Search the hub
Showing results for tags 'Womens health'.
Found 814 results
-
Content ArticleThis download A4 Easy Read booklet from Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust uses simple language and pictures to talk about smear tests. It explains what a smear test is and has tips to make it better for you. It also has a list of words you might hear. Please note this edition of the Easy Read booklet has not been updated with HPV primary screening, but the information and tips about cervical screening are correct.
-
Content ArticleThe Health and Social Care Select Committee have published a new report reviewing the progress that the UK Government has made in implementing the recommendations of the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review, sometimes referred to as the Cumberlege Review. This blog sets out Patient Safety Learning’s reflections on this report.
-
Content ArticleThis Health and Social Care Select Committee report reviews the progress that the UK Government has made in implementing the recommendations of the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review, sometimes referred to as the Cumberlege Review. You can read Patient Safety Learning’s reflections on this report here.
-
Content ArticleIn this article for iNews, journalist Sarah Graham talks to Dee Montague-Coast, who has asthma and endometriosis, and who has had very different experiences of care between the two conditions. Dee describes how she has always received excellent care for her asthma, but how she has had to endure disbelief and many investigations, tests for sexually transmitted infections and even surgeries over twenty years, before finally being diagnosed with endometriosis by a private consultant. Sarah highlights the difficulties women face in receiving diagnosis and treatment for endometriosis, in spite of it being the second most common gynaecological condition. She also highlights geographical and race-based disparities in care and treatment and outlines how attitudes towards women's pain means their symptoms are not always listened to and taken seriously.
-
Content ArticleIn this interview with the publisher Bloomsbury, freelance health journalist and founder of the Hysterical Women blog Sarah Graham talks about her book, Rebel Bodies: A guide to the gender health gap revolution. She discusses the recurrent themes she came across in her work as a health journalist which inspired her to set up her blog: women's experiences of gaslighting, dismissal and disbelief by the medical system. Sarah talks about how her book aims to bring together all the stories and ideas she has worked on for the last five or so years and highlight how closely they’re linked. The book also celebrates the resilience, determination, sisterhood and solidarity Sarah has witnessed from patient advocates and campaigners across the sphere of women’s health and trans health. Read Sarah's 2020 blog, Gender bias: A threat to women’s health, on the hub.
-
Content Article
In this opinion piece, Kath Sansom, founder of campaign group Sling the Mesh, looks at flaws in the Government’s approach to women harmed by pelvic mesh surgery receiving financial redress. She highlights the unsuccessful case of Sarah*, who attempted to bring a clinical negligence case after suffering multiple complications as a result of pelvic mesh, to demonstrate that the national Redress Agency recommended by the Cumberlege Review is still very necessary. -
Content Article
CQC: Maternity survey 2022
Patient Safety Learning posted an article in Maternity
This survey from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) looked at the experiences of women and other pregnant people who had a live birth in early 2022. -
Content ArticleThis paper in the journal RSC Advances aimed to track changes in chemical bonding taking place in PP meshes on the nanoscale via mechano–chemical processes. The authors used the novel and advanced spectroscopic characterisation technique secondary electron hyperspectral imaging (SEHI) to build high resolution chemical maps. Polypropylene (PP) surgical mesh is associated with serious clinical complications when used in the pelvic floor for repair of stress urinary incontinence or support of pelvic organ prolapse. While manufacturers claim that the material is inert and non-degradable, there is a growing body of evidence that asserts PP fibres are subject to oxidative damage. Material surgically removed from patients suffering with clinical complications has shown some evidence of fibre cracking and oxidation. It has been proposed that a pathological cellular response to the surgical mesh contributes to medical complications, but the mechanisms that trigger the specific host response against the material are not well understood. The study presented key insights into the mechano–chemistry reaction of PP which can cause polymer oxidation, changes in molecular structure, crack/craze formation and the release of etched oxidised insoluble particles. SEHI, provided a new route to link the effect of localised stresses to reactions of mechano–chemistry within PP. The method of mechanical distension testing during hydrogen peroxide exposure followed SEHI image analysis could form the basis of an “early warning” system which has the ability to identify materials which are not appropriate for use as medical implants.
-
Content ArticleThis blog for Refinery 29 by journalist Sarah Graham examines the gender health gap, a term used to describe the inequalities in treatment and health outcomes that men and women experience. She talks about the stories relating to sexism and institutional bias she has come across during her time as a health journalist, that result in poor care experiences and outcomes for women. While acknowledging that women should not have to make extra effort to be heard by the health system, Sarah offers tips for women to help them voice their concerns and improve their chances of being listened to by medical professionals.
-
Content ArticleThis study, published in the International Urogynecology Journal, involved 18 interviews with women who had experienced vaginal mesh complications. Four themes were identified:perceived impact of mesh complicationsattitudes of medical professionalssocial support and positive growth. The impact of vaginal mesh complications were wide-reaching and varied, affecting many aspects of the participants lives including mental health, relationships and sexual intimacy. Authors conclude that a greater awareness would lead to better support for women experiencing mesh complications.
-
Content Article
Dr Freya Smith, a Specialty Trainee in General Practice, reflects on the sinister and toxic side of medicine, using the recent Paterson and vaginal mesh scandals to demonstrate how patients have been let down by the system. In an honest and personal account, she shares with us the horror and sadness she felt at learning of these scandals and how she aspires to keep her future patients safe. -
Content ArticleRecording of the Health and Social Care Committee meeting held on Tuesday 13 December 2022. Meeting started at 10.03am, ended 11.45am.
-
Content ArticleThe aim of this study was to investigate the potential role of transvaginal mesh bacterial colonisation in the development of mesh-related complication (MRCs). An observational and exploratory study from Diedrich et al. was performed including 49 patients indicated for mesh removal and 20 women of whom vaginal tissue was retrieved during prolapse surgery as a reference cohort. The authors observed distinct differences in bacterial numbers and species between patients suffering from MRCs compared to a reference cohort. Bacteria were observed at the mesh-tissue interface in a biofilm. These results strongly support the potential role of bacterial mesh colonization in the development of MRCs.
-
Content ArticleThis policy paper, published by the Department of Health and Social Care, provides an update on the UK Government’s progress in implementing the recommendations of the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety (IMMDS) Review, sometimes referred to as the Cumberlege Review.
- Posted
- 3 comments
-
- (and 6 more)
-
Content ArticleThis is an Adjournment Debate from the House of Commons on Wednesday 7 December 2022 on fatalities relating to foetal valproate spectrum disorder.
-
Content ArticleMaternal Mortality Review Committees (MMRCs) in the US are multidisciplinary committees that convene at the state or local level to comprehensively review deaths during or within a year of pregnancy. MMRCs have access to clinical and non-clinical information to more fully understand the circumstances surrounding each death, determine whether the death was pregnancy-related, and develop recommendations for action to prevent similar deaths in the future. This article summarises the data from MMRCs in 36 US states between 2017 and 2019, demonstrating variations in prevalence and cause of death according to race, ethnicity and geographical area. The data suggests that over 80% of pregnancy-related deaths examined were determined to be preventable.
-
News Article
Fertility treatment triggers suicidal thoughts in nearly half of patients
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
One in 10 patients undergoing fertility treatment experience suicidal thoughts “all the time”, a survey suggests. Fertility Network UK, which carried out the poll, said the findings reveal the “far-reaching trauma” of experiencing infertility and undergoing IVF in the UK. Four in 10 respondents - 98% of whom were women - said they had experienced suicidal feelings. Gwenda Burns, chief executive of Fertility Network UK, said: “Fertility patients encounter a perfect storm: not being able to have the child you long for is emotionally devastating. "But then many fertility patients face a series of other hurdles, including potentially paying financially crippling amounts of money for their necessary medical treatment, having their career damaged, not getting information from their GP, experiencing their relationships deteriorate, and being unable to access the mental support they need." “This is unacceptable. Infertility is a disease and is as deserving of medical help and support as any other clinical condition.” Three in four patients said their GP did not provide sufficient information about fertility problems and treatment. Read full story (paywalled) Source: The Telegraph, 31 October 2022 -
News Article
NHS staff struggling with menopause choosing to leave
Patient-Safety-Learning posted a news article in News
The NHS faces an “exodus” of female doctors who are struggling to work due to a lack of menopause support, a report has warned. The Medical Protection Society, which helps doctors in legal and ethical disputes, said that many quit or reduce their hours over fears that their menopause symptoms, such as brain fog, insomnia and hot flushes, will cause them to accidentally harm patients. A survey found that 36 per cent of female doctors have considered reducing their hours because of menopause symptoms, while one in five have considered early retirement. “With females making up most of the healthcare workforce, it is crucial that they can access the support they need to avoid an exodus from the profession,” the report said. Read full story (paywalled) Source: The Times, 26 October 2022 -
News ArticleResearchers in the US have found a genetic link between people with African ancestry and the aggressive type of breast cancer. They hope their findings will encourage more black people to get involved in clinical trials in a bid to improve survival rates for people with the disease. Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is more common in women under 40 and disproportionately affects black women. A study published in the journal JAMA Oncology found that black women diagnosed with TNBC are 28% more likely to die from it than white women with the same diagnosis. Now a new study has confirmed a definitive genetic link between African ancestry and TNBC. Lisa Newman, of Weill Cornell Medicine, has been part of an international project studying breast cancer in women in different regions of Africa for 20 years. She says representation of women with diverse backgrounds on clinical trials is absolutely critical. "Unfortunately, African-American women are disproportionately under-represented in cancer clinical trials and we see this in the breast cancer clinical trials as well," says Dr Newman. "If you don't have diverse representation, you don't understand how to apply these advances in treatment. "Part of it is because there is some historic mistrust of the healthcare system. "We do continue to see systemic racism in the healthcare delivery system where it has been documented, tragically, that many cancer care providers are less likely to offer clinical trials to their black patients compared with their white patients."
-
News ArticleAn endometriosis sufferer has said her reproductive organs are so damaged by a three-year delay for surgery, it has affected her ability to have children. Claire Nicholls, 29, has been in pain for years with the condition - which involves tissue similar to the lining of the womb growing elsewhere. Ms Nicholls said she was passed from "pillar to post" and for 10 years, medical professionals did not seem to believe how much pain she was actually in. She has stage four endometriosis, which is the most severe and widespread. "The pain can be excruciating, at times I can't get out of bed and I have also had to attend the emergency department," she said. After opting to go private, her surgeon said he was unable to see many of her organs due to the amount of scarred tissue caused by the delay in surgery. "He told me the scarred tissue and adhesions were all around my organs... they couldn't remove it all as it could have damaged other organs including my bladder - it was just too severe," she said. Northern Ireland has the longest gynaecological waiting lists in the UK, according to a professional body. It is calling for two regional endometriosis centres. The report from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists found 36,900 women in Northern Ireland are on a gynaecology waiting list - a 42% increase since the start of the pandemic. Read full story Source: BBC News, 25 October 2022
-
News Article
Breast cancer patients in England face delays to reconstruction surgery
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Women waiting for breast reconstruction surgery on the NHS in England face a “postcode lottery” of care, with some forced to wait more than three years, a damning report warns. Two in five women (40%) waiting for breast reconstruction during the pandemic after having their breasts removed due to cancer faced a delay of 24 months or longer, according to research involving 1,246 women who either underwent reconstruction surgery or were waiting for it. The report by charity Breast Cancer Now also warned that some breast reconstruction services are still not operating at full capacity after temporarily pausing at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. It says there was a 34% drop in breast reconstruction activity in England in 2021-22 compared with 2018-19. The charity added that on top of the delays, women face a “postcode lottery” of care, with some women offered certain types of reconstruction while others are denied the same operation. Breast Cancer Now called on NHS England to develop a plan to address the backlog of breast reconstruction services. One woman told the authors of the report she waited for three and a half years for breast reconstruction surgery, while another said she “wants to move on with my life” but has no idea when her surgery will go ahead. Baroness Delyth Morgan, the chief executive of Breast Cancer Now, said: “For women who choose breast reconstruction, it is a core component of their recovery – far from a solely aesthetic choice, this is the reconstruction of their body and indeed their identity after they have been unravelled by breast cancer treatment and surgery. “We hear of patients affected by delays to reconstruction surgery and the significant emotional impact this has on them, including altered body confidence, loss of self-esteem and identity, anxiety and depression, and hindering their ability to move forward with their lives, knowing their treatment is incomplete." Read full story Source: The Guardian, 19 October 2022 -
News Article
Ovarian cancer: 1 in 4 patients ‘see GP three times before referral for tests’
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
More than a quarter of women with ovarian cancer saw their GP three or more times before getting a referral for tests, according to a new study. Researchers also found that almost a third had waited for longer than three months after first going to see their GP before being given the right diagnosis. If doctors are able to diagnose ovarian cancer at the earliest stage, nine out of 10 women will go on to live for five years or longer, but only around one in 10 survive if it is not caught until it has progressed to stage 4, the most advanced stage. The report, by Target Ovarian Cancer, also revealed that 14 per cent of women polled said they were not given their diagnosis in private, meaning others could listen in on the exchange. “I was told of my stage 4 diagnosis behind the curtain on a busy respiratory ward. The rest of the ward heard the conversation,” one woman said. Meanwhile, GPs and ovarian cancer patients told researchers that the support available for the disease is insufficient – with almost half of the women polled not having been asked by a doctor, nurse or other individual providing treatment about how the cancer diagnosis was affecting their mental health. This is despite the fact that 60% of the women diagnosed with ovarian cancer said their mental health had been harmed by the disease. Read full story Source: The Independent. 18 October 2022 -
News ArticleA woman says she was forced to pay around £25,000 for private healthcare to treat endometriosis after her symptoms were “overlooked” for eight years. Aneka Hindocha, 34, started voicing her concerns about painful periods when she was aged 25 but says she was initially told by doctors this was normal. Ms Hindocha, who described the pain of endometriosis as “someone ripping your insides out”, says the condition should have been diagnosed sooner but argued women’s pain often gets overlooked and ignored. Endometriosis is a very common chronic inflammatory condition, impacting an estimated 1.5 million women in the UK. An inquiry by the All-Party Political Group found that like Ms Hindocha, it takes an average of eight years to get a diagnosis. The condition sees tissue comparable to womb-lining grow in other places in the body - with symptoms often debilitating and spanning from infertility to painful periods, tiredness, pain while having sex, as well as depression and anxiety. “I was told painful periods were normal, which they are not, but I believed that at the time,” Ms Hindocha told The Independent. “I thought the issue was me. I thought I was being a hypochondriac.” Her health massively deteriorated in the summer of 2020 and she became bedbound for three days. “I needed someone to find out what was wrong with me,“ Ms Hindocha added. “I was crying I was in so much pain.” She says that two years later she still had not received her laparoscopy despite the fact her pain was getting more severe and so she ended up paying for a private scan. She finally got diagnosed with stage 4 endometriosis a week later. “By the time of having my surgery at the end of February 2022, it had been nearly two years on the NHS waiting list and I was still being told to wait.” Read full story Source: The Independent, 18 October 2022
-
News Article
Buffer zone to be set up outside Bournemouth abortion clinic
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
An extensive buffer zone is being put in place around a clinic in Dorset in order to prevent anti-abortion campaigners harassing service users and staff. The zone will cover six streets around the British Pregnancy Advice Service clinic in Bournemouth and will be in force for 12 hours a day, five days a week for the next three years. Anyone caught protesting, harassing, intimidating or photographing visitors or staff could incur a fixed penalty notice of £100 or be liable for conviction at a magistrates court. Women have complained of being followed into the clinic or accosted when they leave. They have reported being told “the baby loves them” or asked whether they know they “murder babies” inside the building. One worker told the Guardian she has witnessed “many distressed clients”, including one who injured herself trying to climb a wall to avoid walking past the protesters. In another serious incident, an individual dressed in a monk’s cassock followed a staff member along the street in the dark while recording her. One service user said: “It was really intimidating. You’re in a really vulnerable situation and you have all these people shouting at you and saying you’re going to hell.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 11 October 2022 -
News Article
Give all women a menopause check at 45, MPs told
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Women should be invited for a menopause check-up when they turn 45, a report for MPs says, criticising the current support as completely inadequate. The Menopause All-Party Parliamentary Group says it has listened carefully to women's experiences, including difficulties getting a diagnosis and accessing hormone-replacement therapy (HRT). Many had long waits or were offered antidepressants, against guidelines. The report covers a year-long inquiry. It says action is needed to improve the situation for those going through the menopause, and the families, friends and colleagues affected by it. And a health check offered to all women in their mid-40s, as they approach the perimenopause - when hormones decline and menopausal symptoms, such as hot flushes and night sweats, can begin - should help ensure the necessary support and care as early as possible. The inquiry heard a 39-year-old who suspected she was perimenopausal was turned away by her GP and told to "wait and see". Some 18 months later, she was "almost at the verge of collapsing, struggling to keep my usually happy marriage on track and not functioning well physically or mentally". The report also warns a socio-economic divide is emerging between women able to access the right treatment and those who lose out in the postcode lottery and do not have the financial means to seek treatment elsewhere. Read full story Source: BBC News, 12 October 2022
