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Showing results for tags 'Staff safety'.
Found 994 results
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News Article
35,000 cases of sexual misconduct or violence in NHS in five years
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
More than 35,000 incidents of sexual misconduct or sexual violence - ranging from derogatory remarks to rape - were recorded on NHS premises in England between 2017 and 2022. Rape, sexual assault or being touched without consent accounted for more than one in five cases. Most incidents - 58% - involved patients abusing staff. The data was collected by the BMJ and the Guardian, and shared with BBC File on 4. Freedom of Information requests were received from 212 NHS trusts and 37 police forces in England. The data that came back from trusts showed at least 20% of incidents involved rape, sexual assault or inappropriate physical contact - including kissing. Other cases included sexual harassment, stalking and abusive or degrading remarks. One in five cases involved patients abusing other patients - although not all trusts provided a detailed breakdown. Meanwhile, police recorded nearly 12,000 alleged sexual crimes on NHS premises in the same time period - including 180 cases of rape of children under 16, with four children under 16 being gang-raped. Read full story Source: BBC News, 23 May 2023 -
Content ArticleOn paper, a GP’s working schedule can look quite inviting: consulting for three and a half hours in the morning, with a coffee break in the middle, then a gap for lunch and home visits before a similar length afternoon surgery. However, this is rarely the reality for NHS GPs. In this BMJ opinion piece, GP Helen Salisbury talks about what working life is really like for GPs and highlights the mismatch between their scheduled hours and tasks and the reality, which often involves them doing much more. She highlights how the unrealistic demands GPs face have been exacerbated by a movement of work from secondary to primary care, and argues that this is contributing to the workforce crisis that general practice faces.
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News Article
Patient aggression up by a fifth despite trust’s interventions
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
A hospital trust, which has already implemented a series of safety measures to protect employees, has reported a 17% rise in incidents of abuse against staff by patients and the public in the last year. Data from the Oxford University Hospital’s clinical incident system, shared with HSJ, shows there were 1,181 cases of violence and aggression against staff in 2022, up from 1,003 in 2021. Before late 2021, the monthly incident rate very rarely hit 100, while since January 2022 it has topped 100 in seven months, including 162 and 131 incidents respectively in January and February this year. The ongoing growth is despite the trust launching a campaign, called “No Excuses”, in January 2022,. Measures include bodyworn cameras, and safety devices with alarms and positioning technology for lone workers. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 16 May 2023 -
Content ArticleThe latest NHS Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) data shows that it is still over twenty times more likely that a White Band 5 nurse will become a Director of Nursing compared to a Band 5 BME nurse. In this letter Roger Kline, Research Fellow at Middlesex University Business School, outlines his concerns about discrimination and bullying taking place within the NHS. Addressed to Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Steve Barclay, the letter recalls the findings of the Messenger report commissioned by Mr Barclay's predecessor Sajid Javid, which found that “acceptance of discrimination, bullying, blame cultures and responsibility avoidance has almost become normalised in certain parts of the system, as evidenced by staff surveys and several publicised examples of poor practice." Referring to recent calls to reduce spending on equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI), he outlines why patient care and frontline services cannot be detached from efforts to improve EDI. He argues that research strongly suggests how staff are treated (including whether they face discrimination) impacts on patient care, staff well-being and organisational effectiveness.
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News ArticleICBs should ensure there are ‘formal escalation routes’ in place for GPs after 25 daily clinical contacts, the BMA has said in new guidance. From next week (15 May), GP practices are contractually required to offer an ‘appropriate response’ to patients the first time they get in contact, by offering them an appointment or redirection, rather than asking them to call back at a different time. While GP leaders warned this would lead to increased pressure on NHS 111 and A&E, NHS England attempted to clarify in this week’s recovery plan that GPs should only redirect patients in ‘exceptional circumstances’. It also said practices should inform their ICB on each such occasion. However, conflicting BMA guidance has now been published, warning that practices attempting to adhere to the new requirement ‘may do so at the expense of clinician wellbeing and patient safety’. It reiterates the GP Committee for England’s safe working guidance recommending that clinicians have no more than 25 clinical contacts per day because anything beyond this "can lead to decision fatigue, clinical errors and patient harm, and clinician burn out". Read full story Source: Pulse, 11 May 2023
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Content ArticleHealth and care workers in all parts of Europe are experiencing overwork, with high levels of burnout. This opinion piece in the BMJ looks at the issue of healthcare professionals leaving European health systems to take early retirement or work in other countries where pay and conditions are better. It highlights the causes of this exodus, including increasing patient complexity, salary erosion and work-life balance. It argues that policies should prioritise retaining existing staff, as increased training numbers offer only a partial, long term answer.to the crisis, highlighting potential approaches governments can take to retain highly qualified healthcare staff.
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News Article
Majority of NHS trusts provide no dedicated training to prevent sexual harassment
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Only one NHS trust in England provides dedicated training to prevent sexual harassment, according to research, raising concerns that the NHS is failing to adequately protect staff and patients. According to health union figures, sexual harassment of staff is pervasive. A 2019 survey by Unison found that one in 12 NHS staff had experienced sexual harassment at work during the past year, with more than half saying the perpetrator was a co-worker. In a recent BMA survey, 91% of female doctors reported sexism, 31% had experienced unwanted physical contact and 56% unwanted verbal comments. Yet research by the University of Cambridge, published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine found that the vast majority of NHS trusts did not provide any dedicated training to prevent sexual harassment. The report analysed data from freedom of information requests from 199 trusts in England and found that just 35 offered their workers any sort of active bystander training (ABT), while only one NHS trust had a specific module on sexual harassment. ABT is designed to give individuals the skills to call out unacceptable behaviour, from workplace bullying to racism and sexual misconduct. It is widely used by the military, universities and Whitehall, including the Home Office. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 5 May 2023- Posted
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Content Article
Breaks from operational duty are an important factor in the management of fatigue. But as highly committed and professional operational staff often perform several secondary tasks and activities—inside or outside the ops room—breaks can become a victim. This blog by Chartered Ergonomist and Human Factors Specialist Stephen Shorrock offers some general guidelines about what kinds of tasks add to stress and fatigue and should be avoided during rest breaks. He places break activities into three categories which place different demands on the individual: red, amber and green activities. He also highlights that when it comes to breaks from operational duty, changes in activity are the key to reducing fatigue-related risks. -
Content Article
I guess that a common feature linking most visitors to Patient Safety Learning is that they have a profound interest in two things. First, recognising and applauding innovations and ‘best practice’ in healthcare. Second, recognising, exposing and denouncing bad practice. The thing they have in common is the desire to learn from the mistakes in the past to do better in the future. When it comes to ‘bad practice’ in healthcare it is usually in connection with some adverse and damaging impact on patients. Our thoughts turn perhaps to certain medical failures, such as the ‘Mid‑Staffs scandal’. Seldom do we find the need to consider the adverse and damaging impacts on the doctors, nurses and all the other staff who work in the health and social care sector. However, those of you who watched the recent BBC Panorama programme, 'Forgotten heroes of the Covid frontline' will have been appalled at the scandal that now confronts so many frontline staff for whom we stood outside our front doors and clapped for so enthusiastically back in those dark days at the height of the pandemic. This blog is dedicated to those 'forgotten heroes'. I hope that it demonstrates that they are not, in fact, forgotten I hope that the resources linked to this blog may be of help to them. -
News Article
Staff get ‘aggressive verbal abuse’ over strike cancellations
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
A hospital trust has said its staff have been verbally abused when contacting some patients to postpone their appointments because of next week’s nursing strike. Oxford University Hospitals Foundation Trust posted a statement to its website yesterday, which said: “It is very regrettable that we have to report that our staff have been verbally abused when contacting some patients to postpone their appointments. We fully understand and appreciate how disappointing and frustrating any postponement is, and we only do this if we absolutely have to in order to provide safe care for all our patients. “Our staff are doing their best in challenging circumstances to make sure you are informed as soon as possible. We do not tolerate abuse of our staff and abuse will be noted and further action may be taken.” Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 27 April 2023 -
Content ArticleThe Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) facilitated a half-day event on 17 March 2023 to ask how healthcare can understand and start to manage the risk of staff fatigue. Listen to a recording of the event.
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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. Benefits of attending this conference will enable you to: Network with colleagues who are working to improve Hospital at Night Practice. Learn from recent developments. Improve your skills in the recognition management and escalation of deteriorating patients at night. Understand and evaluate different models for Hospital at Night. Examine the role of task management solutions for Hospital at Night, including handover and eObservations. Ensure effective and safe staffing at night. Improving and supporting the wellbeing of hospital at night staff. Examine Hospital at Night team roles, competence and improve team working. Improve safety through the reduction of falls at night. Supporting staff and reducing fatigue at night. Develop the role of Clinical Practitioner and Advanced Nursing Practice at night. Identify key strategies to change practice and ways of working in Hospital at Night. Understand how hospitals can improve conditions for night workers and support Junior Doctors. Self assess and reflect on your own practice. Supports CPD professional development and acts as revalidation evidence. This course provides 5 Hrs training for CPD subject to peer group approval for revalidation purposes. Register hub members receive a 20% discount. Email info@pslhub.org for discount code.
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Content Article
In this blog, Steve Turner reflects on why genuine patient safety whistleblowers are so frequently ignored, side-lined or victimised. Why staff don't speak out, why measures to change this have not worked and, in some cases, have exacerbated the problems. Steve concludes with optimism that new legislation going through Parliament offers a way forward from which everyone will benefit.- Posted
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Content ArticleThis article for Forbes looks at new data suggesting that for almost 70% of people, their manager has more impact on their mental health than their therapist or their doctor—and it’s equal to the impact of their partner. It outlines leadership approaches to improve employees' mental health, including self-management, impact recognition, fostering connection, offering choice and providing challenge.
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Content ArticleExposure to ionising radiation during image guided procedures has been associated with a higher incidence of breast cancer in female healthcare workers. Lead or lead equivalent gowns are used to reduce radiation exposure during image guided procedures, but studies have shown that current gowns provide inadequate protection to breast tissue as they leave the upper outer quadrant and axilla exposed. Isobel Pilkington and colleagues discuss the risk and the steps that must be taken to ensure full protection of breast tissue in this BMJ Editorial.
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Content ArticleTo thrive and deliver the best healthcare, healthcare professionals depend on their ability to self-reflect and adapt their working behaviours. This skill is developed through self-awareness, an openness to alternative perspectives, proactively seeking feedback and a willingness to change behaviours as a result of reflecting. Transformative reflection is a type of reflective practice that can transform a person's sense of work-based identity, sense of purpose and how they work, ultimately influencing the collective wellbeing. This guide explains what transformative reflection is, how to create an environment in which it can take place and suggests formats and resources to aid organisations in encouraging transformative reflection.
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Content ArticleIf a manager approaches your desk, do you feel a sense of anxiety? If your team wants to challenge an idea or offer a different perspective, do they feel free to speak up? These are both examples of psychological safety - or a potential lack thereof - in the workplace. Organisations have focused heavily on mental health and well-being at work over the last few years, but many still lack an awareness of psychological safety, how it can impact your team and the consequences of an unsafe culture. This article looks at how you can measure and improve psychological safety.
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Content Article
Nursing notes on a scandal (31 March 2023)
Patient-Safety-Learning posted an article in Nursing
The tenth anniversary this year of the publication of the Francis Report in 20131 is marked by the largest scale of industrial action ever taken by nurses in the UK for better pay and conditions and, especially, safe staffing. In this article in the Future Healthcare Journal Alison Leary and Anne Marie Rafferty reflect on opportunities missed in the last decade in the attempt to secure safe staffing in nursing. They consider the aftermath of the public inquiry into Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust and its consequences for nursing, and how policymakers have consistently ignored a growing body of evidence outlining the benefits of safe staffing. -
Content ArticleTransformative reflection is based on the idea is that people's perspectives on the world around them change when they reflect on new experiences that challenge their world view. NHS England (NHSE) says that reflection can be hugely valuable for patient care, staff morale and for doctors themselves. In this interview, Dr Alison Sheppard, a national clinical fellow who contributed a new NHSE guide on transformative reflection, talks about what transformative reflection is and how it can be helpful for doctors.
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News ArticleNHS leaders and ministers face allegations of a “cover up”, as Byline Times reveals that almost two-thirds of NHS employers did not make a single, legally-required report of Covid being caught by staff working during the first 18 months of the pandemic. And four-fifths (82%) of NHS employers have not reported a single death of a worker from Covid caught while working in those first two waves. The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases & Dangerous Occurrences (RIDDOR) rules mean that employers have a legal duty to report certain serious workplace accidents and occupational diseases – including Covid. The lack of acceptance of responsibility from NHS employers has left some families in limbo – and angry at what they consider to be deliberate “denial” of the experiences of those who died serving the public. David Osborn, a health and safety consultant and member of the Covid-19 Airborne Transmission Alliance (CATA), co-wrote the research. He said: “One wonders how many bereaved families who have been denied this payment did not have the benefit of [these reports] to support their case.” Osborn wrote to Sarah Albon, Chief Executive of the Health and Safety Executive, to raise his concerns after speaking with family members of NHS workers who had died of Covid, saying the reports of zero NHS worker deaths from Covid caught in the workplace are “difficult, nigh impossible, to believe.” Read full story Source: Byline Times, 6 April 2023
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Content Article
In this joint statement, National Voices, a coalition of health and social care charities in England, supported by 82 charities and professional bodies, call on the Government to act on the serious challenges faced by the NHS and social care workforce, which it states are badly impacting upon people’s experience of health and care. Patient Safety Learning is one of the signatories of this statement. -
Content ArticleA just and learning culture is the balance of fairness, justice, learning–and taking responsibility for actions. It is not about seeking to blame the individuals involved when care in the NHS goes wrong, nor the absence of responsibility and accountability. This report by NHS Resolution aims to promote the value of a person-centred workplace that is compassionate, safe and fair.
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EventEnergy-based devices, lasers and diathermy are some of the most commonly used pieces of equipment in operating theatres today. Dangerous emissions can be produced that affect the respiratory systems of everyone in the operating theatre. This study day will look at the occupational hazards of exposure to surgical plume in the operating theatre, as well as the associated risks to the surgical team, patients and visitors. It will also highlight how to assess risk and mitigate against the dangers of surgical plume and how to implement changes. Topics Include: Electrosurgery/diathermy/laser. Anaesthetic airway fires. Laparoscopic surgery aerosolisation. Health and Safety and risk assessment. Surgical plume. Register
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Content ArticleA number of serious concerns have been raised about the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, relating to patient safety, governance processes and organisational culture. The Trust has been under review by the Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board (ICB), following a junior doctor at the trust, Dr Vaishnavi Kumar, taking her own life in June 2022. In response to these concerns, a series of rapid independently-led reviews have been commissioned at the Trust. This report outlines the outcomes of the first of these reviews, which is focused on clinical safety. It identified a number of issues which require attention, setting out 17 recommendations for further action.
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Content ArticleIn this blog, Jennifer Nelson investigates why doctors have one of the highest suicide rates of any profession. She speaks to experts including health psychologist Jodie Eckleberry-Hunt, who highlights that doctors tend to have a lower level of cognitive flexibility, which may affect their ability to cope when things don't go to plan. Psychotherapist Brad Fern goes on to describe the complex range of reasons that doctors may take their own lives, and describes the importance of tackling silence and isolation among doctors. The blog concludes by addressing the need to separate suicide from other wellbeing issues doctors might face, and by looking at how the system itself contributes to high suicide rates.
