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Showing results for tags 'Patient suffering'.
Found 290 results
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News ArticleA young woman receiving end-of-life care says she is “just waiting to die” as an agonising three-year wait for a kidney transplant has left her “living like a prisoner”. Diana Isajeva is one of approximately 7,000 patients who are on the waiting list, according to the NHS Blood and Transplant service (NHSBT) – the highest figure in a decade. The 29-year-old was due to have a transplant last year but was denied it at the last minute, after the living donor she was matched with pulled out just 24 hours before her planned surgery. Data from NHSBT shows that the rate of families giving consent for their loved ones’ organs to be donated has dropped – despite a change in the law in 2020 aimed at boosting the number of organs available, which means that consent for donation is now presumed after death. Professor Peter Friend, transplant lead for the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS), said decreasing donor rates are a “big challenge” and that it is concerning that the number of donations has not yet recovered to its pre-pandemic level. Read full story Source: The Independent, 27 March 2023
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News Article
Three-year wait for Essex girl, 8, to have tooth removed
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
An eight-year-old girl waiting three years to have three teeth removed has been left in "agony". Ella Mann, from Dovercourt in Essex, first went to the dentist with an issue with a baby tooth in December 2019. She was given a temporary filling and told it needed to be removed but has still not had the NHS procedure. The youngster has now been placed on an NHS waiting list for the tooth extraction. Ella's dad Charlie Mann, 54, said his daughter was sometimes in "agony". Healthwatch England last year warned of people struggling to get dental treatment as increasing practices closed to new patients. A BBC investigation identified cases of people driving hundreds of miles in search of treatment and pulling out their own teeth without anaesthesia. Read full story Source: BBC News, 23 March 2023 -
News ArticleYoung people with eating disorders are coming to harm and ending up in A&E because they are being denied care and forced to endure long waits for treatment, GPs have revealed. NHS eating disorders services are so overwhelmed by a post-Covid surge in problems such as anorexia that they are telling under-19s to rely on charities, their parents or self-help instead. The “truly shocking” findings about the help available to young people with often very fragile mental health emerged in a survey of 1,004 family doctors across the UK by the youth mental health charity stem4. The shortage of beds for children and young people with eating disorders is so serious that some are being sent hundreds of miles from home or ending up on adult psychiatric wards, GPs say. “The provision is awful and I worry my young patients may die,” one GP in the south-east of England told stem4. Another described the specialist NHS services available in their area as “virtually non-existent and not fit for purpose”. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 22 March 2023
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News Article
‘Insufficiently curious’ leaders ‘tolerated’ safety failures
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Leaders at a mental health trust tolerated high levels of safety incidents and accepted verbal assurance with ‘insufficient professional curiosity’, a critical report has found. An NHS England-commissioned review into governance at Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys Foundation Trust has been published, reviewing the organisation’s response to serious safety concerns flagged at the former West Lane Hospital in Middlesbrough. It follows separate reports identifying “systemic failures” over the deaths of inpatients Christie Harnett, Nadia Sharif and Emily Moore. The new report, conducted by Niche Consulting, criticises board and service leaders’ handling of concerns about the regular occurrence of restraint and self-harm. More than a dozen incidents of inappropriate restraint, some seeing patients dragged along the floor, were identified in November 2018, resulting in multiple staff suspensions and some dismissals. Niche found there was a “lack of accountable leadership at all levels” and lack of evidence for decisions in response to the November 2018 incidents. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 21 March 2023 -
News Article
Missed contraceptive coil left woman unable to have children
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
A woman was denied the chance to have children with her husband after a contraceptive coil was accidentally left in place for 29 years. Jayne Huddleston, from Crewe, had eight rounds of fertility treatment she did not need because the correct checks were not carried out by her doctor. She said the mistake happened in 1990. "The GP said it couldn't be seen, so I was sent for a scan and the scan didn't pick anything up, the GP recommended another coil was fitted," she told the BBC. She was told the coil she had fitted around a year earlier had probably fallen out. When she and her husband, David, then decided they wanted to have a child, the second coil was removed, but the first coil, which had gone undetected, remained inside her. They tried for years to have a baby, with no success, including IVF treatment which cost them thousands of pounds. The mistake was only discovered when she went for an X-ray in 2019 after complaining of back pain and the original coil was revealed. Mr and Mrs Huddleston were awarded a six-figure out of court settlement after taking their case to Irwin Mitchell solicitors. Read full story Source: BBC News, 16 March 2023 -
News ArticleSome hospitals are suspending supplies of gas and air, after it was found to pose health risks to midwives. What can be done to ensure pregnant women still get the help they need? When Leigh Milner was expecting her first baby, she knew exactly how she wanted her labour to go. Her birth plan included an epidural for the pain and she was hoping, she says ruefully, for “all the drugs”. But that is not how things worked out. Milner, 33, a BBC presenter, ended up giving birth to Theo at Princess Alexandra hospital in Harlow last month with nothing but paracetamol for pain relief, in what she calls a positively “Victorian” experience. “I kept begging over and over again – ‘I need something for pain relief’ – and the only thing they could give me was paracetamol because they didn’t have gas and air. I was quite frightened, I didn’t know what else to do,” says Milner. "Birth is painful, but it shouldn’t be traumatic.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 16 March 2023
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News Article
Doctors' strike fallout could take weeks to resolve, NHS bosses say
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The disruption caused by the junior doctors' strike in England could take weeks to resolve, health bosses say. Tens of thousands of appointments and treatments, including cancer care, had to be cancelled during the three-day walkout. Patients with appointments coming up may see them cancelled to make room for high-priority cases hit by the strike. Hospitals are also reporting problems discharging patients from wards, as consultants were sent to cover A&E. Saffron Cordery, of NHS Providers, which represents NHS trusts, said the scale and length of the walkout, coupled with the fact it started on a Monday - traditionally the busiest day of the week - had made it more difficult than previous strikes by nurses and ambulance staff. "It will take weeks to recover - just rebooking patients who have treatments and appointments cancelled is a big job," she said. "Patients have to be individually prioritised - it may mean some patients with bookings in the coming weeks being pushed further back." Read full story Source: BBC News, 16 March 2023 -
Content ArticleA BBC Newsnight investigation hears devastating evidence and testimony of ambulance failings in the north east of England. What does it take to run a safe service that patients can trust?
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Content ArticleIn this blog, US family doctor Lisa Baron highlights the role that social media has played in exposing how patients, particularly women, are dismissed and gaslighted by healthcare professionals, resulting in delayed diagnosis, deterioration and trauma. She talks about her own experience of having her symptoms and concerns dismissed by her GP, which led to a two-year delay in being diagnosed with coeliac disease, rheumatoid arthritis and Sjogren's syndrome. She goes on to talk about her experience of Long Covid and how her symptoms were dismissed and not taken seriously in spite of the life-limiting nature of her condition. She raises concerns that Long Covid patients are turning to unqualified practitioners offering untested, ineffective and expensive treatments as they are not being taken seriously by mainstream healthcare systems.
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Content ArticleMesh implantation for hernia repair has become standard practice for the majority of hernia repairs. Mesh-based hernia repairs have been shown to be a durable solution, however, postoperative complications, such as chronic postoperative pain, remain a concern. To date, there have been few investigations into the inflammatory response to mesh. In this study, Fadaee et al. present their experience in diagnosing and treating a subpopulation of patients who require mesh removal due to a possible mesh implant illness. They found predisposing factors include female sex, history of autoimmune disorder, and multiple medical and environmental allergies and sensitivities. Presenting symptoms included spontaneous rashes, erythema and oedema over the area of implant, arthralgia, headaches and chronic fatigue. Long-term follow up after mesh removal confirmed resolution of symptoms after mesh removal. The authors hope this provides greater attention to patients who present with vague, non-specific but debilitating symptoms after mesh implantation.
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Content ArticleHospitals are crammed full of patients, the staffing crisis in adult social care continues to escalate, and alarming numbers of junior doctors report that they are planning to quit their NHS posts to work abroad. The multiple problems confronting the UK’s health and care system are interconnected and have been years in the making. While the pandemic exacerbated many of them, hugely increasing pressures on staff, political failures and, above all, a lack of investment are making it impossible for the service to stand still this winter – let alone recover. This Guardian Editorial gives its view on the current state of the NHS.
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Content ArticleA Channel 5 News investigation has found nearly three quarters of people getting help for Long Covid weren't given a face-to-face appointment. It's estimated 2.1 million UK people have the condition. A Long Covid hauler herself, 5 News reporter Ruth Liptrot looks at where we're at with finding a treatment.
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Content ArticleCrammed wards, burned-out GPs, patients waiting hours for ambulances – the health service is at breaking point. The Guardian journalists, Andrew Gregory and Denis Campbell, take a look at the current NHS situation.
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Content ArticleThe aim of this study was to investigate the potential role of transvaginal mesh bacterial colonisation in the development of mesh-related complication (MRCs). An observational and exploratory study from Diedrich et al. was performed including 49 patients indicated for mesh removal and 20 women of whom vaginal tissue was retrieved during prolapse surgery as a reference cohort. The authors observed distinct differences in bacterial numbers and species between patients suffering from MRCs compared to a reference cohort. Bacteria were observed at the mesh-tissue interface in a biofilm. These results strongly support the potential role of bacterial mesh colonization in the development of MRCs.
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Content ArticleA complaint from a patient was made to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) about the care and treatment provided during the period January 2018 to September 2021. In January 2018 the patient underwent emergency surgery for a perforated sigmoid diverticulum (a complication of diverticulitis, an infection or inflammation of pouches that can form in the intestines). An emergency Hartmann's procedure (a surgical procedure for the removal of a section of the bowel and the formation of a stoma - an opening in the bowel) was performed. In April 2018, the patient was seen in an outpatient clinic and informed it would be possible to have a stoma reversal. The patient complained that the Board had continually delayed the stoma reversal surgery which they required, which as of September 2021 had not taken place. The patient also complained that Covid-19 could not account for the delays between the Board informing patient they were ready for surgery around December 2018 and the start of the pandemic in March 2020. The patient noted that as a consequence they had developed significant complications: a large hernia. The patient added that this had severely impacted their personal life and self-esteem, and left them unable to work and reliant on welfare benefits.
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News Article
Fertility treatment triggers suicidal thoughts in nearly half of patients
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
One in 10 patients undergoing fertility treatment experience suicidal thoughts “all the time”, a survey suggests. Fertility Network UK, which carried out the poll, said the findings reveal the “far-reaching trauma” of experiencing infertility and undergoing IVF in the UK. Four in 10 respondents - 98% of whom were women - said they had experienced suicidal feelings. Gwenda Burns, chief executive of Fertility Network UK, said: “Fertility patients encounter a perfect storm: not being able to have the child you long for is emotionally devastating. "But then many fertility patients face a series of other hurdles, including potentially paying financially crippling amounts of money for their necessary medical treatment, having their career damaged, not getting information from their GP, experiencing their relationships deteriorate, and being unable to access the mental support they need." “This is unacceptable. Infertility is a disease and is as deserving of medical help and support as any other clinical condition.” Three in four patients said their GP did not provide sufficient information about fertility problems and treatment. Read full story (paywalled) Source: The Telegraph, 31 October 2022 -
News ArticleMinisters have been urged to launch a public inquiry into the care of mental health patients after The Independent revealed allegations that patients had suffered “systemic abuse” in inpatient units. A joint investigation with Sky News found that teenagers at facilities run by The Huntercombe Group had been left with post-traumatic stress disorder by their treatment despite hundreds of warnings to regulators and the NHS. Now the government is facing calls to review all mental health care services over fears that these cases are “the tip of the iceberg”. Labour’s shadow mental health minister Dr Rosena Allin-Khan has called for a “rapid review” by the government into inpatient mental health services, while Deborah Coles, the chief executive of charity Inquest, has called on the new health secretary Steve Barclay to launch a statutory public inquiry. Read full story Source: The Independent, 28 October 2022
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News ArticleChildren say they were "treated like animals" and left traumatised as part of a decade of “systemic abuse” by a group of mental health hospitals, an investigation by The Independent and Sky News has found. The Department of Health and Social Care has now launched a probe into the allegations of 22 young women who were patients in units run by The Huntercombe Group, which has run at least six children’s mental health hospitals, between 2012 and this year. They say they suffered treatment including the use of “painful” restraints and being held down for hours by male nurses, being stopped from going outside for months and living in wards with blood-stained walls. They also allege they were given so much medication they had become “zombies” and were force-fed. But despite reports to police and regulators dating back seven years, and findings by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) that the units were inadequate, the NHS has still handed Huntercombe nearly £190m since 2015-16 to admit children to its mental health beds. Through witness testimony, documents obtained by Freedom of Information request and leaked reports, the investigation has uncovered: The CQC has received more than 700 whistleblowing and safeguarding reports, including “incidents of concern” and several “sexual safety” concerns. NHS England was notified of 195 safeguarding reports between 2020 and 2021. A 2018 internal report at Meadow Lodge hospital in Newton Abbot (now closed) found staff members using sexually inappropriate language in front of patients. 160 reports investigated by Staffordshire police about Huntercombe Staffordshire between 2015 and 2022. Between March 2021 and 2022, the CQC gave permission for 29 patients to be admitted to Maidenhead hospital after it was placed in special measures. Read full story Source: The Independent, 27 October 2022
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News Article
Shocking scenes uncovered inside Britain's mental health service crisis
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
A shocking undercover investigation has laid bare appalling failures in patient care on Britain’s mental health wards. Reporters from Channel 4’s Dispatches programme spent three months secretly filming at one of the UK’s biggest mental health trusts – Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust. The footage reveals horrifying abuses of vulnerable residents on two acute mental health wards. It includes patients being dragged across the floor, pinned down by staff, mocked while they are in distress and humiliated. On one occasion, a patient who is at high risk of suicide and supposed to be under constant supervision is left unattended and makes an attempt on their own life. Another chaotic scene involves staff trying to locate a crucial bag of specialist cutting devices to save the life of a female patient who got hold of a ligature, after a carer failed to keep watch. In one distressing example, a young woman being treated for anorexia – who is heard hyperventilating with fear – is dragged across the floor by her arms. When she is later discovered making a suicide attempt, she is pinned down by five carers for 40 minutes. As the woman lies sobbing on the floor, one of the staff members discusses the success of his latest diet. Another carer laughs as she marks the rhythm of the woman’s laboured breathing with her hands. The damning footage raises fresh concerns about the state of treatment for the most mentally unwell in this country. While the Essex Trust is just one of 54 across England, mental health professionals and families warn that such failures are widespread. Former mental health nurse Julie Repper, director of imROC, an organisation that helps improve patients’ experiences in mental health services, describes events in the film as ‘literally abusive’. "I asked the peer support workers we train about their experiences of the system, and they described seeing repeated ligaturing, people being dragged by their feet and being restrained. It’s ubiquitous". "These units are supposed to keep people safe, but this film shows they’re not. Everybody has a stake in seeing this improve, because every single one of us may become overwhelmed at some point and find we hit a crisis." Read full story Source: MailOnline, 10 October 2022 -
Content ArticleThe occupational therapy (OT) workforce is under huge pressure. Increased demand coupled with workforce shortages is challenging OTs’ capacity to provide essential support to people whose lives are impacted by long term health conditions and disability. In November 2022, the Royal College of Occupational Therapists surveyed OT practitioners across the UK about the workplace issues they’re facing now, and how these affect the services they deliver to the public. They also asked how practitioners are impacted personally, including whether they intend to continue working as OTs. The challenges shared by over 2,600 respondents have significant implications for the resilience of the current and future OT workforce, and the people who use OT services.
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Content Article"One family told me their mum had only been waiting six hours on the floor for an ambulance. Only six hours. For a moment I thought this was a positive outcome. A patient in their 80s, lying on a cold hard floor for the equivalent of three quarters of my shift and I felt this was good patient care. Sadly, this genuinely was better than earlier in the year with patients waiting over 12 hours on the floor and an additional 16 plus hours in an ambulance. I cried when I got home about how far we’ve fallen." An anonymous junior doctor shares his experience on the NHS frontline.
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Content ArticleNine care home workers are facing trial for neglecting, verbally abusing and deliberately antagonising extremely vulnerable patients at Whorlton Hall. The six men and three women, aged 25-54, are being prosecuted after a reporter went undercover and filmed the behaviour for a BBC Panorama documentary. George Julian repots on the case at Teesside crown court in Middlesbrough.
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Content ArticleResearch paper by Toye et al. published in the Lancet on the experience of women reporting damage from vaginal mesh.
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Content ArticleA survey of over 4,000 people with long-term conditions on prescription charges has found the charge is a barrier to accessing medicine. The findings come following the UK government's announcement that the prescription charge will rise on 1 April 2023.
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Content ArticleNiche Health and Social Care Consulting (Niche) were commissioned by NHS England in November 2019 to undertake an independent investigation into the governance at West Lane Hospital (WLH), Middlesbrough between 2017 up to the hospital closure in 2019. WLH was provided by Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV) and delivered Tier 4 child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) inpatient services. This review initially incorporated the care and treatment review findings of two index case events for Christie and Nadia who both died following catastrophic self-ligature at the unit. The Trust subsequently agreed to include the findings of the care and treatment review of Emily which related directly to her time at West Lane Hospital, even though Emily did not die at this site. This is to ensure that optimal learning could be achieved from this review.
