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Showing results for tags 'Scotland'.
Found 102 results
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News Article
Complaint about ‘misleading’ NHS waiting times figures
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Watchdogs have been asked to investigate a Scottish government overhaul of NHS waiting times information after surgeons said that some of the figures were “grossly misleading”. A complaint has been made to the Office for Statistics Regulation, which ensures that important public data is trustworthy, about a new guide for patients on the NHS Inform website. Concerns have also been raised with Audit Scotland, which monitors public spending and NHS performance. Last month Humza Yousaf, Scottish health secretary, unveiled the platform claiming that it would reassure patients about waiting times. But the times given reflect only the experience of patients treated over a three-month period. In orthopaedics, surgeons say, only the most urgent cases are being prioritised while some patients face languishing on waiting lists for years due to lack of capacity. NHS Inform says that people waited a median of 26 weeks between April and June for orthopaedic care, but surgeons argue that this gives a false impression. Dr Iain Kennedy, new chairman of the British Medical Association in Scotland, said the way the figures have been compiled would suggest that people are still not getting a realistic picture of delays. Read full story (paywalled) Source: The Times, 16 September 2022 -
Content ArticleThe COVID-19 Recovery Committee has published its report on Long Covid and post-Covid syndrome, urging the Scottish Government to take action to address the stigma surrounding the condition and improve awareness among the public and healthcare professionals. The inquiry focussed on the awareness and recognition, therapy and rehabilitation, and study and research linked to Long Covid, with the Committee noting “concern” in their findings over reports of patients being unable to get the correct diagnosis and the lack of treatment for common conditions associated with the condition. The Committee said it was “deeply saddened” to learn about the stigma faced by those with lived and living experience of Long Covid, and the report highlights the impact that the lack of awareness and recognition of Long Covid can have on those with the condition.
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Content ArticleHospital at Home is a short-term, targeted intervention that provides a level of acute hospital care in an individual’s own home, or homely setting that is equivalent to that provided within a hospital. In mid-2020, the ihub within Healthcare Improvement Scotland began working with a number of NHS boards and health and social care partnerships to support the implementation of Hospital at Home services across Scotland. This toolkit was created as part of that work, providing a range of tools and resources to support areas to implement and expand Hospital at Home services.
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Content Article
Sepsis: National Education Scotland resources
Patient_Safety_Learning posted an article in Deterioration and sepsis
This document brings together some of NHS Education for Scotland (NES) sepsis educational resources. Note: given the changes to the definition of sepsis, some of these resources may refer to previous, alternative terms, which are now not formally recognised. The management and need for urgent treatment remain unchanged, and resources will be updated, as appropriate. -
Content ArticleThis report from the National Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Audit Programme (NACAP) shows what happened after people were admitted to hospital with an asthma attack or COPD exacerbation between 2018 and 2020. The data show that many people are being readmitted to hospital within three months of going home and that some, particularly with COPD, are dying within three months of their exacerbation.
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Content ArticleThe Scottish Patient Safety Programme (SPSP) is a national quality improvement programme that aims to improve the safety and reliability of care and reduce harm. Since the launch of SPSP in 2008, the programme has expanded to support improvements in safety across a wide range of care settings including Acute and Primary Care, Mental Health, Maternity, Neonatal, Paediatric services and medicines safety. Underpinned by the robust application of quality improvement methodology SPSP has brought about significant change in outcomes for people across Scotland.
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News Article
Scotland’s NHS ‘already two-tier’ as more pay to go private
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Nicola Sturgeon has been accused of running a two-tier NHS after it emerged that tens of thousands of patients are going private for crucial operations and healthcare. Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, cited figures that showed more than 39,000 patients underwent private procedures in the past year. These included thousands of hip and knee surgeries, costing an average of £12,500 per patient. “Often these are people who are forced to borrow money, turn to family and friends, or even remortgage their home to get healthcare that should be free at the point of need,” Sarwar told MSPs at first minister’s questions. He said that almost 2,000 people had gone for private treatment for endoscopies and colonoscopies, more than 7,800 for cataract surgery and 3,500 have had a hip or knee replacement in a private hospital. “These figures make clear that under the SNP, healthcare in Scotland is already a two-tier system,” he added. Read full story (paywalled) Source: The Times, 24 November 2022 -
News Article
NHS Highland slammed over three year wait for bowel op
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
A report by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) said the health board's own investigation into the patient's complaint was of "poor quality" and "failed to acknowledge the significant and unreasonable delays" suffered. The delays led 'Patient C' to develop a severe hernia which left them unable to work, reliant on welfare benefits, and requiring riskier and more complex surgery than originally planned. The watchdog criticised NHS bosses for blaming Covid for the delays when the patient had been ready for surgery since December 2018, and said there had been "no sense of urgency" despite "the gravity of C's situation". The report said: "It is of significant concern that the Board has failed to fully acknowledge the consequences of the delays and the adverse effects upon C's physical and mental health as a result. "The consequences for C of these delays cannot and should not be underestimated." Read full story Source: The Herald, 24 November 2022 -
News Article
NHS chiefs in Scotland discuss having a 2-tier health system
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
NHS leaders in Scotland have discussed abandoning the founding principles of the service by having the wealthy pay for treatment. The discussion of a "two-tier" health service is mentioned in draft minutes of a meeting of NHS Scotland health board chief executives in September. They also raise the possibility of curtailing some free prescriptions. Scotland's Health Secretary Humza Yousaf insisted the NHS would stay publicly owned and publicly operated. He added that health services "must always" be based on individual patient need and "any suggestion" that it should be about the ability to pay was "abhorrent". The minutes of the meeting seen by BBC News highlight the degree of official concern about the sustainability of Scotland's NHS in its present form. They include suggestions that hospitals should change their appetite for risk by aiming to send patients home more quickly, and pause the funding of some new drugs. The group were advised that they had been given the "green light to present what boards feel reform may look like" and that "areas which were previously not viable options are now possibilities". Describing a "billion pound hole" in the budget, the minutes warn that it "is not possible to continue to run the range of programmes" the NHS currently offers while remaining safe "and doing no harm." And they warn that: "Unscheduled care is going to fall over in the near term before planned care falls over." Read full story Source: BBC News, 21 November 2022 -
News Article
BMA chief warns Scotland's GPs are at 'tipping point'
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
GP surgeries across Scotland are at risk of collapsing because of staff shortages and increased demand, a senior doctor has warned. Dr Andrew Buist, chairman of the British Medical Association's (BMA) Scottish GP committee, told the BBC many practices were at "tipping point". More than a third of surveyed surgeries reported at least one GP vacancy – up from just over a quarter last year. About half of the GP surgeries in Scotland took part in the BMA survey. It showed 81% of practices said demand was exceeding capacity - with 42% saying demand substantially exceeded capacity. Dr Buist told BBC Scotland: "I worry that we're reaching a tipping point for some practices. "They lose one or maybe two doctors out of three, and the remaining doctors cannot continue so they return the contract and the practice may cease to exist. "That is a real concern in some parts of Scotland that that is happening and it's going to happen increasingly as the situation develops over this winter." Read full story Source: BBC News, 15 November 2022 -
News Article
Rise in hospital falls and bed sores in Scotland since pandemic
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The number of falls and bed sores recorded in Scotland's hospitals has increased since the Covid pandemic, new data shows. NHS staffing pressures and the deconditioning effect of the Covid lockdown creating more frail patients are being blamed for the rise. The Scottish government paused work on a national prevention strategy for falls when the pandemic started. The strategy has now been shelved and experts argue this is a mistake. Figures released by NHS Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) show that in 2018-19 - the last full year before the Covid pandemic - a total of 26,489 falls were recorded in hospitals. Dawn Skelton, a professor in ageing and health at Glasgow Caledonian University, said there was a "maelstrom" of problems fuelling the increase in hospital falls. She said: "You've got staffing issues definitely but you've also got people who are going in to hospital a step change frailer than they were pre-Covid because of what has happened with all the restrictions. "The people in these falls figures have got no reserves, blow on them and they will fall over, so they are at more risk when they go in." IProf Skelton said it was time to resurrect the Scottish government's falls and fracture prevention strategy as its "value now cannot be underestimated". She added: "Falls and frailty are one of the main causes of long hospital stays and demands on social care and without a spotlight on both the management, but also prevention, the financial and staffing demands on NHS and social care will only rise." Read full story Source: BBC News, 10 November 2022 -
News Article
NHS Borders monitors high levels of scarlet fever
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The health board in the Scottish Borders has said it is monitoring "unseasonably high" numbers of scarlet fever cases in the region. Parents have been asked to be aware of the symptoms so that early treatment with antibiotics can be given. Scarlet fever is a bacterial illness that mainly affects children under 10 but people of any age can get it. NHS Borders said it would usually clear up after about a week but anyone who thinks they or a child may have it has been asked to contact a GP for a proper diagnosis and appropriate treatment. "Due to the contagious nature of scarlet fever, if you or your child has the illness, please stay at home for at least 24 hours after starting treatment with antibiotics," it added. Read full story Source: BBC News, 7 November 2022 -
Content ArticleThe Health Foundation will be carrying out an independent review of health and health inequalities in Scotland to provide a detailed and thorough analysis of the health trends and wider factors that have influenced people’s health in Scotland over the last two decades. The study comes amid ongoing concern around widespread and persistent health inequalities in Scotland, which are likely to have further widened during the pandemic. Sign up to stay in touch about health inequalities in Scotland: An independent review, and the Health Foundation's ongoing work and relevant events,
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Content ArticleThis report from the National Maternity and Perinatal Audit assesses care inequalities using data from births between 1 April 2015 and 31 March 2018 across England, Scotland and Wales. The National Maternity and Perinatal Audit (NMPA) is led by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) in partnership with the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).
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Content ArticleThis report by Muscular Dystrophy UK looks at the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on people living with muscle-wasting conditions, according to the results of a survey conducted in Scotland. It is estimated that more than 6,000 people in Scotland live with a muscle-wasting condition and require access to a range of specialist appointments and clinicians to meet their complex care needs.
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Content ArticleThese resources from Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh were developed following a study funded by the Chief Scientist Office in Scotland. The study was based on an online survey which people completed between July and August 2020, followed by a further survey six months later. Some participants also took part in a telephone interview to enhance understanding of their responses. The study used the responses of people living with Long Covid to: develop a resource with advice for people accessing services for Long Covid. write guidance for people providing services relevant to people with Long Covid. write recommendations to inform policy and service design that relate to Long Covid and other impacts of the pandemic. plan a series of short podcasts, interviewing people who have lived experience of Long Covid.
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Content ArticlePopulation-level data on COVID-19 vaccine uptake in pregnancy and SARS-CoV-2 infection outcomes are lacking. Stock et al. describe COVID-19 vaccine uptake and SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnant women in Scotland, using whole-population data from a national, prospective cohort. They found that vaccine coverage was substantially lower in pregnant women than in the general female population of 18−44 years. Overall, 77.4% of SARS-CoV-2 infections, 90.9% of SARS-CoV-2 associated with hospital admission and 98% SARS-CoV-2 associated with critical care admission, as well as all baby deaths, occurred in pregnant women who were unvaccinated at the time of COVID-19 diagnosis. Addressing low vaccine uptake rates in pregnant women is imperative to protect the health of women and babies in the ongoing pandemic.
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Content ArticleBelow is the recommendation for NHS Scotland made by the Scottish Health Technologies Group (SHTG). SHTG was asked by the Scottish Government to explore a series of questions relating to the use of surgical mesh in the elective repair of abdominal and groin hernias in all adults.
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Content ArticleIn the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government 2020-21 it committed to establishing a Patient Safety Commissioner for Scotland. The decision to create this role came about as a result of a specific recommendation in the First Do No Harm: The Report of the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review (also known as the Cumberlege Review), published in July 2020. The Scottish Government held a consultation process seeking views on a range of issues relating to the creation of a new Patient Safety Commissioner role between 5 March 2021 and 28 May 2021. This report analyses responses from the public and other interested parties.
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Event
Scottish Speak Up Conference
Sam posted an event in Community Calendar
This conference is for staff involved in managing concerns in NHS Scotland, including the promotion, delivery, and use of the Whistleblowing Standards. The Independent National Whistleblowing Office are supporting the event. It will explore the legislative requirements around whistleblowing and the benefits of effective management of concerns. The programme concludes with a focus on what a healthy speak up culture looks like and how that can be delivered. The day will be chaired by John Sturrock, KC, and include a keynote presentation from Rosemary Agnew, the Independent National Whistleblowing Officer. It also brings together expert speakers from NHS Scotland, Scottish Government, trade union and academia with expertise in speaking up, culture change, quality, safety and candour. The programme will consider the Whistleblowing Standards since their launch in April 2021, as they approach their anticipated 3-year review. It offers an opportunity to share good practice, support ongoing improvements and promote an effective Speak Up culture that works from the bedside to the boardroom. Programme Register -
EventuntilThis national learning event will bring together clinical and improvement leaders involved or interested in the Scottish Patient Safety Programme. Aims of the day: Explore the organisational and system wide conditions that enable the safe delivery of care amidst increasing system pressures Learn how The SPSP Essentials of Safe Care are supporting improvements in safety Provide a forum for leaders and teams working across all aspects of SPSP to come together to share and learn This event page is for delegates wishing to attend the morning plenary sessions only as a virtual delegate. Agenda: 10:00 - Chair’s Welcome (Professor Sir Gregor Smith, Chief Medical Officer for Scotland, Scottish Government) 10:10 - Ministerial Address (Maree Todd, Member of the Scottish Parliament & Minister for Public Health, Women’s Health and Sport) 10:25 - SPSP Update (Joanne Matthews, Head of Improvement Support & Safety, Healthcare Improvement Scotland) 10:40 - Plenary Session (Professor Mary Dixon-Woods, Director of THIS Institute & The Health Foundation Professor at the University of Cambridge) 11:25 - Plenary Q&A 11:40 - A System View (Robbie Pearson, Chief Executive, Healthcare Improvement Scotland) 11:50 - Chair’s Summary ((Professor Sir Gregor Smith, Chief Medical Officer for Scotland, Scottish Government) Register
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Content Article
As reported recently, the Scottish Healthcare Workers Coalition called upon the Scottish Government to reinstate 'universal masking' in health and social care settings. In this statement written in support of their campaign, an occupational safety and health practitioner, David Osborn, explains the legal requirements for risk assessments that the Government ought to have undertaken before reaching such a decision that exposes healthcare staff to the life-changing consequences associated with repeat Covid-19 infections. He also explains the legal duty of the Government to consult with workers before implementing changes that may affect their health and safety. Neither duty (risk assessment nor prior consultation with workers) appears to have been well met, putting the Scottish Government and Health Boards in breach of UK-wide health and safety law. -
Content ArticleIn this report, Professor Brian Edwards summarises contributions given to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry by various politicians and senior civil servants, relating to how prepared the UK and Scottish Governments were for the Covid-19 pandemic. It contains reflections on the contributions of: Nicola Sturgeon (First Minister of Scotland during the pandemic) Matt Hancock (Secretary of State for Health and Social Care during the pandemic) Jenny Harries (Chief Executive of the UK Health Security Agency) Emma Reed (civil servant, DHSC)
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Content Article
Transvaginal mesh case record review (20 June 2023)
Patient Safety Learning posted an article in Women's health
The final report on the Transvaginal Mesh Case Record Review. -
News Article
Virus almost 'wholly responsible' for spike in dementia deaths
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
People with dementia, particularly care home residents early in the pandemic, were “disproportionately” vulnerable to fatal Covid infections, according to a new report. The analysis, commissioned by the Scottish Government, also found that excess deaths involving dementia during 2020 were “almost wholly” attributable to Covid. Of the 2,154 deaths where both dementia and Covid were listed on the death certificate, 95 per cent had Covid as the main underlying cause. This contradicts previous suggestions that a rise in dementia deaths early in the pandemic may have been linked indirectly to the virus as a result of “lockdown distress” or an increased use of potentially harmful sedation in elderly people confused by restrictions. The report also found that 73% (1,577) of those who died with both Covid and dementia mentioned on their death certificates had passed away in care homes. Henry Simmons, chief executive of Alzheimer’s Scotland, said their loved ones had been “torn apart by grief and loss” and that the report “raises many more questions as to why so many people with dementia living in care homes quickly became victims of Covid-19”. Read full story Source: The Herald, 10 February 2022
