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Content ArticleThe Right Honourable Sir Anthony Hooper was asked by the General Medical Council (GMC) on 5 September 2014 to conduct an independent review of how the GMC engage with individuals who regard themselves as whistleblowers. The terms of reference were: “To conduct a review of how the General Medical Council handles cases involving individuals who regard themselves as whistleblowers and who have appropriately raised concerns in the public interest. These are individuals: whose fitness to practise is being investigated or determined under the General Medical Council (Fitness to Practise) Rules 2004; or who have reported such a concern to the GMC.” This is the report by the Right Honourable Sir Anthony Hooper to the GMC presented on the 19th March 2015.
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Content ArticleThe government has published its mandate to NHS England. This mandate is intended to apply from 15 June 2023 until a new mandate is published. NHS England has a duty to seek to achieve the objectives in the mandate. The Secretary of State keeps progress against the mandate under review, setting out his views in an annual assessment which is laid in Parliament and published. The government will agree with NHS England how it should report on overall progress against the mandate to support the Secretary of State in keeping this under review. This will include reporting at agreed intervals on other delivery expectations listed beneath the objectives.
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Content ArticlePsychosocial support programs are a way for hospitals to support the mental health of their staff. However, while support is needed, utilization of support by hospital staff remains low. This study from van de Baan et al. aims to identify reasons for non-use and elements that are important to consider when offering psychosocial support.
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EventThis one day masterclass, facilitated by Glenys Hurt-Robson, Associate Facilitator, The Athena Programme will support you to develop your role and responsibility as a Designated Safeguarding Officer / Designated Safeguarding Lead / Named Professional for safeguarding in your organisation. It will enable you to understand one or both of the Child and Adult abuse investigation processes under Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018) and / or the Care Act 2014. This course will connect emotionally with your safeguarding core. It will stimulate and support you as you reflect on the key responsibilities of the role and how these relate to your organisational context. Against a backdrop of current safeguarding legislation (Children Act 2004, Care Act 2014) it will help you examine your own role and the roles of others in the multi-agency world of protecting and supporting children and adults at risk. The skills and knowledge gained will raise your awareness of current risks and allow you to proactively develop your safeguarding role. The course will assist in building your resilience in dealing with allegations against staff and in-depth understanding of how to protect and support those involved. The content is based on current NHS Intercollegiate Documents - Roles and Competencies for Safeguarding and pitched at NHS level 4 for named professionals. Key Learning Objectives To understand the purpose, importance and role of the Designated Safeguarding Officer / Lead for safeguarding children and adults at risk. Explore the emotional impact from the disclosure of abuse. Explore the roles and responsibilities of other Safeguarding partners. Understand how to respond to those who are the subject of concerns or allegations of abuse and identify ways in which the Designated Safeguarding Officer can support staff and work with partners e.g.HR, LADO, DBS. How to manage and support staff through the process of allegations and/or disclosures/whistleblowing. Understand and explore in-depth your organisations safeguarding policies and procedures. Understand how your own values and beliefs can affect your role and responsibilities as a DSO exploring the emotional dimensions of safeguarding work for you and your workforce. Identify and understand the barriers to reporting and effective information sharing. To explore the difficult decisions to be made and the people they need to be made with. Understand how other Safeguarding Arrangements impact on Safeguarding, i.e. MARAC, MAPPA, Prevent Duty, FGM Duty, contextual safeguarding etc. To act as a source of support, advice and expertise within the organisation and liaising with relevant agencies and reviews e.g. SCR’s and SAR’s. Action planning section for development of Designated Safeguarding Officer teams. Register hub members receive a 20% discount. Email info@pslhub.org for discount code.
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News Article
Fewer NHS staff feel able to raise clinical safety concerns, data show
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The number of NHS staff who feel able to raise concerns about clinical safety has fallen for the second year in a row, an analysis of NHS staff survey data has shown. A report by the NHS’s National Guardian’s Office, which represents local “freedom to speak up guardians” who help NHS workers to raise concerns, said that staff were increasingly disillusioned and that they believed that speaking up was “futile,” which had “worrying implications for patient safety.” Dr Jayne Chidgey-Clark, National Guardian for the NHS said: “It is not acceptable that two in five workers responding to the NHS staff survey do not feel able to speak up about anything which gets in the way of them doing their job. “These survey responses show us that there is a growing feeling that speaking up in the NHS is futile – that nothing changes as a result. When workers speak up about concerns, including the impact of under staffing and a crumbling infrastructure, their leaders themselves may struggle to be heard when trying to address these concerns. “I would add my voice to that of others that this urgently needs to be addressed". Read full story Source: BMJ. 9 June 2023 -
News ArticlePatients may be found guilty of discrimination if they refuse the care of a transgender medic, according to new NHS guidance. Health bosses have been warned that patients have no right to be told a healthcare worker’s assigned sex at birth. However, transgender health workers can choose not to treat patients if they feel uncomfortable doing so, the report by NHS Confederation says. The report, published earlier this month in partnership with the LGBT Foundation, says patients can only request care from a same-sex staff member in limited circumstances, such as if they are having an intimate examination. It states that when a patient requests an employee administering care to be a woman or a man, “the comfort of the staff member should be prioritised”. Read full story Source: Telegraph, 9 June 2023
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Content ArticleThe tragic and preventable death of Ruth Perry, headteacher at a school downgraded by an Ofsted inspection, has sparked calls for a review of regulatory oversight. While safety and quality must be assured, it’s crucial to consider the impact of regulatory inspections on the well-being of passionate workforces facing complex and challenging environments. In this blog, healthcare entrepreneur Vanessa Webb makes the case that as a potential cause of harm to staff, regulatory inspections in public services including healthcare should be subject to Health and Safety Risk Assessments. There should be a systematic process to identify hazards, evaluate the likelihood and severity of harm, and determine appropriate controls to prevent or mitigate those risks.
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Content ArticleBackground to the independent review by Lewisham and Greenwich into Dr Chris Day's whistleblowing case.
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Content ArticleBurnout is a workplace syndrome characterised by three core attributes: 1) energy depletion or exhaustion, 2) a cynical or negative attitude toward one’s job, and 3) reduced professional efficacy. That second attribute, workplace cynicism, may be the least-understood aspect of burnout in part because of its complexity. In contrast to exhaustion and diminished efficacy, whose causes and effects are relatively straightforward, cynicism can be caused by a number of workplace factors, and it can be expressed in a broad range of emotional states and behaviours. Cynicism is dangerous to both individual and organisational health and can also spread rapidly throughout teams through a phenomenon known as “emotional contagion.” It’s possible to improve even deep-seated cynicism — and better yet, to prevent it from infecting your organization in the first place. The author of this Harvard Business Review article offers strategies to help reverse existing cynicism and to create an anti-cynical culture at work.
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Content ArticleWith increasing concerns around the working conditions and psychological wellbeing of staff in the NHS, questions have been raised about how best to support staff wellbeing. Research is clear that wellbeing interventions that target the organisation and staff’s working environment work better than those which focus solely on supporting the individual person. Although it might seem simple to say: “we need to improve working conditions”, the challenge is whether this is possible and, if so, what this actually looks like in practice.
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Content ArticleThe NHS in England has largely relied on a human resources trilogy of policies, procedures and training to improve organisational culture. Evidence from four interventions using this paradigm—disciplinary action, bullying, whistleblowing and recruitment and career progression—confirms research findings that this approach, in isolation, was never likely to be effective. Roger Kline proposes an alternative methodology, elements of which are beginning to be adopted, which is more likely to be effective and to positively contribute to organisational cultures supporting inclusion, psychological safety, staff well-being, organisational effectiveness and patient care.
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EventuntilWhen your working life revolves around taking care of others, it can be difficult to remember to pay your own health the same heed. From reports of the prevalence of back pain amongst nurses to an increasing awareness of the toll that shift work can take on diet and sleep patterns, the impact of the profession on nurses’ personal health and safety can be extreme. First in a series of RCNi webinars devoted to nurse wellbeing, this supportive event has been especially designed to provide you with a safe space to put yourself first. Pick up some practical hints and tips which will make a real difference to how you feel - physically and emotionally - day-to-day and join together with other nurses who are facing the same barriers and challenges. Whilst we can’t change your working circumstances, we can hope to equip you with some insight and support which will enable you to boost how you feel in your own body and mind in a supportive environment. Hear from experts, ask questions and share your story. Register
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Content ArticleThe 'Living with Long Covid' podcast series from Julie Taylor aims to raise awareness of Long Covid, and provide a platform of support, education and the lived experience.
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News Article
Approach to tackling violence raises concern among NHS England staff
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
There has long been an acknowledgment by ministers and NHS leaders that violence against staff by patients was an issue that needed addressing, with a strategy to tackle it announced nearly five years ago. The health service’s 2019 long-term plan included a pilot for the use of body-worn cameras by paramedics in a bid to “de-escalate” situations. The following year the Crown Prosecution Service announced an agreement with the police and NHS England to “secure swift prosecutions” of those who assault staff, and the maximum penalty for assaulting emergency workers, including doctors and nurses, was also doubled to two years. Despite these measures, there have been internal disagreements within NHS England about the best approach to the problem, which affected almost 15% of staff last year, according to the latest national survey of the health service workforce. The Guardian understands that senior managers in NHS England told staff in its violence prevention and reduction (VPR) team last April that prosecutions of those who assaulted healthcare workers and dismissals of abusive staff should be a last resort. Instead, the focus should be on improving the culture of the NHS and staff wellbeing. It is also understood that managers cautioned against using the term “zero tolerance” because they said it did not take into account that some people who abuse NHS staff might lack capacity, an apparent reference to mentally ill patients. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 23 May 2023 -
Content ArticleThis podcast series from Julie Taylor aims to raise awareness of Long Covid, provide a platform of support, education and the lived experience. Julie is a registered nurse in the UK and became unwell with Covid in May 2020 while working on the frontline, during the first wave of the pandemic. She now lives with Long Covid and POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome). In this podcast series, Julie shares her journey and lived experience, the symptoms and how each impacts daily life, not only the physical issues but also the impact this has had mentally and emotionally.
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Content ArticleThis toolkit from NHS Employers aims to support the reduction in turnover of international staff in the NHS by improving their experience at work. It is hoped that this will then enable them to stay, thrive and build lasting careers in the NHS. It is for line managers and employers and should be used alongside the International Recruitment Toolkit and the Improving Staff Retention Guide to support your overall approach to recruiting and retaining international and domestic staff. The good practice principles and examples throughout can be applied to all professions.
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News Article
Intervention at major trust as junior doctors flag patient safety risks
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Trainee medics in a troubled maternity department have flagged concerns with national regulators over the safety of patients, it has emerged. Last year the General Medical Council said it had concerns about the treatment of obstetric and gynaecology trainees at University Hospitals Birmingham and placed medics at Good Hope Hospital and Heartlands Hospital under intensive support known as “enhanced monitoring”. The GMC’s review flagged serious concerns about emergency gynaecology cover arrangements and said there was a real risk trainees would become hesitant and reluctant to call on consultant support. In September it placed additional restrictions on training, due to “ongoing significant concerns about the learning environment and patient safety”. Now it has emerged in board papers for Birmingham and Solihull integrated care board that Health Education England, now part of NHS England, and the GMC carried out a follow-up visit to UHB in late March to review progress. Board documents state that “several patient safety concerns [were] reported by postgraduate doctors in training to the visiting team”, with a subsequent feedback letter from HEE urging immediate changes to dedicated consultant time and job plans. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 17 May 2023 -
Content Article
Martin Hogan, Lead Professional Nurse Advocate (PNA) at Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust, tells us about the PNA training programme and the impact and improvements it can have on both staff and patient safety. He shares his own personal development from taking the programme, how he has used the skills learnt to educate and support his colleagues, and explains why he is championing the PNA to others and has set up a network of PNAs. -
Content Article
This is part of our series of Patient Safety Spotlight interviews, where we talk to people working for patient safety about their role and what motivates them. Stephen talks to us about his time as turnaround Chair of Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, how NHS boards can ensure they live their values and why creating a safe space to share concerns improves patient safety. -
Content ArticleDespite being the employees who often have the most direct contact with service users, NHS clinical support workers, such as healthcare assistants and maternity support workers, have long experienced a range of barriers to their effective deployment and development. These include a lack of standardised entry requirements, inconsistent task deployment and truncated career progression pathways. These have a detrimental impact on service delivery, including patient satisfaction. The degree to which local employers are able to determine the recruitment, deployment and development of support workers is a key reason why these issues endure; however, this article suggests that a deeper reason is the existence of a segmented labour market in the NHS, with support workers existing in a secondary market. This duality resides in the socio-economic differences between registered and non-registered staff. Recent NHS support workforce strategies present an opportunity to finally address the issues support staff face.
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Content Article
NHS Patient Safety Syllabus v. 2.1 (June 2022)
Patient Safety Learning posted an article in Training & education
The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and the University of Warwick have developed this NHS Patient Safety syllabus to complement it as the basis for education and training for staff throughout the NHS. -
Content ArticleCompassionate leadership builds connection across boundaries, ensuring that the voices of all are heard in the process of delivering and improving care. In order to nurture a culture of compassion, organisations require their leaders – as the carriers of culture – to embody compassion and inclusion in their leadership. Where leaders model a commitment to high-quality and compassionate care, this impacts everything from clinical effectiveness and patient safety to staff health, wellbeing and engagement. The King's Fund's work, through courses, blogs and articles, explores the role of, and supports, leaders in creating a culture of compassion and inclusion.
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Content Article
Igniting your inner spirit – a blog by Sally Howard
Sally Howard posted an article in Leadership for patient safety
NHS and social care continues to have significant challenges. This blog cannot change that but it offers food for thought on how to stay afloat. -
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
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.
