, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, and Jeremy Hunt, Chair of the Health and Social Care Committee. The event also provided an important opportunity for sharing learning from around the world; and highlighted the need for and value of continued collaboration between countries on health issues. Interventions from G7 countries and UK devolved administrations provided important insights into how different countries are tackling this shared aim of eliminating avoidable harm in healthcare. It was clear that although health systems differ from country to country, many threats to patient safety have similar causes and similar solutions. Read full story Source: Department of Health and Social Care, 23 November 2021

Press release: 23 November 2021 We are pleased to announce that Patient Safety Learning is now a member of National Voices, the leading coalition of health and social care charities in England. Members of National Voices work together to strengthen the voice of patients, service users, carers, their families and the voluntary organisations that work for them. Commenting on today’s announcement, Patient Safety Learning’s Chief Executive Helen Hughes said: “We are delighted to have joined National Voices. To reduce avoidable harm in health and social care we all need to work in partnership to identify patient safety concerns, highlight where changes are needed and share good practice, to help deliver the systemic change required to create a patient-safe future. We look forward to working closely with partners in National Voices going forward to help improve patient safety.” Notes to editors: Patient Safety Learning is a charity and independent voice for improving patient safety. We harness the knowledge, insights, enthusiasm and commitment of health and social care organisations, professionals and patients for system-wide change and the reduction of avoidable harm. National Voices is the leading coalition of health and social care charities in England. We have more than 180 members covering a diverse range of health conditions and communities, connecting us with the experiences of millions of people. We work together to strengthen the voice of patients, service users, carers, their families and the voluntary organisations that work for them.

A freedom of information request by HSJ has for the first time revealed a complete list of participants in NHS England’s maternity safety support programme, with 28 trusts involved since its inception in 2018. London North West University Healthcare Trust, Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Foundation Trust, and Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust all entered the scheme at the start, due to pre-existing quality and safety concerns. The trusts were all subsequently removed, having been deemed to have made improvements, but have since been placed back in it following inspections by the Care Quality Commission (see table below). HSJ asked the trusts to explain why they had re-entered the scheme, and why it had failed to deliver sustainable improvements the first time, but they declined to comment. NHSE said in a statement: “Trusts are placed on the maternity safety support programme according to complex criteria, including local insight and external performance measures, including CQC ratings. “Following the success of the programme since its creation in 2018, its criteria was widened to strengthen its role in proactively improving safety and enabling earlier intervention where there are concerns — this has allowed support to be offered to more trusts than in previous years.” However, it would not provide further details on the new entry criteria. Three further trusts — Barts Health, North Devon Healthcare, and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn — have previously exited the programme and not so far re-entered. Trusts such as Shrewsbury and Telford and East Kent — which have been at the centre of major maternity scandals — have been on the improvement scheme for all four years. Peter Walsh, chief executive of the patient safety charity Action against Medical Accidents, said: “The number of NHS maternity services being found to be needing improvement is worrying. We welcome the fact that NHS England is devoting resources to support trusts to improve their maternity services, but there should be much more transparency about this. “The criteria for needing this support should be published, and indeed should have been subject to consultation.” Helen Hughes, chief executive of patient safety charity Patient Safety Learning, said there should be transparency about resource allocation and the criteria used to make decisions, adding: “It doesn’t appear that this information is easily accessible and in the public domain and rather begs the question, why not?” NHSE said trusts receiving support from the programme detail this in their board papers, although HSJ found this is not always the case. It added trusts are made aware of the rationale for inclusion on an individual basis. NHSE and the Department of Health and Social Care last year described the maternity safety support programme as the “highest level of maternity-specific response”. They have said the programme “involves senior clinical leaders providing hands on support to provider trusts, through visits, mentoring, and leadership development”. Full article here (paywalled) Original source: Health Service Journal

The first wave of COVID-19 may gave subsided in some areas of the United States, but in others it is growing and hospitals everywhere are continuing to face significant challenges. The American Hospital Association recently estimated that hospitals will incur at least $323.1 billion in losses through the end of this year due to COVID-19. Key contributors include postponed and cancelled elective procedures, lower patient volumes across all departments, and higher costs for supplies and devices. Other factors compound the financial challenges, including pressure for hospitals to implement new initiatives that foster a safer care environment for COVID-19 patients, non-COVID-19 patients, and healthcare providers. This pressure is mounting, as spikes in cases continue to appear in various regions, and as concerns grow about the flu season. The good news is that improving patient, staff, and visitor safety can actually help hospitals recover from the financial losses they are experiencing due to the pandemic. For example, enhanced patient safety leads to: Fewer costly events, such as hospital-acquired infections or conditions, acute kidney injuries, adverse drug events, readmissions, and return visits to the emergency department. Faster and more proactive identification of cost-saving opportunities, such as IV to PO conversions and more optimal management of high-cost drugs. Higher patient volumes due to a stronger quality and safety reputation. Hospitals face significant financial challenges, but they must also act quickly to ensure patient, staff, and visitor safety. Luckily, improving margins and enhancing patient safety don’t need to be competing priorities. When hospitals implement effective safety improvement approaches, margin improvements naturally follow. Read full story Source: MedCity News, 25 October 2020

The offices of the World Health Organisation (WHO) for the Quality of Health Care and Patient Safety will be located in Athens, Health Minister Vassilis Kikilias and the WHO Regional Director for Europe, Hans Kluge, announced on Friday after their meeting in Copenhagen. "The choice of Greece is a recognition of the work by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the Greek Ministry of Health and the Greek government in managing the pandemic and implementing public health policies, such as the successful implementation of the anti-smoking law, and promoting important reforms, such as passing the law for the establishment of the National Organisation for Quality Assurance in Health," the health ministry said in a statement. "Greece has recently led important developments in the field of health, such as legislation banning smoking in public places, the launch of the National Anti-Smoking Action Plan and reforms in the field of primary health care." "All the above, in combination with the excellence of the Greek health institutions and the leading researchers in the field of health and wellness, indicate a strong leadership within the European Region and beyond. In addition, they create an ideal framework for the creation of a much-needed centre of excellence in the field of quality healthcare and patient safety." Read full story Source: The National Herald, 16 October 2020

Thursday 17 September is WHO’s World Patient Safety Day. There’s no better moment in history to call for new legislation that finally ensures health worker and patient safety. Today, the Patient Safety Movement Foundation released a detailed white paper urging the creation of a National Patient Safety Board. In a statement, the Patient Safety Movement said COVID-19 has exposed the safety gaps in our healthcare system that already cause 200,000 deaths a year and that we must put health workers, and thus patients, first by finally establishing a National Patient Safety Board (NPSB). This would solve the problem in three key ways: Data-driven insight and standards: An NPSB would create and maintain a National Patient Safety Database to receive non-identifiable patient safety work product. The Board would facilitate the reporting, collection, and analysis of patient safety data and the development and dissemination of training guidelines and other recommendations to reduce medical errors and improve patient safety and quality of care. Transparency and accountability: The NPSB would also require an on-going analysis of the patient safety data in the Database and other available data to determine performance and systems standards, tools, and best practices (including peer review) for doctors and other health care providers necessary to prevent medical errors, improve patient safety, and increase accountability within the health care system. Align incentives: An NPSB would save lives and taxpayer dollars by aligning incentives, especially Medicare reimbursements, with proven patient safety protocols. "COVID-19 shouldn’t be the breaking point for our health workers, but it should be the breaking point for our tolerance of the lack of patient safety. Congress must act today on this bipartisan issue.” Read full story Source: The Patient Safety Movement, 8 September 2020

In a positive step towards the future of pathology, NHS Digital has received approval from the Data Alliance Partnership Board (DAPB) for a new set of pathology information standards, and as part of NHS England CCIO7 workstreams, NHS Digital are delivering the ability to share pathology results across health and care. This move will enable clinicians to share and access critical information about pathology tests and results and receive the right information when they need it, which will help support improved clinical decision making and patient safety. Read full story. Source: Wired Gov, 19 August 2021

The Care Quality Commission have increased the safety rating for the William Harvey Hospital, in Kent, from 'inadequate' to 'requires improvement'. This comes after the hospital was hit with a safety scandal after staff and members of the public raised concerns about a lack of infection control amid outbreaks of Covid-19. “I am pleased to report that since our last inspection, leaders have worked hard to improve infection control practices in the medical care services departments at both hospitals, although some improvements still need to be fully embedded, particularly at William Harvey Hospital. We also found that there was a positive culture in the service across both hospitals, and staff felt empowered to report incidents. These were fully investigated by managers and, importantly, learnings were shared with the wider team.” Amanda Williams, CQC’s head of hospital inspection has said. Read full story. Source: The Independent, 5 August 2021

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has submitted evidence to a consultation run by the Department of Health and Social Care. The RCN has raised concerns that female patients are not listened to which results in delayed diagnosis and poor patient outcomes. It has also been suggested that there needs to be a bigger focus on designing services for women's needs and provide better support for women in the workplace, particularly in the healthcare sector. Read full story. Source: RCN, 10 June 2021