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Found 500 results
  1. News Article
    A five-year-old was left traumatised, bleeding and in severe pain after a physician associate wrongly prescribed her a vaginal pessary, according to a damning report by the health ombudsman. The parliamentary and health service ombudsman (PHSO) said there were “multiple failures” in the care of the girl, who saw a physician associate (PA) at a GP practice in the East Midlands after complaining of itching and vaginal discharge. The PA suspected thrush and recommended a vaginal pessary and cream. The five-year-old’s mother, who believed her daughter was being seen by a GP, questioned the treatment and the size of the pessary, but was reassured that it was appropriate. PAs do not have prescribing rights and their work must be supervised by a doctor who approves the prescription. But the ombudsman found there was no discussion between the PA and GP before the GP authorised the prescription, even though vaginal pessaries are not suitable for prepubescent children and the girl’s symptoms were consistent with vulvovaginitis, not thrush. There was also no questioning of the prescription by the pharmacy that dispensed it. The mother said that after inserting the pessary, her daughter began to bleed and scream in pain, while the cream burned the girl’s skin. She took her to see an out-of-hours doctor. However, the girl was so distressed and in pain that she asked the doctor not to examine her internally, causing the GP to raise concerns about possible sexual abuse and to contact safeguarding services. Although it was established the girl’s symptoms were caused by the pessary and cream, not sexual abuse, the mother said the experience was distressing, embarrassing and further added to her trauma. She said: “I had huge guilt for doing what the PA, who I thought was a GP, told me and feeling as if I had inflicted this trauma on my daughter. “But I trusted what [they] told me. How are we meant to trust healthcare professionals now?” Rebecca Hilsenrath, the chief executive of the parliamentary and health service ombudsman, said the “deeply troubling case” was all the more concerning because it could easily have been avoided. “The breakdown in communication meant the checks and balances designed to make sure patients are treated appropriately and kept safe were not followed.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 5 June 2026
  2. Content Article
    More information about "Core Needs project (neurodivergence)"
    Craig Russo outlines the Core Needs School Pilot, a needs-led, school-based early intervention model for young people with neurodevelopmental needs. He describes how embedding clinicians in schools enables rapid, functional assessment and support without waiting for diagnosis, improving outcomes while significantly reducing costs and demand on specialist services. It demonstrates impact and support expansion, highlighting strong value for money, improved access and alignment with national SEND reform principles. The Core Needs provides a clear, practical example of how a needs‑led model can be operationalised at scale within mainstream education, moving beyond theory into delivery. It demonstrates how embedding clinical expertise directly into schools transforms access, shifting support closer to children and young people and enabling real-time assessment, observation and intervention in their everyday environment. This approach not only improves timeliness but strengthens relationships between health, education and families, creating a more joined-up system that is easier to navigate. A key learning point is the power of intervening early with functional, strengths-based support rather than relying on diagnostic thresholds. The model shows that many young people can be effectively supported through a single, well-structured intervention, supported by a period of watchful waiting and clear step-up pathways when required. This has important implications for demand management, demonstrating a credible route to reducing pressure on specialist services while maintaining safe and appropriate escalation. The pilot also highlights the importance of building capability within schools. By working alongside SENCOs and staff, clinicians are not only supporting individual children but leaving a lasting legacy of increased confidence, skills and consistency within the wider workforce. This creates a multiplier effect, where impact extends beyond the initial intervention and contributes to longer-term system resilience. From an operational perspective, the pilot identifies critical enablers of success, including strong multi-agency partnership working, clear referral processes, dedicated workforce capacity and a structured delivery model. It also makes clear the risks of not investing, particularly around increasing demand, widening inequity of access and continued reliance on costly statutory pathways. For decision-makers, the key action is to consider how this model can be embedded as part of the core local offer, rather than as a time-limited pilot. The evidence presented supports scaling through a phased approach, ensuring quality and consistency are maintained while expanding reach. It also prompts a wider reflection on how services can redesign pathways to prioritise early intervention, improve flow and ensure that resources are directed where they have the greatest impact. Overall, this pilot offers a compelling, evidence-informed case for system change, showing not just what should be done differently, but how it can be delivered in practice in a way that is sustainable, equitable and centred on the needs of children and young people. More blogs on the hub from Craig Russo: Partnership working between A&E, the police and custody healthcare
  3. News Article
    New figures have revealed a record surge in referrals to children and young people’s mental health services in March, alongside unprecedented waiting times. The charity YoungMinds, analysing NHS England data, reported 932,822 under-18s had an active mental health referral during the month. YoungMinds warned the data highlights the "sheer scale of the mental health emergency" facing youngsters. New referrals climbed 11% from February and were up 2% compared to the same time last year. The analysis also found that the average waiting time topped 300 days for the eighth consecutive month. Abigail Ampofo, interim chief executive at YoungMinds, said: “These alarming figures highlight the sheer scale of the mental health emergency. “While waiting lists for the treatment of physical health problems are going down, the time young people are spending trying to access specialist support for their mental health continues to rise. “So many pressures are harming young people’s mental health, including academic demands, rising living costs and inequality. “We need more investment in mental health services, but we also need to tackle these root causes of poor mental health. Read full story Source: The Independent, 28 May 2026
  4. News Article
    Children and young people in England having a mental health crisis are spending up to three days in an A&E unit before they get a bed in a specialist unit, NHS figures reveal. One children’s nurse who works in an emergency department said such long waits for under-18s who were in acute distress were “frankly barbaric” but “becoming far more normal”. Some of those who end up stuck in A&E become so troubled and disruptive that staff are increasingly using medication to sedate them to manage their behaviour. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said the delays highlighted a “catastrophic system-wide failure” by NHS mental health services to intervene to stop school-age children ending up in crisis. Seeking help at A&E was often “damaging and potentially traumatising” for them, it said. One A&E nurse said such long waits were “extremely distressing” for the patients involved and for the staff looking after them. Another said: “A&E is just seen as this big receptacle for all children who are dysregulated or in crisis. But A&E is not respite for children with mental health concerns. It can often exacerbate their trauma.” Dr Sam Jones, the research officer for mental health at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), said children in mental health crisis were now often more unwell than in the past. “Alongside rising levels of poor mental health, the nature of need is changing fast. Problems are more complex and severe, more younger children are affected and rates of self-harm and eating disorders continue to rise,” Jones said. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 20 May 2026
  5. News Article
    Hundreds of children with a rare muscle-wasting disease will be able to receive two drugs that can improve their survival in a move parents hailed as a “lifeline”. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) has published final draft guidance recommending that any patient who would benefit can have either drug. The move means that anyone in England, Wales or Northern Ireland with spinal muscular atrophy will from Thursday be able to get either nusinersen, also known as Spinraza, or risdiplam, also known as Evrysdi, from the NHS. SMA is a progressive genetic disorder that causes severe muscle weakness and can affect the ability to move, breathe and swallow. Without treatment, patients face devastating consequences including profound disability and reduced life expectancy. Children with the most severe form of SMA – type 1 – usually die before they reach two. Prof James Palmer, NHS England’s national medical director for specialised services, said: “These lifeline treatments have offered a phenomenal step forward in care for children and families affected by such a debilitating condition and it is fantastic that they will now be available on the NHS in the long term. “For parents who faced the unimaginable pain of thinking their child would not reach their second birthday, they now have hope of seeing them walk to school and play with their friends, thanks to these lifechanging new therapies.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 14 May 2026
  6. News Article
    At least 40 children suffered harm – with over 20 cases classed as “moderate or severe” – due to delays while receiving care from a hospital’s audiology department, HSJ can reveal. Bedfordshire Hospitals Foundation Trust has identified 109 children who may be at risk of harm due to problems with their hearing aid management, and harm has been identified in at least 40 of them, including developmental delay. The findings were included in an interim “patient safety incident review” being carried out by the trust and supported by NHS England. The preliminary findings were published in papers for Luton’s health overview and scrutiny committee last month. The review follows a major national investigation into harm caused by audiology failings, culminating in the Kingdon review, published in November 2025, which found the NHS ignored warnings on testing failures for a decade. Bedford’s review is understood to form part of the national improvement programme for paediatric audiology services. It comes as the sector awaits the Department of Health and Social Care’s response to the Kingdon review, which British Association of Audiology President Claire Benton said she hoped would bring “additional support desperately needed for the system”. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 12 May 2026
  7. News Article
    More than 6,000 children living with obesity, including hundreds as young as four, have required treatment at specialist NHS weight-loss clinics, new figures reveal. NHS England data, published for the first time, underlines the scale of the growing childhood obesity crisis. Since the first Complications from Excess Weight clinic (CEW) opened in 2021, the NHS has treated 6,497 children and teenagers. Of these, 423 were four years old, 1,088 were aged between five and eight, 1,791 were aged nine to 12 and 3,137 were aged between 13 and 17. The age of a further 58 is unknown. All were “extremely” overweight for their age, with the four-year-olds weighing an average of 33kg (5st 3lbs), the same weight as a typical 10-year-old. About 400 of the children treated by CEWs have had weight loss jabs as part of their treatment plans. In order to be treated at a CEW, children must be referred by a community or hospital paediatrician, a GP or childhood mental health services and have a BMI above the 99.6th percentile as well as an illness linked to their excess weight. The research, by Sheffield Hallam University, Leeds Beckett University, the University of Leeds, the University of Bristol and the University of Sheffield, found that just under 30% had metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease and 17% had obstructive sleep apnoea. About 9% had deliberately self-harmed, and the same proportion had anxiety. A significant number were neurodivergent. Just under 30% had autism and about 12% had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. A further 24% had a learning disability. Katharine Jenner, executive director at the Obesity Health Alliance, said: “These figures should be a wake-up call. All parents want their children to grow up healthy, yet seeing children as young as four needing specialist NHS treatment for their weight highlights just how early the drivers of poor health are taking hold. “Children today are growing up surrounded by unhealthy food at almost every turn, leaving families struggling against a system that stacks the odds against healthier options. “The fact that some children are already developing high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and early signs of heart disease at such a young age underlines why prevention has to begin in the earliest years of life." Read full story Source: The Guardian, 12 May 2026
  8. News Article
    The boss of a trust where a child recently spent over two months in A&E has urged other local system leaders to take “urgent action” to help resolve the “shameful situation” concerning vulnerable children. Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals Trust CEO Matthew Trainer said “the scale of these challenges” concerning children experiencing long waits in A&E “probably need[ed] a regional solution across London”. He has announced he will write to North East London Integrated Care Board’s CEO, Nnenna Osuji, to call for urgent action. A&Es were “increasingly becoming the default place of safety” for children either suffering mental health crises or experiencing a breakdown in their care placements, he said. He added: “This is a shameful situation, and it is getting worse every year. These children do not need hospital care. They need a place to live, but no other part of the health and care system can provide them with a roof over their heads.” Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 11 May 2026
  9. Content Article
    This study, published in JAMA Network Open, considered how often and what types of patient safety events are reported by paediatric home health care staff. Researchers undertook a multistate cohort study of paediatric home health care data of 2,901 children, more than 1 in 10 children had an incident reported by agency staff. In this cohort it found that more than 1 in 10 had a reported incident, of which approximately half were patient safety related. This work provides new data about paediatric home health safety, with the authors suggesting that further work should explore factors contributing to and preventing health care related harms to children at home and include parent perspectives.
  10. News Article
    Findings of a rigorous evaluation of the public health use of the RTS,S malaria vaccine, published in The Lancet, confirm significant reduction in child deaths in the first African countries to offer the vaccine. Over a period of four years, an estimated 1 in 8 child deaths were averted among those eligible to receive the malaria vaccine in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi. According to the authors, positive impact is likely to be as high or higher in other African countries now offering malaria vaccines to young children in areas of high malaria burden. The evaluation assessed data generated through the Malaria Vaccine Implementation Programme (MVIP), which examined the outcomes of malaria vaccine introduction in the first three countries from 2019 to 2023. Despite global progress, malaria continues to take a devastating toll on children in Africa. In 2024, an estimated 438,000 African children died from the disease. Tens of thousands of lives could be saved every year through the wide implementation of World Health Organization (WHO) recommended malaria vaccines, RTS,S or R21. WHO recommends an integrated approach because the highest impact on malaria is achieved when countries apply a combination of preventive, diagnostic and treatment strategies. Read full article. Source: WHO, 8 May 2026
  11. Content Article
    More information about "Investigating harm with humanity - practical guidance for NHS investigators, clinical teams and legal representatives (by Corinne Cope)"
    In December 2022 Dylan Cope, a 9 year old boy, died of sepsis after being discharged from hospital. A coroner found the boy's death “would have been avoided if he had not been erroneously discharged”, and said what happened "amounts to a gross failure of basic care”. This guidance has been developed by Dylan's mum Corinne Cope, following her lived experience as a bereaved mother. Corinne says: "Multiple investigations failed to provide clear answers or accountability, causing significant secondary harm; an issue increasingly recognised among harmed patients, bereaved families, and healthcare staff." Corinne's guidance aims to support NHS investigators and system leaders to strengthen the quality and humanity of investigations, ensuring ownership, reflection, and sustained learning.
  12. Content Article
    More information about "Top picks: Mental health resources for patients and staff"
    Mental Health Awareness Week is an annual event which aims to raise awareness and promote open conversations about mental health.  In this Top picks, we’ve pulled together resources, blogs and reports from the hub that focus on improving patient safety across different aspects of mental health services and also supporting staff with their own mental health and wellbeing. 1 World mental health today: latest data (WHO, 2025) This World Health Organization (WHO) document draws on the latest information available to outline the state of mental health and mental health systems in the world. It shows that mental health conditions remain highly prevalent, with more than a billion people worldwide living with a mental disorder. This report provides essential data to guide national and global dialogue. It highlights where progress is being made – and where critical gaps persist. This report should serve as a vital tool for policy-makers, implementers and advocates alike. 2 Jay’s Personalised Safety Planning Toolkit: A guide to support meaningful safety planning for self-harm and suicide This toolkit is a co‑designed set of materials created with researchers, people with personal experience of suicide and self-harm, and healthcare professionals. Inspired by the family of Jaymie Mart, known as Jay, who died by suicide in 2012 at the age of 32, the toolkit—which was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)—offers clear, practical guidance to help adults create and review personalised safety plans. 3 Harry’s story: Acute Behavioural Disturbance In December 2022, Harry Vass died after experiencing Acute Behavioural Disturbance (ABD) and a complex disturbance in normal physiology. Harry’s death was found to be avoidable as carers were not fully aware of this condition associated with acute psychosis. In this blog, Harry’s mother Julie describes the barriers they faced in getting the right support and care for Harry before he died and highlights the need for healthcare staff to have a greater awareness of ABD and the associated risks of a medical emergency. You can also read a second blog by Julie, where she explains more about Acute Behavioural Disturbance and the changes she believes are needed to make sure patients like Harry are cared for appropriately. 4 Life Beyond the Cubicle: eLearning to support working well with families during mental health crises A set of eLearning modules designed to educate and update clinicians on the importance of involving families wherever possible during mental health crises to improve patient care, avoid harm and reduce deaths. They were developed as a partnership between Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust and Making Families Count, with funding from NHS England South East Region (HEE legacy funds). The resources have been co-produced by people with lived experience as patients, family carers and clinicians, supported by an Advisory Group drawn from a wide range of expertise, tested in eleven NHS Trusts and independently evaluated. 5 Mental health crises: how to improve care In May 2024, National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Evidence held a webinar on care for adults in mental health crisis. The webinar shared research findings on what works in community crisis care, how acute day units compare to crisis resolution teams and whether peer-supported self-management can reduce acute readmissions. This Collection summarises the 3 research projects presented at the webinar. It includes video clips from the speakers and incorporates quotes from the day. The information will be useful for anyone involved in commissioning or delivering mental health crisis services. 6 Self-harm: assessment, management and preventing recurrence This new guideline from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) covers assessment, management and preventing recurrence for children, young people and adults who have self-harmed. It includes those with a mental health problem, neurodevelopmental disorder or learning disability and applies to all sectors that work with people who have self-harmed. The guideline sets out some important principles for care and treatment. For example, it states that self-harming patients treated in primary care must receive regular follow-up appointments, regular reviews of self-harm behaviour and a regular medicines review. 7 Hope Virgo: What needs to happen to stop people with eating disorders being failed by the healthcare system? In this blog, Hope Virgo, author and Secretariat for the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Eating Disorders, examines the crisis that continues in eating disorder services in the UK and the devastating impact this is having on patients and their families. She highlights how failures in services lead to avoidable deaths. Hope shares the key recommendations from a new report by the APPG and calls for adequate funding and attention to ensure people with eating disorders receive the help they need to recover. 8 Designing paediatric wards to support mental health Blog from the Health Services Safety Investigations Board (HSSIB) authored by Saskia Fursland, Senior Safety Investigator. She talks about her visit to a newly opened paediatric ward where its design has carefully considered children and young people with mental health needs. Saskia reflects on the learning which could support other paediatric wards to improve their environments. 9 Zero Suicide Alliance training The Zero Suicide Alliance is a collaboration of NHS trusts, charities, businesses and individuals who are committed to suicide prevention in the UK and beyond. Their website offers free online training courses to teach people the skills and confidence to have potentially life-saving conversations with someone they’re worried about. They offer short online modules covering general suicide awareness, social isolation and suicide in veterans and university students. 10 How can our team move past a traumatic event? After an extreme traumatic event there are things that you can do to help yourself, and your colleagues, to move on. Fiona Day, medical and public health leadership coach and chartered coaching psychologist, Stacey Killick, consultant paediatrician at Glan Clwyd Hospital, and Lucy Easthope, professor in practice at Durham University’s Institute of Hazard, Risk, and Resilience and adviser on disaster recovery give their tips in this BMJ article. 11 Trusted information collection: severe mental illness (Patient Information Forum) The Patient Information Forum (PIF) have launched a series of new collections to help people find trusted resources. Each collection only features resources that have the PIF TICK. That means they are easy-to-read, evidence-based and easy to understand. Topics include: schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and psychosis. 12 Vicarious trauma: The invisible epidemic In healthcare, an insidious epidemic lurks beneath the surface, affecting the very individuals tasked with providing care: vicarious trauma by empathy. Despite its profound impact, this phenomenon remains largely unrecognised and under-discussed within the sector. As leaders, it is imperative that we shed light on this invisible trauma and acknowledge it as one of the greatest challenges facing our industry, as Margarida Pacheco explains in this blog. 13 Beyond stereotypes: A lived experience guide to navigating support for disordered eating Disordered eating can affect anyone, but it can be confusing to understand and recognise it in our own personal experiences. This guide, published by East London NHS Foundation Trust, is a snapshot of how adults in East London have navigated those experiences of uncertainty while seeking support for disordered eating. For many of the contributors, preconceptions about what an eating disorder is (or isn’t) have previously acted as a barrier to seeking or receiving support. It also contains advice on how to seek support for disordered eating. 14 “The alarming rate of suicide among healthcare workers should be a wake-up call in the urgent need to support them” Frontline19 was established at the start of the Covid pandemic as an urgent response to support frontline workers who were under extreme pressure and experiencing significant mental health challenges. Psychotherapist Claire Goodwin-Fee is the founder and CEO of Frontline19. In this blog, Claire explains how systemic pressures and stigma around mental health are continuing to leave healthcare staff extremely vulnerable. 15 Blog: Why harmful gender stereotypes surrounding men’s approaches towards their feelings need challenging This blog explores why men are reluctant to seek support when they are struggling with their mental health and why the suicide rate is so high. It looks at initiatives that exist to encourage men to seek help and highlights what more could be done to support mens’ mental health. 16 Time for a rebalance: psychological and emotional well-being in the healthcare workforce as the foundation for patient safety In this editorial for BMJ Quality and Safety, Kate Kirk explains why staff well-being is the foundation to improving patient safety. 17 Top tips and key actions for successful collaborative partnership working across mental health services These top tips and key actions have been co-developed to support effective collaborative partnership working in the planning and delivery of community mental health services. They recognise that every heath and care system will experience challenges in relation to partnership working given the statutory and cultural differences of organisations working across the mental health pathways and that there will be different arrangements to frame local partnership working, including for example a Section 75 agreement. 18 Balancing care: The psychological impact of ensuring patient safety In this blog, Leah Bowden, a patient safety specialist, reflects on the impact her job has on her mental health and family life. She discusses why there needs to be specialised clinical supervision for staff involved in reviewing patient safety incidents and how organisations need to come together to identify ways we can support our patient safety teams. 19 NHS England: Staying safe from suicide: Best practice guidance for safety assessment, formulation and management This guidance supports the government’s work to reduce suicide and improve mental health services. It promotes a shift towards a more holistic, person-centred approach rather than relying on risk prediction, which is unreliable because suicidal thoughts can change quickly. Instead, it recommends using a method based on understanding each person’s situation and managing their safety. 20 The Motherhood Group: Black maternal mental health report UK The Motherhood Group has launched a landmark report on Black maternal mental health in the United Kingdom, shining a light on the urgent need for safe spaces, culturally competent peer support, digital access, and community-driven, anti-racist solutions. This report centres the lived experiences of Black mothers and highlights systemic barriers to quality, affordable mental healthcare. By leading this research, The Motherhood Group places Black mothers’ voices at the forefront of national conversations, providing policy-makers, health services, and communities with the insights needed to drive meaningful change. 21 Mental Maintenance at NEAS: a proactive approach to staff mental health The North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (NEAS) provides emergency medical and patient transport services to a population of 2.7 million people in the North East region, employing over 3,400 staff members. Exposure to traumatic events, the demands of shift working and an uncertainty of what’s in store each day, can impact ambulance staff mental health. Read how North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust created a campaign to provide proactive staff mental health support. 22 Mind: The big mental health report 2025 Mind’s 2025 Big Mental Health Report explores the state of mental health, and mental health services and support across England and Wales. It builds on the insights from their 2024 report and gives a comprehensive picture of mental health to date, serving as a crucial guide that anyone can use. It explores the latest evidence on the nation’s mental health including how well services are supporting mental health in England and Wales. 23 Making sense after a suicide: living with blame, uncertainty, and the need for answers. You are not alone Each year, more than 700,000 people die by suicide worldwide. In the UK, it is around 7,000 – making it the biggest cause of death for people aged 20–34 and for men under 50. Making Families Count have created this resource to offer some comfort, recognition, and companionship in the aftermath of bereavement by suicide, whether it seems the person intended to take their own life, or their intention was unclear. The resource consists of a booklet and three short films of people’s stories of their bereavement by suicide. Written by Dr Rachel Gibbons, with contributions from a group of bereaved families, Dr Karen Lascelles, and comments and suggestions from other affected people and those who work with them. 24 National Audit of Eating Disorders Service Mapping Report 2025 The National Audit of Eating Disorders (NAED) is commissioned by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) and funded by NHS England as part of the National Clinical Audit and Patient Outcomes Programme. In 2025 the NAED team conducted a comprehensive mapping of eating disorder service provision across England. This report provides an in-depth overview of NHS-funded and independent sector services for children, young people, and adults. 25 Mental health crisis care: legislative challenges in emergency departments (HSSIB) The Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) published two reports intended for healthcare organisations, policymakers and the public to help improve patient safety in relation to safety issues identified for people experiencing a mental health crisis who come into contact with urgent and emergency care services. This first report focuses on the significant legal, policy and safety gap in the care of people in emergency departments (EDs) in mental health crisis. During consultation on this report, concerns were shared with HSSIB about the current challenges in relation to the resourcing and configuration of mental health services that exacerbate challenges faced in the ED. 26 Mental health: attempted suicide while under the care of community services (HSSIB) The second HSSIB investigation used the patient safety incident investigation (PSII) report template and Patient Safety Incident Review Framework (PSIRF) tools to investigate an attempted suicide in the community mental health setting. Findings and areas for improvement are listed for the organisations that were involved in this incident. However, the learning may be relevant to other organisations. Have your say Do you have any stories, insights or resources related to mental health? We would love to hear from you! Comment below (register for free here first) Get in touch with us directly to share your insights.
  13. News Article
    NHS England guidance suggesting adult services are the priority for bringing down long waits risks “failing” children, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has said. A senior paediatrician criticised advice issued by the health service on how to approach 18-week community targets introduced this month. Ronny Cheung, officer for health services at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, told HSJ that proposing to “just focus on this group [adult musculoskeletal services] and ignore children – for all of the burden [that is on them] – is a bit of an admission of defeat and failing these children”. The NHS England guidance, which was published late last month, said: “Early progress in reducing 18-week waits is likely to be achieved through a focus on adult service lines, particularly the high-volume community musculoskeletal service line”. Meanwhile, it said the longest waits were “largely concentrated” in children and young people’s services, and “addressing these will require sustained, long-term effort”. But Dr Cheung said NHSE’s suggested approach rested on two misperceptions. “There’s a perception that children’s community waits are relatively speaking still quite small in comparison to the adult ones, and that’s not true,” he told HSJ. “The second slight misperception is that it is such an intractable problem that actually there’s no point in [services] focusing on that.” Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 23 April 2026
  14. Content Article
    More information about "Top picks: 14 key resources about immunisation"
    At Patient Safety Learning we believe that sharing insights and learning is vital to improving outcomes and reducing harm. That's why we created the hub; providing a space for people to come together and share their experiences, resources and good practice examples.  To support. WHO's World Immunisation Week, we have picked 14 resources full of practical advice about vaccination in a range of settings. 1 WHO: Vaccines explained "Vaccines Explained" is a series of illustrated articles from the World Health Organization that describe how vaccines work, how they’re developed and distributed and how their safety is carefully monitored. 2 EDUCATE KS3 lesson pack: HPV vaccination Co-produced by young people and researchers from the University of Bristol and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, ‘EDUCATE’ helps teach students about the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine and provide reassurance about receiving the vaccine, which is usually offered to teenagers at school as part of the national vaccination programme. 3 The Green Book: Immunisation against infectious diseases The Green Book is published by the UK Health Security Agency and contains the latest information on vaccination procedures for vaccine-preventable infectious diseases in the UK. It offers guidance on general safety considerations and clinical procedures relating to immunisation, as well as specific information on a wide range of diseases and vaccinations. 4 Vaccination awareness toolkit for children and young people The School And Public Health Nurses Association (SAPHNA) has coproduced this vaccination toolkit with children and young people. It aims to increase young people's awareness of what vaccines are, why they are important and what to expect from different types of vaccines. 5 Improving communication about the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme among families In England, young people aged 12 to 13 years are offered immunisation against HPV as part of the NHS vaccination programme. However, research by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Protection Research Unit in Behavioural Science and Evaluation at the University of Bristol has identified sustained inequalities in uptake by area and minority ethnic groups. They have produced a number of information videos to address information needs about HPV among young people. They were coproduced with young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and diverse ethnic groups. 6 A visual guide to vaccines for the UK routine vaccination programme This guide by the UK Health Security Agency is designed to help ensure healthcare workers administer the right vaccines at the right time. It provides photos of all vaccines used in the UK routine immunisation programme, as well as information on when each vaccine should be given and its different trade names and abbreviations. 7 Pain management in infant immunisation: A cross-sectional survey of UK primary care nurses Childhood immunisation is a critically important public health initiative. However, since most vaccines are administered by injection, it is associated with considerable pain and distress. Despite evidence demonstrating the efficacy of various pain management strategies, the frequency with which these are used during routine infant vaccinations in UK practice is unknown. This study aimed to explore primary care practice nurses’ use of evidence-based pain management strategies during infant immunisation, as well as barriers to evidence-based practice. 8 Shingles Vaccination Programme: GP toolkit for improving uptake About 1 in 5 people who have had chickenpox develop shingles, predominantly those who are over 70. However, uptake rates of the shingles vaccine are falling in London and across England. The purpose of this toolkit is to help GPs better protect their patients by suggesting ways to improve uptake of the shingles vaccine. These suggestions are based on best practice and evidence and have been shown to work with little or no cost to practices. 9 Interview with Charlet Crichton, founder of UKCVFamily UKCVFamily was set up in November 2021 to support patients in the UK who have had an adverse reaction to a Covid-19 vaccination. The group provides help and advocacy as well as raising awareness amongst healthcare professionals, the media and the Government. In this video for the hub, founder of UKCVFamily Charlet Crichton talks about why she established the group and describes the support it offers to patients. 10 Measles and rubella vaccine microneedle patch: new hope to reach the unreached children This Lancet article looks at how microneedle patches (MNPs) could potentially improve coverage of childhood vaccinations by providing a more thermostable, individual-dose, injection-free vaccine delivery device suitable for administration by local, non-medical personnel. MNPs could also reduce wasted vaccine doses, needle-stick injuries and breaks in the cold chain, as well as making waste management easier. 11 Whooping cough resurgence as vaccination rates slump Official data on whooping cough show that reports of suspected cases are at a 15-year high in the first three months of 2024. This article in the Pharmaceutical Journal looks at why cases are increasing, including falling rates of children receiving the childhood 6-in-1 vaccine and maternal vaccination. It outlines the symptoms of whooping cough, describes how it can be treated and includes a map identifying infection 'hot spots' in England and Wales. 12 Enhancing vaccine confidence across ethnic minority communities The Collaboration for Change is a group of two UK universities, nine community organisations and two small and medium size enterprises, who have conducted research on how to improve vaccine uptake among ethnic minority groups. The report highlights the factors influencing vaccine uptake. 13 Vaccination in the UK: Access, uptake and equity Over the last decade, the uptake of vaccines in the UK has stalled and is in many cases falling. Declining rates of routine childhood vaccination in a country with a well-established universal healthcare system are extremely concerning and pose a significant public health risk, with outbreaks of preventable diseases such as measles and whooping cough already being seen. The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH)'s Commission on Immunisation policy report assesses how and why vaccine uptake has stalled or declined. It outlines the evidence and our recommendations to increase uptake of routine childhood vaccinations across three broad themes: access to services, improved data systems and strengthening public information, education and communication. 14 UK Covid-19 Inquiry: Module 4 -Vaccines and therapeutics The UK Covid-19 Inquiry has published its fourth report and recommendations following its investigation into ‘Vaccines and therapeutics of the United Kingdom’. It considers and makes recommendations on a range of issues relating to the development of Covid-19 vaccines and the implementation of the vaccine rollout programme in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Issues relating to the treatment of Covid-19 through both existing and new medications were examined in parallel. Do you have a resource or story to share about immunisation safety? We’d love to hear about it - leave a comment below or join the hub to share your own post.
  15. Content Article
    This guidance supports services to provide developmentally appropriate care for 0 to 25-year-olds. It sets out proposed actions for integrated care boards, providers and clinical teams to enable safe and effective transition between services. If adopted by systems, this approach will improve continuity of care, health outcomes and young people’s experience.
  16. Content Article
    More information about "From diagnosis to system change: what rare disease is teaching us about safety, bias and AI"
    Professor Rob Galloway is an Emergency Medicine Consultant and Founder of the charity Rare People. In this article, Rob talks about his daughter’s recent diagnosis of a rare genetic condition. He describes the barriers to safe and equitable care for people with rare diseases, and his hopes for future treatment development, supported by AI. On 7th July 2025, we were told our daughter was one of around 200 people in the world with an ultra-rare genetic brain condition - DeSanto-Shinawi syndrome (DESSH). I remember the date with uncomfortable clarity. For months before that conversation, I had reassured myself that everything would be fine. Frankie was slower than other children her age. She was late to crawl. Her words were few. There were subtle developmental differences, but nothing dramatic. I anchored to what felt safer: she had had meningitis as a baby, and developmental delay could be explained by that. Temporary. Understandable. Reversible. When bias tries to protect Even when experienced clinicians gently suggested there might be something more going on, I reframed their concerns in my own mind. I did not dismiss them openly, but internally I diluted their signal. Looking back, the cognitive biases are obvious. Anchoring bias fixed me to the meningitis explanation. Confirmation bias led me to search for reassuring signs and discount the rest. Optimism bias made the best-case scenario feel like the most probable one. Emotional bias did the rest. When it is your own child, the mind protects you. Individually rare, but collectively millions When the diagnosis came, it felt like a bomb going off in slow motion. The genetics were explained clearly. A change in a single letter of the WAC gene. One functioning copy instead of two. Reduced WAC protein, crucial in early brain development. Lifelong neurodevelopmental consequences. And then the hardest sentence - there is no medical treatment. Therapy and support, yes. But no drug to alter the biology. No realistic gene therapy on the horizon. For a condition this rare, commercial drug development is not viable. For families across the UK, the annual Rare Disease Day shines a light on this reality. Organised nationally by Genetic Alliance UK, it highlights the inequities faced by people with rare conditions: delayed diagnosis, fragmented care, limited research infrastructure and a system not designed for small numbers. Each condition is individually rare. Collectively, they affect millions. There are over 7,000 rare diseases. In that context, rarity is not marginal. It is structural. Multiple barriers to safe care Rare disease is a diagnostic safety issue, because children are often reassured repeatedly before referral. Developmental differences are attributed to variation. Early signals are softened by probability thinking. It is an equity issue, because funding and infrastructure follow prevalence and commercial viability. And it is an innovation issue, because rare disease is now reshaping how medicine thinks about treatment. After Frankie’s diagnosis, I immersed myself in the biology. I read the literature on WAC protein, studied animal models and tried to understand which pathways were disrupted and which might theoretically be adjusted. I connected with the DESSH Foundation and learned from the work of Professor Shinawi and others who had characterised the condition. The gene was known. The pathway was increasingly mapped. What was missing was treatment. Hope found in AI and existing drugs Then I came across the story of Matthew Might, a computer scientist whose son had an ultra-rare genetic condition. Rather than accepting that a genetic diagnosis was the end of the road, he treated it as the beginning. Using machine learning and large-scale biomedical data analysis, he interrogated genetic networks and drug databases. His work contributed to the development of the US National Institutes of Health Biomedical Data Translator, an open-source AI platform designed to connect genes, proteins, pathways and existing drugs. The question shifts from “Can we fix the gene?”—often impossible—to “Can we adjust the biological pathway using a safe, already licensed drug?” For rare diseases, this reframing is transformative. If a gene reduces the production of a protein, and that protein sits within a measurable pathway, then perhaps an existing medication could nudge that pathway in a favourable direction. Trialling treatments safely At Mayo Clinic, scientists including Laura Lambert and Dr Whitney Thompson began exploring whether this computational approach could be applied directly to children with specific rare conditions. In one child with DeSanto-Shinawi syndrome, AI-driven pathway analysis identified a licensed paediatric neurology drug that might plausibly increase WAC protein expression. Before prescribing anything, the team tested the drug in the cells taken from the child. WAC protein levels increased towards normal. It was not proof of cure. It was not certainty. But it was measurable biological change. After careful discussion and risk–benefit analysis, treatment was started. The developmental progress that followed was described by the child’s family as striking. It’s one person’s experience. Hope is not evidence. But hope grounded in measurable biology becomes hypothesis, and hypothesis becomes trial. Raising funds to reduce inequity The barrier is not plausibility. It is funding. Repurposed drugs are often off-patent. There is little commercial incentive to fund small, rigorous trials for conditions affecting a few hundred children worldwide. That is why Rare People – The Research Charity I set up was established. Our mission is to raise funds to support high-quality, properly designed clinical trials of AI-identified repurposed drugs for rare genetic neurodevelopmental conditions. The first funding priority is a formal clinical trial in DeSanto-Shinawi syndrome, with ethics approval in place in the United States and work underway to enable participation from children outside the US, including in the UK. Rare diseases can shine a light on wider possibilities Beyond one charity and one condition, something larger is emerging. Rare disease research is demonstrating the practical power of AI in medicine, not as hype but as structured, hypothesis-generating science. AI can interrogate millions of data points across gene networks and pharmacology, surfacing plausible connections that no individual clinician or researcher could reasonably synthesise alone. Used responsibly, with transparent governance, peer review and rigorous trial methodology, these tools can strengthen rather than threaten patient safety. Rare diseases are showing us that treatment may become more personalised, pathway-driven and responsive to measurable biological markers. They are challenging us to design systems that do not overlook small populations. They are exposing how cognitive bias operates quietly even in experienced clinicians. And they are demonstrating that when families, scientists and clinicians collaborate across borders, innovation can move faster than traditional commercial pathways allow. Frankie Frankie is a joyful, loving little girl. I would not change who she is. But I do want her to have the same opportunities, the same freedom to dream and the same access to scientific ambition as children with common conditions. Equity in healthcare must include those with the rarest diagnoses. If we build a system capable of recognising rare disease earlier, mitigating cognitive bias, and harnessing AI safely and ethically, we build a safer system for everyone. Photo shows Rob holding Frankie, both looking and smiling at the camera Share your insights Have you been affected by any of the issues raised in this blog? Do you or a loved one have a rare disease, or perhaps you work with people who do. If you have insights to share around rare diseases and patient safety, you can comment below (sign up first for free) or email the team at [email protected]
  17. News Article
    The NHS could save tens of thousands of pounds per patient each year by prescribing tablets instead of liquid medicine to children with a particular medical condition, experts have revealed. Researchers at Great Ormond Street Hospital (Gosh) found that patients as young as seven were not only able to successfully transition to pills but often expressed a clear preference for them over the taste of their liquid medicine. The study focused on children suffering from congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI), a condition characterised by elevated insulin levels that necessitate regular, often multiple daily, doses of diazoxide to maintain stable blood sugar. Until now, this vital treatment has predominantly been administered in liquid form, with liquid diazoxide costing a significant £15.50 per 50mg. Experts have estimated that switching from liquid to tablets could save the NHS £40,000 per patient per year. Jess Manktelow, who has CHI and has been a Gosh patient since she was 15 months old, was one of the children who took part in the project. The 11-year-old, from Kent, was switched to diazoxide tablets in April 2025. “It has made a big difference taking medicine that doesn’t taste horrible,” she added. “There were times where I didn’t want to take it because of the taste. “It makes things very easy for me now, I’m able to do it myself and it doesn’t take up as much time at school or when I’m doing things I like, like climbing, it doesn’t have as much impact and that makes me happy.” Kate Morgan, Gosh clinical nurse specialist who co-led the project, said: “We knew the potential this trial had for savings, but the scale of the quality-of-life improvements for children and their families we are seeing is something we didn’t anticipate. “Children are so much more than their diagnoses – they have full lives and families and their illnesses affects everyone, so it is very important we do all we can to make simple, positive changes that impact everyone for the better.” Read full story Source: The Independent, 10 April 2026
  18. News Article
    A child spent more than two months in A&E following a breakdown of a care placement, in what the trust described as “one of the longest waits we’ve seen”. Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals Trust said the young person was at its Queen’s Hospital A&E for more than 70 days, while another was there for more than 30. They were both under the care of councils “outside our area”, and their care placements had broken down, the trust said. It has declined to say which councils. Both children had “complex behavioural needs” which meant they could not be moved on to children’s wards, the east London trust said. Speaking last week, it said the children had recently moved on to other placements. The trust has previously highlighted long waits for children under care at Queen’s A&E – including a wait of 44 days in 2024 – and said care placement breakdowns were the most common reason. Trust CEO Matthew Trainer said: “We’re seen as a place of safety for children and young people with mental health issues and/or challenging behavioural needs. This means several young people have experienced long waits for the right support in A&E. “It’s unacceptable and distressing for both patients and our staff, and something we’ve been discussing at our board meetings for several years, as well as working with mental health trusts and councils to see how we can reduce delays.” Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 9 April 2026
  19. News Article
    Almost half of primary school teachers are seeing pupils with eating disorders “at least occasionally”, rising to four in five at secondary level, according to a survey by the UK’s largest education union. The findings emerged in a poll of 10,000 teachers in English state schools about pupils’ mental health, which also revealed “overwhelming” exam anxiety in secondaries and dwindling numbers of counsellors to support students. Asked whether they had observed children showing signs of an eating disorder in the past year, 45% of primary teachers and 78% of secondary teachers said they had seen it at least occasionally. Of those, 4% at primary level said they saw evidence of eating disorders “regularly”, compared with 14% of secondary teachers and 20% in special schools and pupil referral units. The National Education Union (NEU) poll also revealed that two-thirds (68%) of secondary school teachers who responded regularly encountered absenteeism linked to students’ mental ill-health. The rise in mental health problems among children and young people is well documented. A study published in the Lancet last year reported a 65% increase in annual hospital admissions between 2012-3 and 2021-2 for children and young people aged five to 18 with mental health concerns. Increases were “particularly steep” for eating disorders, rising from 478 to 2,938 over the same period – an increase of 515%. The consultant paediatrician Dr Lee Hudson said eating disorders had become more common but pointed out that the term covered a wide spectrum of conditions, not just anorexia. He said young children could have early anorexia or avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (Arfid), characterised by limiting food type or quantity. “Eating disorders have become more common. We know it’s going up, but we don’t know why,” he said. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 1 April 2026 Further reading on the hub: Top picks: 15 resources on eating disorders
  20. Event
    until
    This webinar will bring together global experts and patient champions to explore how meaningful engagement of children, parents, and families can improve safety in newborn and child care and help reduce avoidable harm. The webinar will focus on: Why engaging children, parents, and families is essential for safe newborn and child care How Goal 1 can be implemented in practice at the point of care What health care workers, leaders, managers, and policymakers can do to enable meaningful engagement This webinar series is co-hosted by the World Health Organization, the International Pediatric Association, and the Child Health Task Force. One webinar will be organized each month, with each session focusing on a specific World Patient Safety Day Goal. Register
  21. News Article
    An "alarming" report has linked meningitis to 159 deaths in the UK in one year - as pharmacists warn that childhood vaccination rates are falling. The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has called for an immunisation catch up service to be rolled out for teenagers who have missed out on being vaccinated against meningitis and other diseases. NPA chair Olivier Picard said declining immunisation rates for illnesses, including meningitis and measles, highlighted that the current strategy was "not fit for purpose" in the face of growing "vaccine hesitancy". It comes after a deadly outbreak of the disease in Kent earlier this month claimed the lives of two students. Mr Picard said: "It's clear there are gaps in the original national vaccination strategy for meningitis and pharmacies want to reach those in need of protection. "The NHS should urgently commission pharmacies to provide a catch-up vaccination service for teenagers who did not receive their MenACWY immunisations, as well as commissioning pharmacies to support NHS colleagues with wider childhood vaccinations." Read full story Source: Sky News, 28 March 2026
  22. News Article
    Hundreds of children are in hospital unnecessarily on any given day because they do not have the right support to go home, according to an analysis of NHS England data. The discharge delays mean patients affected are missing out on childhood activities and youngsters needing hospital care are waiting for beds, the children’s commissioner’s report found. More than 260,000 young people spent three or more weeks of their childhood in hospital and 1,300 were there for more than a year. Medical advancements have meant more patients with complex or life-limiting conditions can live longer but community services such as children’s social care, housing, education and home nursing have not kept pace, it said. Dame Rachel de Souza, children’s commissioner for England, said in a statement: “For all the debate and attention given to hospitals, waiting times and social care, children are rarely mentioned. “Childhood is a short and precious time – so when a child spends months or even years confined to a hospital ward, not because they are too unwell to leave but because the right community support cannot be found, the system has failed.” De Souza said this is partly driven by a “lack of good data”. The NHS does not consistently record how many youngsters are medically fit to leave hospital but are remaining there as a result of factors external to the health service, the report said. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 23 March 2026
  23. Content Article
    Every year millions of children in England spend time in hospital. Most children are in hospital only for a short period, often just after they are born or during brief periods of illness. However, for a number of children, hospital becomes a place they spend months and sometimes years of their lives. For the first time, this report shows how long children spend in hospital over their childhoods through new analysis of NHS data. This report sets out why children are waiting to be discharged and what their experience of delayed discharge is like. For some children, time they spend in hospital waiting to be discharged is avoidable. That is particularly true for two groups of children. First, children with serious and complex medical needs. While advances in modern medicine are making a monumental difference in giving them a stronger chance in life, the systems that surround these children – community and primary care, children’s social care, palliative care, housing and education – have not kept pace. The Children’s Commissioner’s office has focused on what this means for children who are waiting in hospital, ready to be discharged. Second, for some children admitted to hospital with social, emotional, behavioural and/or mental health needs. For children admitted with these needs but who do not meet the criteria for inpatient mental health services, their experience waiting in hospital for the right care and support in the community is similarly rooted in challenges facing health, social care and education which has resulted in them being let down, and being admitted to hospital in crisis - waiting for the right therapeutic support in the community. This report brings together data on how long children spend in hospital across their childhoods, alongside the voices and experiences of families, health and care professionals working in hospitals, hospices, community nursing teams and care providers. It sets out the issues facing children whose hospitals stays are being prolonged or more frequent because the support they need to be in the community is not in place.
  24. News Article
    A hospital trust did not immediately alert health officials about a case of meningitis in Kent. A patient first presented to East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust on the evening of Wednesday 11 March, a spokesperson said. But the trust waited until Friday 13 March, once a diagnosis had been confirmed, to notify the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), which manages an outbreak of such an illness. Dr Des Holden, acting chief executive of East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Our first patient presented on the evening of Wednesday 11 March. “We recognise there was an opportunity prior to diagnosis being confirmed on Friday 13 March to notify UKHSA". Health secretary Wes Streeting said that there was a 24-hour window in which hospitals were meant to raise a suspected case with the agency, and that staff had instead done so in 26 hours. He told LBC: “The patient came in on the Wednesday unwell. By mid-morning on Thursday, the staff suspected meningitis. Now at that stage, they had 24 hours within which they should have notified the UKHSA. They did so in 26 hours. “While I can reassure people that it appears in this case that that delay did not have a material impact – we have not found evidence of onward transmission to other people through that delay that we would otherwise have traced faster – nonetheless, we have that 24-hour standard for a reason, and I am taking this seriously.” Read full story Source: The Independent, 25 March 2026
  25. News Article
    Health secretary Wes Streeting has described the outbreak of meningitis in Kent as “unprecedented” and warned it is a “rapidly developing situation”. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has announced a targeted vaccination programme for students living at Canterbury halls of residence at the University of Kent, while 700 doses of antibiotics have been given out. The agency confirmed on Tuesday morning that 15 cases of meningitis have been recorded, an increase of two from Monday, and all those affected were hospitalised. Experts have described the outbreak as “unusual”, with the disease killing an 18-year-old pupil called Juliette and an unnamed 21-year-old university student. Warnings were issued that some pharmacies in the region are running out of the MenB vaccine due to a surge in demand, with some reporting no stock left. Meningitis B has been confirmed as the strain in some cases, with concerns growing in the region after a third school confirmed a case, as well as the university. Read full story Source: The Independent, 17 March 2026

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