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Showing results for tags 'Staff safety'.
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News ArticleThousands of complaints made against nurses and midwives were rejected by the watchdog without investigation last year as it battles a huge backlog amid concerns rogue staff are being left unchecked. The Nursing and Midwifery Council has rejected hundreds more cases a year since 2018, including 339 where nurses faced a criminal charge, 18 for alleged sexual offences and 599 over allegations of violence in 2022-23, according to data shared exclusively with The Independent. The new figures come after The Independent revealed shocking allegations that nurses and midwives accused of serious sexual, physical and racial abuse are being allowed to keep working because whistleblowers are being ignored and that the NMC was failing to tackle internal reports of alleged racism. And now, a new internal document, obtained by The Independent, reveals more staff have come forward to raise concerns since our expose. Former Victims’ Commissioner Dame Vera Baird KC said the backlog of complaints was “worryingly high” and called for urgent action to tackle it. Read full story Source: The Independent, 19 October 2023
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EventuntilThis session is aimed at understanding what causes burnout, the impact and how to prevent/overcome it. Listening to stories from 2 Doctors and understanding the emotions, impact and consequence of burnout can help others look out for the signs and try to prevent it. Through talking and opening up, we hope to raise the awareness of burnout. It is real, can cause trauma and is linked to our wellbeing needs in the workplace. Guest speakers are: Dr Jess Morgan, Paediatrician Dr Chris Healey, Gastroenterologist Please join this session to learn from each other, listen and talk about wellbeing needs in the workplace. This is an open session to everyone, it will be healthcare based but is transferable. It is a free space and a social movement that has one agenda: To help staff flourish in the workplace. Sign up for the session. Joining instructions for this virtual event will be emailed directly to you closer to the date The basic needs at work campaign is based on research and simple QI methodology to address basic needs. It doesn't need to be complicated, but it does need to stick! The Basic Needs at Work resources can be found here
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Content ArticleHealthcare services regularly receive patient feedback, most of which is positive. Empirical studies suggest that health services can use positive feedback to create patient benefit. This study in Plos One aimed to map all available empirical evidence for how positive patient feedback creates change in healthcare settings. The researchers included 68 papers describing research conducted across six continents, with qualitative (n = 51), quantitative (n = 10), and mixed (n = 7) methods. Only two studies were interventional. Most outcomes described were desirable. These were categorised as: short-term emotional change for healthcare workers (including feeling motivated and improved psychological wellbeing) work-home interactional change for healthcare workers (such as improved home-life relationships) work-related change for healthcare workers (such as improved performance and staff retention). Some undesirable outcomes were described, including envy when not receiving positive feedback. The impact of feedback may be moderated by characteristics of particular healthcare roles, such as night shift workers having less interaction time with patients. The researchers called for further interventional research to assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of receiving positive feedback in creating specific forms of change such as increases in staff retention. They also suggest that healthcare managers may wish to use positive feedback more regularly, and to address barriers to staff receiving feedback.
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Content ArticleDoctors are dying by suicide at higher rates than the general population—somewhere between 300 to 400 physicians a year in the US take their own lives. This article in The Guardian looks at why so many surgeons are dying to suicide and what can be done to stop the trend. It examines how the culture of working long hours and the expectation to be 'superhuman' leads surgeons to suppress their symptoms and avoid seeking help for mental health issues. The article also tells the story of US surgeon and President of the Association of Academic Surgery Carrie Cunningham, who has lived with depression, anxiety and a substance abuse disorder for many years.
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Content ArticleThe Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE) and the Office of the Chief Allied Health Professions Officer (CAHPO) have launched three publications aimed at reducing misogyny and improving sexual safety in the ambulance service.
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News Article
Ambulance sector vows to improve sexual safety
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The ambulance sector has signed up to a consensus statement in a bid to tackle misogyny and improve sexual safety for its staff and patients. The statement – which chief allied health professions officer for England Suzanne Rastrick launched at this week’s Ambulance Leadership Forum – commits the service to a “cultural transformation”. Several ambulance trusts have been criticised for a culture which includes “highly sexualised banter” in recent years, with reports highlighting sexual harassment, often of younger female staff. The statement’s guiding principles include: a focus on protecting staff from misogyny and inappropriate sexual behaviour; removing barriers to speaking up and supporting those affected; and working towards an inclusive culture where staff understand misogyny and come to work feeling “sexually safe”. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 5 October 2023 -
News Article
GP burnout: 'I was left feeling like a husk of a human'
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The number of doctors seeking help for mental health issues has risen by more than three quarters within two years, according to figures from a specialist treatment service for NHS staff. For one GP, the relentless stress of the job led to him taking three months off work with burnout. David Triska is no stranger to high-pressure situations. As an army medic, he served two tours of Afghanistan. But mounting workloads at his village GP surgery left him feeling "hollowed out and spent". Simple tasks, like unlocking his car or making a meal, became a challenge - an experience he describes as leaving him feeling "like a husk of a human". "At that extreme point, I couldn't see why I needed to be here anymore," Dr Triska said. He is not alone. Since the year ending March 2021, there has been a 77% rise in the number of doctors seeking help for mental health issues, according to figures shared with the BBC by a confidential support service for NHS staff. More than 5,600 doctors used the NHS Practitioner Health programme in England in 2022/23, with about a third having thought about taking their own lives. Read full story Source: BBC News, 5 October 2023 -
EventThis Hospital at Night Summit focuses on out of hours care in hospitals delivering high quality safe care at night, and supporting the wellbeing of those working at night. Through national updates, networking opportunities and case studies this conference provides a practical guide to delivering a high quality hospital at night and transforming out of hours services and roles to improve patient safety. The 2023 conference will focus on the developing an effective Hospital at Night service, and focus on the practicalities of supporting staff at night, improving wellbeing and fighting fatigue. For further information and to book your place visit https://www.healthcareconferencesuk.co.uk/conferences-masterclasses/hospital-at-night-summit or email frida@hc-uk.org.uk Follow on Twitter @HCUK_Clare #HospitalatNight hub members receive a 20% discount. Email info@pslhub.org for discount code.
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Content Article
Speak Up Listen Up Follow Up podcast (October 2023)
Patient Safety Learning posted an article in Speak Up Guardians
Throughout October’s Speak Up Month, the National Guardian for the NHS, Dr Jayne Chidgey-Clark will be in conversation with guests who have their own speaking up stories and reflecting on how we can break the barriers they faced to make a better and safer speaking up culture across healthcare in England. -
News ArticleFormer police officers, including a murder detective, have been hired by NHS hospitals in a move that campaigners have warned risks discouraging whistleblowers. The Sunday Telegraph has revealted that retired officers have been employed by a trust currently under scrutiny for its treatment of doctors who raise patient safety concerns. One of them has taken up a patient safety incident investigator role worth up to £57,349 a year. Meanwhile a senior detective has been called into multiple trusts on an ad hoc basis to conduct investigations. Last night a leading patient group called on the NHS to be transparent about exactly how such personnel are being used, “given the ongoing concerns about how such roles interact with whistleblowers”. Paul Whiteing, chief executive of the charity Action Against Medical Accidents (AvMA), said: “We at AvMA welcome any steps taken by Trusts to professionalise the investigation of patient safety incidents. This is long overdue. “But given the on-going concerns about how such roles interact with whistleblowers, to maintain trust and confidence of all of the staff, trusts need to be clear, open and transparent about why they are making such appointments and the role and duties of those they employ to fulfil them, whatever their backgrounds.” Campaigners have warned that some NHS trusts deliberately seek to conflate patient safety issues with staff workplace investigations. Read full story (paywalled) Source: The Telegraph, 30 September 2023
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Content ArticleThis post is a transcript of an interview on Times Radio Breakfast on 7 September 2023 in which Dr Jane Somerville, Emeritus professor of cardiology at Imperial College, was asked if the Lucy Letby case has uncovered a problem of the difficulties doctors have of voicing their concerns in hospitals. In the interview, Dr Somerville refers to systemic persecution of NHS staff who speak up about patient safety. She goes on to identify the key issues of power; cover-up culture; suppression of complaints/concerns; career-ending reprisals against staff who speak up; and the almost universal failure of employment tribunals to protect whistleblowers.
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News Article
University Hospitals Birmingham: Half of staff felt bullied
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
More than half of staff at a hospital trust that has been under fire for its "toxic culture" have said they felt bullied or harassed. The findings come from an independent review commissioned by University Hospitals Birmingham (UHB) NHS Trust. It has been at the centre of NHS scrutiny after a culture of fear was uncovered in a BBC Newsnight investigation. UHB has apologised for "unacceptable behaviours". It added it was committed to changing the working environment. Of 2,884 respondents to a staff survey, 53% said they had felt bullied or harassed at work, while only 16% believed their concerns would be taken up by their employer. Many said they were fearful to complain "as they believed it could worsen the situation," the review team found. Read full story Source: BBC News, 27 September 2023 -
Content ArticleThe Culture Review report was published following an independent external review of the organisational culture at University Hospitals Birmingham Trust. The external review was carried out by consultancy firm The Value Circle following a series of investigations into problems at University Hospitals Birmingham Foundation Trust over the last year.
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Content Article
The Local Rationality Principle
Patient_Safety_Learning posted an article in Staff safety
A fundamental premise of psychological safety is the belief that you will not be punished for making a mistake if your intentions were good. A key approach to making this real is through applying the Local Rationality Principle. This article, published by Psychological Safety, explains the concept of Local Rationality and how to put the Local Rationality Principle into practice. -
Content ArticleUnable to work or to play with their children, forced to sell their homes or facing insolvency—doctors with Long Covid deserve more support from the government and the NHS, writes Adele Waters in this BMJ article.
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Content ArticleIn a world where most people wake up with the sun and head to their ‘9 to 5’, night shift work can be a challenge – but can it also be bad for your health? What do those health effects mean for your risk of cancer? Can working night shifts cause cancer? Worldwide Cancer Research presents the evidence.
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Content ArticleA recent report found that a third of female surgeons have been sexually harassed at work. In this opinion piece, Dr Liz O’Riordan speaks out about the abuse she suffered from male colleagues while working for the NHS. She describes her experiences, highlighting that incidents of sexual harassment are common amongst female surgical trainees who fear speaking out as it may affect their careers. She also draws attention to the fact that it is not just an issue amongst surgeons, but that many other healthcare professionals experience inappropriate sexual comments and behaviour while at work.
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Content ArticleAs awareness of the importance of psychological safety in the workplace increases, there is a corresponding increase in the number of psychometric tools, applications and services that attempt to measure psychological safety. This post on the blog Psychological Safety outlines some helpful principles for organisations to apply when choosing a psychometric tool. It lays out the following key principles, stating that in choosing a psychometric tool, we should ensure that we understand the methods and algorithms the tool uses. it’s usable and accessible for everyone. it’s secure. people retain ownership of their own data. the questions and statements actually correlate with psychological safety. it doesn’t make assumptions based upon majority culture. the tool doesn’t create perverse incentives.
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Content ArticleFor surgical teams, high reliability and optimal performance depend on effective communication, mutual respect, and continuous situational awareness. Surgeons who model unprofessional behaviours may undermine a culture of safety, threaten teamwork, and thereby increase the risk for medical errors and surgical complications. This article in JAMA Surgery aimed to assess whether patients of surgeons with a higher number of coworker reports about unprofessional behaviour experience a higher rate of postoperative complications than patients whose surgeons have no such reports. The authors found that patients whose surgeons had a higher number of coworker reports had a significantly increased risk of surgical and medical complications. These findings suggest that organisations interested in ensuring optimal patient outcomes should focus on addressing surgeons whose behaviour toward other medical professionals may increase patients’ risk for adverse outcomes.
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News Article
Female surgeons sexually assaulted while operating
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Female surgeons say they are being sexually harassed, assaulted and in some cases raped by colleagues, a major analysis of NHS staff has found. The Royal College of Surgeons said the findings were "truly shocking". Sexual harassment, sexual assault and rape have been referred to as surgery's open secret. There is an untold story of women being fondled inside their scrubs, of male surgeons wiping their brow on their breasts and men rubbing erections against female staff. Some have been offered career opportunities for sex. Nearly two-thirds of women surgeons that responded to the researchers said they had been the target of sexual harassment and a third had been sexually assaulted by colleagues in the past five years. Women say they fear reporting incidents will damage their careers and they lack confidence the NHS will take action. It is widely accepted there is a culture of silence around such behaviour. Surgical training relies on learning from senior colleagues in the operating theatre and women have told us it is risky to speak out about those who have power and influence over their future careers. Read full story Source: BBC News, 12 September 2023 Related reading on the hub: Breaking the silence: Addressing sexual misconduct in healthcare Calling out the sexist and misogynist culture within healthcare: a blog by Dr Chelcie Jewitt, co-founder of the Surviving in Scrubs campaign GMC's Good medical practice 2024 -
Content ArticleResearch published in the British Journal of Surgery demonstrates that sexual harassment and sexual assault are commonplace within the surgical workforce and rape happens. This report from the Working Party on Sexual Misconduct in Surgery is a call to action, with a series of recommendations, for healthcare institutions to face up to the shocking reality of sexual misconduct within their organisations. Further reading: Sexual harassment, sexual assault and rape by colleagues in the surgical workforce, and how women and men are living different realities: observational study using NHS population-derived weights Calling out the sexist and misogynist culture within healthcare: a blog by Dr Chelcie Jewitt, co-founder of the Surviving in Scrubs campaign GMC's Good medical practice 2024
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Content ArticleThis research examined sexual misconduct occurring in surgery in the UK, so that more informed and targeted actions can be taken to make healthcare safer for staff and patients. A survey assessed individuals’ experiences with being sexually harassed, sexually assaulted, and raped by work colleagues. Individuals were also asked whether they had seen this happen to others at work. Compared with men, women were much more likely to have seen sexual misconduct happening to others, and to have it happen to them. Individuals were also asked whether they thought healthcare-related organizations were handling issues of sexual misconduct adequately; most did not think they were. The General Medical Council (GMC) received the lowest evaluations. The results of this study have implications for all stakeholders, including patients. Sexual misconduct was commonly experienced by respondents, representing a serious issue for the profession. There is a widespread lack of faith in the UK organizations responsible for dealing with this issue. Those organizations have a duty to protect the workforce, and to protect patients. Further reading: Breaking the silence: Addressing sexual misconduct in healthcare Calling out the sexist and misogynist culture within healthcare: a blog by Dr Chelcie Jewitt, co-founder of the Surviving in Scrubs campaign GMC's Good medical practice 2024
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Content ArticleIn this article in the Scotsman, former whistle blower, Iain Kennedy, writes about the culture of fear and blame in Scotland's NHS and how NHS staff must feel free to speak up about problems that affect patient safety.
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News Article
NHS staff to be asked about sexual harassment for the first time
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
NHS staff will be asked if they have experienced sexual harassment or inappropriate behaviour in the workplace for the first time. In a letter, NHS England chief delivery officer Steve Russell said the upcoming annual staff survey would include the following question: “In the last 12 months, how many times have you been the target of unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature in the workplace? This may include offensive or inappropriate sexualised conversation (including jokes), touching or assault.” Mr Russell said the anonymous answers to the new question would “help us understand the potential prevalence of sexual misconduct in your organisation and inform further action to protect and support staff across the NHS”. It comes as NHSE launches the health service’s first sexual safety charter to help protect staff from harassment and inappropriate behaviour. The charter is an agreement comprising 10 pledges, including commitments to provide staff with clear reporting mechanisms, training, and support from managers. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 6 September 2023 -
News Article
Attacks in Wales on workers up to almost 3,000
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
"I shouldn't have to work out my escape route when I walk into a property." Paramedic Joanna Paskell was a victim of one of the near-3,000 attacks on emergency workers in Wales last year. The patient who punched her got a 12-month community order, but it left the 45-year-old suffering with anxiety and meant she was off work for four months. "It took four security guards to calm her down so she could be treated," said Mrs Paskell, who has worked with the ambulance service for more than 25 years. She said at first she tried to laugh it off, but it was only when getting ready for her next shift, five days later, that she felt the emotional toll. "All I want to do is make a difference - that's why I joined this job. We can't do that if we're working in fear of our own safety." Last year there were 2,838 assaults against police officers, firefighters, ambulance staff, NHS workers and prison staff - a 4.9% rise. Read full story Source: BBC News, 30 May 2022
