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News Article
Hospitals across London are racing to tackle a backlog of tens of thousands of urgent operations that need to be carried out in the coming weeks to prevent patients dying or losing limbs, The Independent has learnt. The slow decline in Covid patient numbers means many hospitals across the capital are warning they will still be relying on extra staff, and “surge” beds opened at the height of the crisis, well into March. NHS bosses have been briefed that across the city there are about 15,000 priority two (P2) patients. These are classed as needing urgent surgery, including for cancer, -
News Article
Shortages of oxygen are endangering the lives of more than half a million COVID-19 patients every day in the world’s poorest nations, new research has shown. Despite being vital for the effective treatment of people admitted to hospital with coronavirus, sustained access to oxygen has proven difficult in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) due to cost, infrastructure and logistical barriers. According to Unitaid, a global health agency, more than half a million people in LMICs currently need 1.1 million cylinders of oxygen per day, with 25 countries currently reporting surges in- Posted
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News Article
Covid: Half with cancer signs didn't contact GP in first wave
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Almost half of people with potential cancer symptoms did not contact their GP during the first wave of the pandemic, a survey suggests. Symptoms left unchecked included coughing up blood, lumps and changes to the appearance of moles. NHS figures showed a fall in referrals to cancer services last spring. However, this study, of almost 8,000 people, captures the fall in people contacting their GP in the first place. The team that carried out the study, from Cardiff University and Cancer Research UK, said this raised concerns that people could be diagnosed later - and so be less li -
News Article
Reviews of hospital-acquired covid deaths as ‘basic’ breaches found
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Senior doctors are leading a programme of work to review deaths caused by hospital-acquired covid in the North West, which has had disproportionately high rates of nosocomial infections over the last three months. According to internal NHS England papers seen by HSJ, a number of common themes have been identified as driving the infections in the region, including “breaches in the basic tenets of infection prevention control”, insufficient numbers of cleaning staff at some trusts, and a lack of consistent testing. The papers say there is also evidence that covid occupancy rates above -
Content Article
The report sets out seven themes identified by the review and charts the safety risks for pregnant women that emerged as the NHS adapted to respond to COVID-19. It describes the circumstances and pathways of care for the 19 women where some of the risks identified in the theme areas may have contributed to the outcome for those women. The review also highlighted that the ‘system factors’ identified in the maternal reviews were seen across the NHS and have been or are being addressed in other HSIB investigations. The seven themes are: Unprecedented demand for telephone health advice- Posted
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News Article
One in five Covid survivors experienced hair loss, cohort study finds
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
One in five people hospitalised with COVID-19 experienced hair loss within six months of first being infected with the virus, a cohort study of patients found. A team of Chinese experts looking into the long-term health consequences of the disease surveyed patients who had been discharged from Jin Yin-tan Hospital in Wuhan last year. Of the 1,655 people who took part 359 (22%) reported losing hair. Fatigue or muscle weakness, difficulty sleeping, smell disorder, anxiety and depression were some of the other most commonly reported symptoms, with a higher percentage of these repor- Posted
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News Article
All adults with a learning disability will be offered the vaccine against coronavirus after new advice from government experts warned they were at greater risk from the virus. The decision is a major win for disability charities and campaigners. The decision will mean as many as 150,000 more people could be offered the vaccine. The government’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has issued new advice saying any adult on GP Learning Disability Register should be prioritised for vaccination along with adults with related conditions such as cerebral palsy. The J -
News Article
NHS pulls a million face masks from use after safety warning
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The NHS has been warned not to use or distribute a batch of high-grade face masks after government officials warned they may not meet safety standards. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said it had “received urgent information” suggesting the items did not meet UK government specifications. Hospital bosses and others including GPs have been told to stop using the FT-045A FFP3 masks, quarantine any remaining supplies and then track down any they might have sent on to other health providers through mutual aid schemes. DHSC said it was pausing further distribution whi -
Event
WHO COVID-19 Vaccine research forum
Sam posted a calendar event in Community Calendar
untilWHO will host a monthly WHO COVID-19 Vaccine research forum, starting on Tuesday 2 March 2021. This first webinar is scheduled between 14:00 – 16:00 Central European Time (CET). The agenda will be shared in advance. The goals of these ongoing meetings are: To encourage and facilitate the rapid dissemination of research protocols and emerging results. To provide regular updates against R&D Blueprint roadmap priorities with the ability to pivot given dynamic research needs. Register -
News Article
Local groups of GPs have decided to prioritise all patients with learning disabilities for COVID-19 vaccination, after fresh evidence showed that disabled patients were at much higher risk from the disease. Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics1 showed that 60% of people in England who died from covid-19 from January to November 2020 (30 296 of 50 888) had a disability. This week an extra 1.7 million people in England—including some with severe learning disabilities—are being added to the list of people identified as clinically extremely vulnerable to COVID-19, altho- Posted
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Housebound people being missed for vaccination, NHS warned
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
People who need to receive their covid vaccinations at home are missing out because their eligibility is not being recognised by GPs, experts have warned. There have been numerous reports of housebound people being told they are ineligible for a home visit in recent weeks, with some home care providers saying only a minority of their elderly clients have been vaccinated so far. Chit Selvarajah, policy manager at the charity Independent Age, said: “We have heard from people who say they are housebound being told they weren’t considered as housebound and told to go to a vaccination cen -
News Article
Sharp drop in patient goodwill towards NHS since autumn
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Patient positivity about NHS hospital services suffered a sharp drop during the autumn, and satisfaction with access is now well below pre-pandemic levels, according to analysis exclusively shared with HSJ. The analysis of social media and online sentiment by PEP Health appears to show that a surge of goodwill towards the health service during the first covid peak last spring dissipated last autumn. At that time, the first-wave peak had passed, but hospitals were getting a lot busier — with more emergency attendances, and efforts to get planned appointments and procedures back close -
Content Article
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News Article
The NHS rose to the challenge of Covid, but its next test may be even harder
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Over the past year, our NHS has risen to the challenges of the pandemic. But it’s been a very close-run thing. There have been well-publicised difficulties such as the shortage of ventilators, ICU beds and PPE, and the physical and staffing capacity of the health service has been strained to breaking point. GPs have managed the risks to patients who have been unable to receive specialist care. We now face a growing backlog of postponed treatments and emerging mental health issues. So if we were to imagine a post-Covid NHS, toughened by the challenges of the pandemic but better prepared fo -
News Article
Long Covid: ‘It’s a year since I’ve felt like myself’
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Today is an anniversary that George Hencken never imagined. It is exactly one year since she caught COVID-19. But unlike most people who have suffered from the disease, she remains ill. “It’s a year since I’ve felt like myself,” she said. “It’s a year since my life as I knew it came to an end. And I don’t know if I’m going to get it back again.” Long Covid doesn’t quite describe the depths of her fatigue. “It’s not tiredness. It’s like having jet lag and a hangover. It feels like I’ve been poisoned,” she said. The problem for Hencken and the thousands still suffering from the vi- Posted
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News Article
NHS sets up mental health hubs for staff traumatised by Covid
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The NHS is setting up dozens of mental health hubs to help staff who have been left traumatised by treating Covid patients during the pandemic. There is mounting concern that large numbers of frontline workers have experienced mental health problems such as anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder over the last year. NHS personnel will be able to ring one of the 40 new hubs in England, receive advice and be referred for support from psychologists, mental health nurses, therapists and recovery workers. Frontline workers who are struggling with their mental health wi -
News Article
UK’s Covid vaccines cut hospital admissions by around 90%, study shows
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The COVID-19 vaccines deployed in the UK substantially reduce the risk of hospital admission, real-world data from Scotland has shown. Four weeks after receiving a first dose, both the Pfizer/BioNTech and Oxford/AstraZeneca jabs cut hospitalisation with the disease by up to 85 and 94%, respectively. Among those aged 80 years and over – one of the most vulnerable groups – the two vaccines were associated with a combined 81% reduction in hospitalisation risk. Scientists from the University of Edinburgh, the University of Strathclyde, and Public Health Scotland gathered vaccine dat- Posted
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News Article
Staff seeking second vaccination early threatened with ‘regulatory action’
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Staff at one of England’s largest hospital trusts have been threatened with disciplinary and regulatory action if they attempt to get their second COVID-19 vaccine dose early, HSJ has learned In an all staff email today, University Hospitals Birmingham Foundation Trust said: “Any staff trying to obtain a second dose ahead of their booked sessions could be considered deliberately attempting to deceive the NHS in order to obtain medicines and, as such will be a professional conduct issue which may result in disciplinary action and/or regulatory action being taken against you. The new n -
News Article
Covid: Confusion over gestational diabetes advice
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Some pregnant women who have had gestational diabetes say a change to shielding advice in England has caused confusion. Some have been told to stay at home while others have not, based on a new algorithm which calculates an individual's risk from Covid. It identified an extra 1.7 million people as extremely clinically vulnerable in England this week. They will now be prioritised for a Covid vaccine. NHS England says not everyone with the same condition will be advised to shield but suggests people contact their GP to discuss their individual case. Heather Davi -
News Article
More than 1 in 10 Covid patients died within five months of being discharged from hospital, while almost a third of those who survived the virus had to be readmitted, new research has warned. Papers released by the governments Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) also revealed half of patients in hospital with the virus suffered complications, with one in four struggling when they got back home. Younger patients under the age of 50 were more likely to suffer complications. The reports present the first substantial evidence that Covid could be the cause of significant -
News Article
New research led by researchers at King’s College London suggests that restricting testing to the ‘classic triad’ of cough, fever and loss of smell which is required for eligibility for a PCR test through the NHS may have missed cases. Extending the list to include fatigue, sore throat, headache and diarrhoea would have detected 96% of symptomatic cases. A team of researchers at King’s and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) analysed data from more than 122,000 UK adult users of the ZOE COVID Symptom Study app. These users reported experiencing any potential COVID-1