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Content ArticleA growing body of global research has shown that patients from minority ethnic backgrounds are less likely to have their pain recognised, believed and adequately treated – with disparities experienced from childhood all the way through to end-of-life care. Evidence suggests these disparities persist across multiple healthcare settings, including emergency care, maternity services, and cancer treatment. Study after study from different countries has found that patients from minority ethnic backgrounds are frequently required to demonstrate higher levels of pain before receiving treatment, and are often given less effective treatment even when their pain is acknowledged. Even within childhood, those from minority ethnic backgrounds are likely to experience their pain being minimised, while receiving inadequate treatment compared with their white counterparts. A 2024 study by academics at the University of Delaware aimed to investigate whether racial bias affects how people see and interpret children’s pain, and whether this may influence how much treatment they believe a child should receive. The study consisted of participants viewing computer-generated images of children’s faces from different ethnicities showing increasing levels of pain. Pain was less readily perceived on the faces of black boys compared with their white counterparts, with participants needing to see stronger expressions of pain by black boys before recognising it. The authors argued that their study demonstrated strong evidence for racial bias in paediatric pain perception. Furthermore, participants who were less likely to perceive pain in black children were also less likely to recommend pain treatment for them.
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News ArticleWomen from black and Asian backgrounds are less likely than their white counterparts to receive an epidural while giving birth, research has revealed. The findings, based on data collected from more than 2.7 million births in the UK, prompted experts to raise the alarm about an “ethnicity pain gap” that means people of colour are more likely to be deprived of adequate pain relief within medical settings. It comes as Guardian analysis exposes evidence of racial inequalities in pain relief offered to people across all areas of healthcare – from children in A&E to palliative care offered to cancer patients. Four medical royal colleges – the professional bodies for UK medical professions – called for better data collection on how patients from minority ethnic backgrounds are more likely to have their pain dismissed by health providers. The analysis on pain relief provided to women giving birth, published in the journal Anaesthesia, examined data collected over a 10-year period up until 2021. It found that women from a Bangladeshi, Pakistani and black Caribbean background were less likely than white women to receive an epidural while having a vaginal birth. They were 24%, 15% and 8% less likely respectively. Bell Ribeiro-Addy, a Labour MP and chair of the all-party parliamentary group on black maternal health, said the new findings left “little room for doubt that racialised assumptions are a key driver of unequal outcomes”. “The disparities around pain relief identified in this report are shocking and indefensible, but sadly not surprising, given the way black people’s pain has historically been doubted, downplayed and dismissed,” she said. She added that the findings were “inseparable from the wider context of racism and racial tropes such as the ‘strong black woman’”. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 2 July 2026
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Content ArticleMental health inequalities are systematic, avoidable and unfair differences in mental health outcomes between groups. Disadvantage is not evenly distributed in UK society, but follows clear patterns across geography, age, gender and socio-economic position. These differences are shaped by the social determinants of mental health – the social, physical and economic conditions that impact us across our lifespan. The Foundation Reports research series provides recommendations for decision-makers to tackle mental health inequalities in each nation, to target preventative action for the people and communities in greatest need.
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News ArticleChildren who need life saving emergency surgery after a serious injury are almost six times more likely to die if in poorer countries than in wealthier ones, according to an international study led by the University of Cambridge. The research, published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, analysed 237 children aged 18 and under who underwent trauma laparotomy – emergency surgery for severe abdominal injuries – in 85 hospitals across 32 countries. Traumatic injuries, including those caused by road traffic accidents and violence, are among the leading causes of death and disability in children and adolescents worldwide. This study looked at children who needed emergency surgery for severe abdominal injuries, comparing their care and outcomes across hospitals around the world. Overall, 8% of children in the study died within 30 days of surgery. After taking account of differences between patients and settings, children treated in countries with lower levels of development were almost six times more likely to die than those treated in countries with higher levels of development. The study found major differences in the care children received, which are likely to be important in understanding why outcomes were worse in poorer countries. Children often faced longer delays before reaching hospital and before receiving surgery. They were also less likely to receive a blood transfusion, have a CT scan, receive medicine used to reduce bleeding, or be operated on by a consultant surgeon. Children also made up a larger share of these cases in poorer countries than in wealthier ones. This suggests that poorer countries may face a double challenge: more children needing emergency surgery after trauma, and less access to the care needed to treat them. Read full story Source: Surgery, 15 June 2026
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Content ArticleOver the past year, The King’s Fund has been running a project exploring how different groups of men think about their health and how they experience health services. The work was commissioned by the Department of Health and Social Care through the National Institute for Health and Care Research as part of wider work on the Men’s Health Strategy for England, which sets out a vision and a national commitment to address men’s poorer health outcomes and lower engagement with services. Chris Branson, Fellow at The King's Fund, shares six key insights from conversations with men about their health – and how to shape more effective future services.
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Content Article
Learning Disability Week is the third week of June every year. The event, organised by the charity Mencap, is an opportunity to raise awareness about different learning disabilities and challenge some of the barriers people who have learning disabilities face. According to Mencap, a learning disability is a person's reduced intellectual ability, meaning they can face difficulty with everyday activities. People with a learning disability can sometimes need extra support to learn new skills, understand complicated information or interact with other people. It can be particularly challenging for people with learning disabilities and their families when accessing healthcare services. To mark Learning Disability Week, we are sharing 18 resources, blogs and reports from the hub for patients, their families and healthcare professionals on breaking down these barriers. 1 Exploring the inequalities of women with learning disabilities deciding to attend and then accessing cervical and breast cancer screening, using the Social Ecological Model Women with learning disabilities are less likely to access cervical and breast cancer screening when compared to the general population. In this study, the Social Ecological Model was used to examine the inequalities faced by women with learning disabilities in accessing cervical and breast cancer screening in England. The authors suggest that multiple methods to reduce the inequalities faced by women with learning disabilities are needed, and that these can be achieved through reasonable adjustments. 2 Pharmacists can do more to bridge the safety gaps for people with learning disabilities People with learning disabilities are more likely to be taking multiple medicines, but labels are not designed with them in mind. This article in the Pharmaceutical Journal looks at a project run by a team at Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. The team ran exploratory workshops to listen to how people with learning disabilities engaged with information on medicines at home, at the doctors and at the pharmacy. The project highlighted that it is time to move away from standard labels and look towards more personalised medicine labels, actively promoting ways to support people with learning disabilities in taking their medicines. 3 Exploring deep sedation at home to support people with learning disabilities to access medical investigations with minimal distress In this blog, Mandy Anderton, a Clinical Nurse specialising in learning disability, explains how they are using shared decision making and reasonable adjustments to implement a new care pathway, where patients with a learning disability needing to undergo a medical investigation can receive deep sedation within their own home. Working with patients, carers, relatives, anaesthetists and others, the aim is to improve access to important medical investigations with minimal distress, where other avenues have been exhausted. 4 NHS England: Ask Listen Do – feedback, concerns and complaints Ask Listen Do resources are designed to support organisations to listen, learn from and improve the experiences of children and adults who are autistic or have a learning disability, their families and carers, and make it easier for people, families and paid carers to give feedback, raise concerns and complain. 5 NHS England: Guidance to support implementation of the Mental Capacity Act in acute trusts for adults with a learning disability This guidance supports trusts and community providers in enabling frontline staff to fulfil their legal requirements under the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005, specifically when supporting people with a learning disability. Leadership within Trusts have been asked to ensure they understand the guidance, take the actions indicated and make these resources available to all frontline staff. 6 Tommy Jessop: Why I investigated hospital care for people like me People with a learning disability are more than twice as likely to die from avoidable causes than the rest of the population. Actor Tommy Jessop and BBC Panorama investigated some of the stories of families who say they were let down by their medical care. 7 How can GP practices help improve health outcomes for people with learning disabilities? In this Patient Safety Learning interview, Mandy Anderton explains some of the barriers people with a learning disability face in accessing safe care and how adjustments can be made within GP practices to improve outcomes. Mandy lists national improvements that she believes would reduce health inequalities in this area. 8 Making reasonable adjustments for patients with a learning disability is G.R.E.A.T. Developed by David Havard, this poster shows a number of ways in which reasonable adjustments can easily be made for patients with a learning disability. 9 How the reasonable adjustment digital flag can help identify and support people with a learning disability Sebastian Gonzalez, hub topic lead and learning disability lead nurse at Barts Health NHS Trust, reflects on the lack of progress made in reducing health inequalities for people with a learning disability despite a number of reports and recommendations over the last few years. He highlights the new reasonable adjustment digital flag that is being implemented across the NHS, which allows the sharing of detailed information across the healthcare system about the reasonable adjustments individuals require. 10 HSSIB: Caring for adults with a learning disability in acute hospitals The aim of this investigation and report is to help improve the inpatient care of adults with a known learning disability in acute hospital settings. It focuses on people referred urgently for hospital admission from a community setting, such as a person’s home or residential home. 11 Video: The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism This animation aims to help staff and employers across health and social care understand Oliver's Training and why it is so vitally important. It was co-designed and co-produced with autistic people and people with a learning disability. Oliver McGowan died aged 18 in 2017 after being given antipsychotic medication to which he had a fatal reaction. He was given the medication despite his own and his family's assertions that he could not be given antipsychotics, and the fact that this was recorded in his medical records. The animation tells his story and highlights the increased risks facing people with learning disabilities and autism when accessing healthcare. 12 Palliative Care for People with Learning Disabilities The Palliative Care for People with Learning Disabilities (PCPLD) is a charity created to ensure that patients with learning disabilities receive the coordinated support they need throughout their life. The PCPLD Network brings together service providers, people with a learning disability and carers working for the benefit of individuals with learning disabilities who have palliative care needs. 13 Nobody left behind: Improving the health of people with learning disabilities and reducing inequalities across primary care Mandy Anderton talks in depth about the cross-system programme they launched in Salford to improve the health of people with learning disabilities and reduce inequalities across primary care. Mandy shares their award-winning poster, summarising the programme’s activities and outcomes, and gives her top tips for delivering a successful patient safety improvement project. 14 Reasonable adjustments and designing services for patients and people with learning disabilities Caring for people with learning disabilities in an acute hospital setting can be challenging, especially if that patient has transitioned from children’s services to adult services. The experience in children’s acute care differs to adult acute care; this difference in processes of care can cause great anxiety for the patient and their family and carers. The reasonable adjustments that were perhaps made and sustained in children’s services may now not exist. The purpose of this blog is to demonstrate the importance for services to be designed around patients’ needs with patients, families and carers. If we get this right, the quality of care given will be improved, patient satisfaction increases and, in turn, a reduction in patient harm. 15 Cervical screening for people with learning disabilities: Learning resource for sample takers (NHS Wessex Cancer Alliance) Cervical cancer is preventable. By 2040 the NHS in England is aiming for a cervical cancer incidence rate of below 4 per 100,000 women (elimination status). To achieve this, we need to increase HPV vaccination rates and improve attendance for routine cervical screening particularly in younger people and underserved communities including patients with learning disabilities. This learning resource from the NHS Wessex Cancer Alliance explains the misconceptions and barriers to cervical screening, the consent and best interest decisions, and the role of the sample taker and the reasonable adjustments that can be made. 16 Safety spotlight: Mothers with a learning disability - Maternity and Newborn Safety Investigations (MNSI) Maternity care should be responsive to every woman’s needs. This Maternity and Newborn Safety Investigation (MNSI) safety spotlight focuses on mothers with a learning disability. 17 HSSIB investigation. Insulin: supporting safe self-administration for patients in the community with a disability Many people with diabetes manage and administer their own insulin, either by injection or using a combined monitor/pump device (a hybrid closed loop system). However, a disability or impairment may affect their ability to safely manage their own insulin if they are not supported. This can lead to short-term and long-term health problems, which can be life threatening. This Health Services Safety Investigation Body (HSSIB) investigation explored the the following areas in relation to the patient safety issue: supporting the development of people’s competency – that is, their skills, experience, knowledge and ability – to manage insulin recognising and responding when people’s circumstances change, such as deterioration in a disability assessment of people’s mental capacity to make decisions in relation to insulin. 18 Learning Together - A review of the quality of care provided to adults with a learning disability who were admitted to hospital acutely unwell The National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death (NCEPOD) reviewed the care of adults with a diagnosed learning disability who attended/were admitted to hospital as an emergency between 1 July and 30 September 2024. The recommendations highlight areas that are suitable for regular local clinical audit and quality improvement initiatives by those providing care to this group of patients. 19 Voices for Safety podcast: Unequal cancer care for people with a learning disability in the UK This episode of Voices for Safety explores a critical patient safety issue: the inequalities people with a learning disability face when accessing cancer care. Host Dr Louise Gorman and Dr Oliver Kennedy explains how they are less likely to be referred for specialist tests, more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage, and around half as likely to receive treatment, resulting in much shorter survival times. They explore why these gaps exist – from communication challenges and diagnostic overshadowing to systemic barriers in screening and treatment – and discuss what needs to change across prevention, diagnosis, and care to create a more equitable system. Do you have a resource or story to share about learning disabilities? Could your insights or experiences help improve patient safety? Leave a comment below (join the hub for free first) or contact us at [email protected]. -
Content ArticleCommunication during a medical encounter can be challenging, even when both the patient and their healthcare provider speak the same native language. So, imagine the added difficulty of discussing symptoms, diagnoses, and treatment when there’s a language barrier. Research shows that such communication issues can lead to longer hospital stays, greater risk of falls, delayed diagnosis and treatment, medication errors, and even death. An analysis of safety events reported in Pennsylvania—where more than 1.4 million residents speak a non-English language at home and more than 500,000 have limited English proficiency—reveals that language barriers continue to pose a risk to patient safety, despite policies requiring certified interpreters and translated materials be available to patients who need them. Patient Safety Authority researchers identified 336 events reported to the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Reporting System (PA-PSRS) in 2024 relating to language barriers. The two languages most commonly involved in these reports were Spanish and Nepali, with issues including the lack of a certified interpreter, the lack of translated materials, and materials with inaccurate or incomplete translations. This study closely examines the interpretation and translation challenges faced by Pennsylvania patients and providers, and how they affect patient safety. It also provides strategies and recommendations for facilities to supplement available language services, such as hiring staff bilingual in English and the common languages of the service area and explaining common procedures with visual aids and pre-translated materials.
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News Article
Black people in England twice as likely to suffer stroke as white counterparts
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
People from black backgrounds in England are twice as likely to experience strokes as their white counterparts, while also being less likely to receive timely care, according to the largest study of its kind. The study, conducted by researchers at King’s College London and presented at the European Stroke Organisation conference, analysed 30 years of stroke incidents from the South London Stroke Register, one of the longest-running population-based stroke registers in the world. Within a population of 333,000 people, according to the analysis, 7,726 strokes occurred. And while stroke incidence fell by 34% between 1995-99 and 2010-14, the rate rose again by 13% between 2020 and 2024. The analysis also found that during this period where stroke incidents were on the rise, people from black African and Caribbean backgrounds were more than twice as likely to experience a stroke compared with their white counterparts. More specifically, stroke incidence was 131% higher in black African and 100% higher in black Caribbean populations in comparison with their white counterparts. People from black backgrounds are up to 47% more likely to have high blood pressure, and are also up to twice as likely to have diabetes than their white counterparts, even after adjusting for other risk factors including socioeconomic background. Dr Camila Pantoja-Ruiz, of King’s College London, the lead author of the study, said: “This trend may partly reflect the lasting impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, which reduced access to primary care, blood pressure monitoring and prescribing, particularly affecting black and deprived communities.” She added: “These patterns of increased stroke risk in these communities may also be influenced by broader factors, including racism, unconscious bias and socioeconomic circumstances, which can impact access to and quality of care." Read full story Source: The Guardian, 6 May 2026 -
News ArticleStress from racism and deprivation could explain why black women are more likely to die during childbirth, a study has found. Researchers reviewed 44 existing studies that examined three physiological pathways associated with worse pregnancy outcomes: oxidative stress, inflammation, and uteroplacental vascular resistance, and found black women had higher levels of the three metrics. Such physiological differences are not the result of genetic differences, according to the researchers, but rather suggest that socioenvironmental stressors such as systemic racism and deprivation, which are known to have a measurable biological effect, may influence the body’s ability to function healthily during pregnancy. Grace Amedor, of the University of Cambridge, the first author of the peer-reviewed study published in the journal Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism, said: “Pregnancy and childbirth put great stress on a woman’s body. Black women may experience additional strain due to factors including systemic racism, socioeconomic disadvantage and environmental stressors. “During pregnancy, this strain may affect key biological processes in ways that increase the risk of conditions such as pre-eclampsia. I was surprised that although this disparity had been known for a long time, there was little research into the potential underlying physiological reasons. “It’s important that we don’t stop trying to tackle the root causes that lead to worse pregnancy outcomes in black women, which are the socioeconomic disparities and the systemic racism they can experience throughout their lives.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 29 April 2026
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News ArticleThousands of stroke victims are being denied access to a crucial, life-altering treatment, a charity has warned. The Stroke Association has highlighted "stark inequalities" in whether patients receive a thrombectomy – a procedure that removes a blood clot from a blocked blood vessel in the brain. Getting this treatment in the hours after stroke symptoms start can save a person’s life or reduce the risk of life-long disability, as it reduces brain damage caused by a clot. Analysis by the Stroke Association reveals that 1,222 patients missed out on a thrombectomy between October and December last year, despite the procedure needing to be carried out within the first 24 hours. The charity attributes these disparities to the fact that some parts of the country lack access to round-the-clock thrombectomy services. NHS plans, introduced in 2019, had set ambitious targets to expand thrombectomy provision from just 1% to 10% of stroke patients, predicting this would enable 1,600 more individuals to live independently each year. But the Stroke Association said that this critical target remains unmet Read full story Source: The Independent, 29 April 2026
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Content ArticleThis week is Black Maternal Health Awareness Week. Black women in the UK are still four times more likely to die in pregnancy and childbirth than white women. In this article, Sandra Igwe, Founder of the Motherhood Group, says Black Maternal Health Awareness Week is not a PR moment. It is a reckoning. For generations, Black women have been told, implicitly and explicitly, that they are built differently. That they can handle more. That their pain is manageable. That asking for help is weakness. That speaking up is aggression. This is not a cultural truth. It is a stereotype, and it is one that has been absorbed into healthcare systems in ways that cost lives. Further reading on the hub: House of Lords roundtable on Independent National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation: reflections from The Motherhood Group Addressing critical gaps in Black maternal mental healthcare: a new partnership project is launched (interview with Sandra Igwe)
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News Article
NHS improves genetic testing for minority ethnic cancer patients
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Thousands of cancer patients from minority ethnic backgrounds will have access to “groundbreaking” genetic testing on the NHS that previously discriminated against them. This routine form of genetic testing, used before chemotherapy treatment, could save the lives of Black and minority ethnic cancer patients who already face poorer health outcomes after diagnosis compared with their white counterparts. Before undergoing chemotherapy, cancer patients across England undergo genetic testing that can lead to changes in treatments to reduce the adverse side-effects chemotherapy can have, including mouth sores, hair loss, nausea and fatigue, and which can also be fatal. Up to 40% of the 38,000 patients treated with fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy in England will develop an adverse drug reaction to the treatment. Until last year, these genetic tests only looked for four types of DPYD gene variants, which are mainly found within the DNA of people from white European backgrounds. Consequently, this genetic testing was less effective on Black cancer patients, leading them to be more likely to experience severe side-effects including death after chemotherapy. These genetic tests are now being offered by the NHS across England to include testing for a fifth DPYD genomic variant, which is more prevalent among people from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds. Dr Veline L’Esperance, the senior clinical adviser at the NHS Race and Health Observatory, said that the introduction of these new genetic tests represents “tangible results for patients who have historically been left behind”. “Patients of African ancestry deserve the same standard of safety as everyone else, and now clinicians have the means to deliver it,” L’Esperance said. “What makes this significant is that it moves the conversation about ethnic health inequality in cancer care from words to action. This is the first concrete, clinical response to the evidence that Black and ethnic minority patients were being failed by tests designed around white European genetics.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 13 April 2026 -
News ArticleAn inquiry into the preventable deaths of babies in Sussex will fail to learn the lessons as it “systematically” excluded dozens of families, Wes Streeting has been warned before a meeting with bereaved parents. The health secretary has ordered a review of nine infant deaths at the University Hospitals Sussex NHS foundation trust amid maternity scandals across England. However, families are calling on Streeting to expand the investigation to all those who died and might have survived with better care. To date, the families of more than 60 babies who died between 2019 and 2023 have expressed concerns about their care, although the true figure is expected to be higher. Dr Marija Pantelic, a public health expert whose baby Sasha died in the care of UH Sussex in January 2022, said the narrow scope and opt-in nature of the review was dangerous and potentially harmful as it would be based on the experiences of an “overwhelmingly white and British” group of parents. Parents want an expanded investigation to be led by Donna Ockenden, the senior midwife who is leading maternity inquiries into preventable deaths at NHS trusts in Nottingham and Leeds. They also want the Sussex investigation to actively seek out families who are affected so it is not based only on the nine cases whose parents have raised the alarm. Pantelic, an associate professor in public health who specialises in health inequalities, said it should alarm Streeting that the review would be based on the experiences of the “overwhelmingly white and British” families who had come forward. “If you only hear from certain groups, you will only see certain problems,” she said. “For instance, you can be sure not to identify racism if you only hear from white families. If you fail to identify the real drivers of harm, the solutions you propose will be partial at best, and harmful at worst.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 13 April 2026
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News ArticleNearly one in five NHS organisations are "rationing" crucial joint replacement surgeries based on patients' weight, a new report has claimed. Arthritis UK has warned that this practice is creating a "postcode lottery" of care across the country, leaving individuals in urgent need of operations at risk of enduring prolonged pain. The charity also expressed concerns that these policies are being implemented "in a bid to cut waiting lists and costs". An analysis conducted by Arthritis UK found that 31 out of 42 NHS integrated care boards (ICBs) currently have policies linking body mass index (BMI) to hip and knee replacements. Specifically, eight ICBs, representing 19% of the total, are "rationing" procedures by setting defined BMI thresholds as a criterion for surgical referral. A further 23 have policies that encourage or mandate weight loss to become eligible for these operations, the report said. According to Arthritis UK, ICBs justify the use of BMI policies by highlighting risks. However, it said research only shows a significant risk for people with a very high BMI, and these policies have “been inappropriately used” to cut off patients with lower BMIs, such as 35. This move has affected thousands of people “who would have received the significant improvements in their joint pain and function,” the charity said. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) advises against using BMI to exclude patients from referral to surgery. Read full story Source: The Independent, 26 March 2026
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Content ArticleHospitalised patients in the US tended to have a lower chance of dying or being readmitted within 30 days when they were treated by female physicians rather than male clinicians, a recent study published in Annals of Internal Medicine found. The difference in outcomes for patients examined by female vs male physicians translated into 1 fewer death per 417 hospitalizations, and 1 fewer readmission per 208 hospitalizations, according to the researchers. The data were based on about 776 900 Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years or older who were treated by more than 42 100 clinicians.
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News Article
‘It’s weird how white you are’, Alliance boss tells ambulance leaders
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Ambulance chiefs have been urged to take greater efforts to ensure their workforce is more diverse by NHS Alliance chair Lord Victor Adebowale. Lord Adebowale told the Ambulance Leadership Forum that it was “weird” to be in an environment which was so predominantly white. The NHS Alliance is the body formed by the union between NHS Providers and the NHS Confederation. Its chair told the annual forum of ambulance chiefs: “I can’t believe how white you are”, noting most of the other meetings he went to had at least 5 per cent non-white participants. He praised the work ambulance trusts had been doing to improve the treatment of LGBT+ and neurodiverse staff but added the sector had a “problem” with racial diversity. Lord Adebowale said: “It is not sustainable, it’s not credible. So whatever you are doing it is not working fast enough.” Rates of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic staff in ambulance trusts are lower than in other parts of the NHS. In part, this reflects a paramedic population that is predominately white, with overseas recruitment tending to focus on countries like Australia which have similar training. There is only one BAME CEO in the sector – North West Ambulance Service’s Salman Desai – and a sprinkling of executive directors. None of the 10 English ambulance trusts are led by a woman. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 23 March 2026 -
News Article“Medical misogyny” in the UK is letting women down, the health secretary, Wes Streeting, has admitted, as a survey showed half of female patients felt they had been dismissed or ignored because of their sex. A report from Mumsnet, which examined data taken from the site over the past decade, warned of “structural and deeply embedded” sexism in UK healthcare. A survey of women using the site found that more than half believed the NHS was institutionally misogynistic. The survey also found that: 50% of women believe they have been dismissed, ignored or not believed by an NHS professional because of their sex. 64% say they have been explicitly told their pain or symptoms were “normal” or “in their head”. 68% think the NHS does not take women’s health concerns seriously. Ahead of the publication of a women’s health strategy, which was announced in 2022 and is expected imminently, Streeting said the report showed that the NHS had let women down too often and for “far too long”. The health secretary said he was “driving change” through more funding, menopause support, moving health services into the community and the introduction of Martha’s rule, which gives patients a right to an urgent second opinion. He added: “Medical misogyny has no place within our NHS. It was founded on the principles of equality, yet time and time again, women are ignored and not believed. I want women across the country to know we’re going to tackle this.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 8 March 2026 Related reading on the hub: Top picks: Women's health inequity
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Content ArticleIndependent investigations into failings in NHS maternity services have repeatedly exposed serious shortcomings in safety, quality, and organisational culture. These reviews were intended to generate learning and drive improvements, but with so many issues linked to racial and socioeconomic inequities, failure to build this into inquiries risks perpetuating avoidable harm. The NHS Race & Health Observatory conducted a document analysis of the three major independent investigations published over the past 15 years: Morecambe Bay, Shrewsbury & Telford, and East Kent. These high-profile, government commissioned reports were examined through an intersectional, antiracist lens to assess whether ethnicity, racism, and deprivation were meaningfully considered as drivers of maternal outcomes. Findings Patients’ ethnicity Across all three investigations, ethnicity was inconsistently addressed and often minimised. The Shrewsbury & Telford report acknowledged national disparities but failed to analyse local data, with nearly 9,300 missing ethnicity records. The East Kent and Morecambe Bay reports briefly noted poor treatment of ethnic minority women and to those born overseas but did not investigate systemic discrimination. In Morecambe Bay, concerns raised by families of ethnic minority patients were dismissed without comparative analysis. The limited attention to ethnicity undermines the relevance of recommendations for ethnic minority women. Workplace racism and staff experiences Workplace culture was a recurring theme, yet only the East Kent report explicitly identified racism among staff as a contributing factor to poor care. Allegations of racial abuse were often dismissed without resolution. In contrast, the Shrewsbury & Telford and Morecambe Bay reports described negative cultures but did not consider ethnicity as a source of conflict or harm. This reflects a broader failure to recognise racism within NHS workplaces and its impact on patient safety. Deprivation and maternal outcomes The Morecambe Bay and Shrewsbury & Telford reports acknowledged deprivation using national data but did not analyse its local impact. The East Kent report overlooked deprivation entirely. None of the investigations examined how deprivation intersects with ethnicity to worsen outcomes, despite evidence that economically disadvantaged ethnic minority women face compounded risks. Leadership failures Leadership failures—including poor oversight, defensive cultures, and high turnover—were common across all three reports. However, none explored whether racial discrimination contributed to leadership breakdowns or staff tensions. This omission reflects a reluctance to confront structural racism within NHS governance.
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News Article
Revealed: The trusts with ‘unacceptable’ outcomes for Black and low-income women
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The trusts where Black women and those from the most deprived communities are facing “unacceptable” disparities in outcomes against a range of maternal care metrics have been identified in a new NHS England dashboard. HSJ’s analysis of the new dataset, the publication of which was mandated by health and social care secretary Wes Streeting in June, comes as Baroness Valerie Amos is due to publish the next stage of her report of maternity services later this month. The data suggests that those identifying as Black and living in the “most deprived” communities experienced higher rates of pre-term birth nationally last year – with rates almost three times as high as white and less deprived women at some providers. Pre-term birth rates for Black and “most deprived” women were nearly three times as high as white and “least deprived” women at Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals Foundation Trust, which had one of the highest overall rates nationally. And although Homerton Healthcare and Kingston and Richmond FTs had low overall pre-term birth rates, Black women receiving care there had rates twice as high as white women. Black women also experienced higher rates of postpartum haemorrhage nationally, according to the data. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 17 February 2026 -
Content ArticleAutism has long been regarded as a condition that predominantly affects the male sex. More recent research, as well as common self-reported experiences of autistic women, suggest that the true ratio is less skewed and that current practices are failing to recognise autism in many women until later in life, if at all. The harms of underdiagnosis and misdiagnosis of autism in women—harms that are infrequently reported in medical research but are often discussed in the autistic community—extend beyond barriers to appropriate interventions, supports, and accommodations afforded to correctly diagnosed autism in women. For example, in a report from the Autistic Women’s and Nonbinary Network, patient Helena described how before her autism diagnosis, her misdiagnosis of borderline personality disorder led to a stay for a year and a half on a psychiatric ward. “I think they were misinterpreting everything I did and assigned me motivations I didn’t have . . . Possibly that partly explains why the treatment was quite ineffective and why I stayed so long and they didn’t know what to do with me.” This BMJ editorial discusses the recent research from Fyfe and colleagues that suggests that autism may actually occur at comparable rates among male and female cohorts.
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News Article
Autistic girls much less likely to be diagnosed, study says
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Females may be just as likely to be autistic as males but boys are up to four times more likely to be diagnosed in childhood, according to a large-scale study. Research led by the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden scrutinised the diagnosis rates of autism for people born in Sweden between 1985 and 2020. Of the 2.7 million people tracked, 2.8% were diagnosed with autism between the ages of two and 37. They found that by the age of 20, diagnosis rates of men and women were almost equal, challenging previous assumptions that autism is more common among males. “Our findings suggest that the gender difference in autism prevalence is much lower than previously thought, due to women and girls being underdiagnosed or diagnosed late,” said the lead author, Dr Caroline Fyfe. The research calculated that in childhood, boys were diagnosed on average nearly three years earlier than girls – the median age at diagnosis was 15.9 for girls, but 13.1 for boys. Overall, boys were three to four times more likely than girls to be diagnosed with autism under the age of 10, although girls were found to “catch up” by the time they were 20, owing to a rapid increase in autism diagnosis during adolescence. “These observations highlight the need to investigate why female individuals receive diagnoses later than male individuals,” the authors conclude. Patient and patient advocate Anne Cary, writing in a linked editorial, said the research supported arguments that it was “systemic biases in diagnosis, rather than a true gap in incidence” that were behind the discrepancy in diagnosis rates. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 4 February 2026 -
Content Article"Too many people", says this report from the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee, "are continuing to fall through the gaps of our Community Mental Health Services". It says that many experience unacceptably long waits to access care, are discharged without ongoing support, and are denied care because they do not meet arbitrary thresholds. The Committee wants to see a 24/7 Neighbourhood Mental Health Centre in every community. But it says that the chances of this are threatened by short-term funding cycles, lack of digital interoperability, workforce shortages, and unclear plans for national scale-up of 6 pilot centres. More specifically, the report states that: Mental health accounts for over 20% of the disease burden but receives less than 10% of NHS expenditure. The lack of shared care records and data-sharing agreements, particularly with voluntary organisations, hinders collaboration and evaluation. The absence of national mental health access and waiting time standards for Community Mental Health services undermines parity of esteem with physical health. The removal of the annual physical health check target for people with severe mental illness is a step backwards. Layla Moran MP, the Committee’s Chair, urges the government and the NHS to recognise the continued disparity of esteem between mental and physical health and to continue to battle against it. But, she says, 'we still have a very long way to go'.
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NHS England has set a target that cervical cancer will be eliminated in England by 2040. Although progress has been made in detecting and treating cervical cancer, there are still many women who are reluctant to go for cervical screening, or who face barriers to accessing screening. These barriers include perceived discrimination, lack of understanding the risk of cervical cancer and unmet access needs. This contributes to persistent health inequalities amongst particular groups. Patient Safety Learning has pulled together 13 useful resources shared on the hub about how to improve access and overcome barriers to cervical screening. 1. Cervical screening, my way: Women's attitudes and solutions to improve uptake of cervical screening This research by Healthwatch explored why some women are hesitant to go for cervical screening. Based on the findings of a survey of more than 2,400 women who were hesitant about screening, it makes recommendations to policymakers on how to improve uptake, including: improvements to the way data about the disability and ethnicity of people attending screening. producing an NHS-branded trauma card for affected women to bring to appointments. ensuring staff are effectively trained on accessibility and adjustments to care. looking at the possibility of home-based self-screening. 2. Facing a smear test after my trauma In this BMJ article, Ruth Ajayi shares her experience of cervical screening after a traumatic childbirth, and how healthcare professionals could offer more compassionate, flexible care. 3. Exploring the inequalities of women with learning disabilities deciding to attend and then accessing cervical and breast cancer screening, using the Social Ecological Model Women with learning disabilities are less likely to access cervical and breast cancer screening when compared to the general population. In this study, the Social Ecological Model (SEM) was used to examine the inequalities faced by women with learning disabilities in accessing cervical and breast cancer screening in England. The study highlights key barriers to access for women with learning disabilities. 4. “We’re not taken seriously”: Describing the experiences of perceived discrimination in medical settings for Black women Black women continue to experience disparities in cervical cancer despite targeted efforts. One potential factor affecting screening and prevention is discrimination in medical settings. This US study in the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities describes experiences of perceived discrimination in medical settings for Black women and explores the impact of this on cervical cancer screening and prevention. The authors suggest that future interventions should address the poor quality of medical encounters that Black women experience. 5. Top tips for healthcare professionals: Cervical screenings This article by the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists and the My Body Back Project offers tips for healthcare professionals to make cervical cancer screening attendees feel as comfortable as possible during their appointments. Cervical screening can be very daunting for some women, and for those who have experienced sexual violence it can be triggering and cause emotional distress. The article provides tips on communication, making the environment calm and safe, sharing control and building trust with women. 6. Cervical screening uptake: supporting positive patient experiences is key In this blog, Steph explains why Cervical Cancer Prevention Week is an opportunity to validate and help improve patient experiences. She calls for more information to be shared with both patients and doctors that helps to increase compassion, understanding and accessibility. 7. Cervical screening for people with learning disabilities: Learning resource for sample takers This learning resource from the NHS Wessex Cancer Alliance explains the misconceptions and barriers to cervical screening, the consent and best interest decisions, and the role of the sample taker and the reasonable adjustments that can be made. 8. The Eve Appeal: What adjustments can you ask for at your cervical screening? The Eve Appeal want to raise awareness of what adaptations women and people with a cervix can ask for during their screening to make the appointment more comfortable. 9. How can reframing women’s health improve outcomes? An interview with Dr Marieke Bigg Dr Marieke Bigg is the author of a 2023 book, This won’t hurt: How medicine fails women. In this interview, Marieke discusses how societal ideas about the female body have restricted the healthcare system’s approach to women’s health and describes the impact this has had on health outcomes. She also highlights areas where the health system is reframing its approach by listening to the needs of women and describes how simple changes, such as allowing women to carry out their own cervical screening at home, can make a big difference. 10. Having a smear test. What is it about? This 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, has tips for the person having the test and has a list of words they might hear at their appointment. 11. Health Improvement Scotland: Cervical screening standards Published by Healthcare Improvement Scotland in March, the new cervical screening standards include recommendations to ensure women receive accessible letters and information about screening and healthcare professionals are trained to support women to make informed choices. 12. Cervical cancer screening in women with physical disabilities This US study explored how the cervical cancer screening experiences of women with physical disabilities (WWPD) can be improved. Interviews with WWPD indicated that access to self-sampling options would be more comfortable for cervical cancer screening participation. The authors highlight that these findings that can inform the promotion of self-sampling devices for cervical cancer screening. 13. Cervical screening - a guide for survivors of rape, sexual assault and sexual abuse This guide by The Eve Appeal and The Survivors Trust gives information about attending cervical screening for survivors of rape, sexual abuse or assault. It offers tips that may help patients feel more comfortable about their appointment. It is part of the #CheckWithMeFirst campaign to help raise awareness of the challenges survivors of rape, sexual abuse and sexual violence may face when accessing cervical screening. Have your say Are you a healthcare professional who works in women’s health or cancer services? We would love to hear your insights and share resources you have developed. Perhaps you have an experience of cervical screening or cervical cancer that you would like to share? We would love to hear from you! Comment below (register as a hub member for free first) Get in touch with us directly to share your insights -
Content ArticlePatient safety is a central pillar of healthcare quality. However, with repeated examples of failure emerging across healthcare, there is an ongoing need to better understand how the safety of care can be improved for patients. Evidence suggests that some population groups are more likely to inequitably experience healthcare harm. This article provides an overview of a new review which will look at what evidence exists on understanding patient safety harm and its causes and impact on different population groups and particularly those from marginalised backgrounds. It will also focus on what actions can be taken to address patient safety disparities and service improvements, including with patient and public involvement.
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Content ArticleHealth disparities are systemic and deeply rooted in social and economic inequities. Patients living in deprived areas, from racially minoritised communities, or facing additional challenges such as homelessness or intellectual disabilities experience worse health outcomes. These disparities are compounded by mistrust in healthcare, low health literacy, cultural barriers, and discrimination. This report focuses on patients with blood disorders and/or cancers who experience health inequalities, and therefore have worse outcomes and experiences of care than patients who don’t. We looked at how social and economic factors affect the health of people living with blood disorders and cancer. Report key findings: Patients living with cancer and/or blood disorders experience significant barriers to care including delays in diagnosis, unequal access to services, and systemic discrimination, These patients also reported challenges navigating healthcare, a lack of communication, and economic burdens such as high transportation and medication costs, Social determinants of health like inadequate housing and living in deprived areas further worsened outcomes, Participants emphasised mistrust in the healthcare system, particularly among racially minoritised and LGBTQ+ communities, and highlighted the need for better coordination, cultural sensitivity training, and localised services. The project involved a literature review on health disparities and social determinants affecting patients with cancer and blood disorders. Discussions were held with local and condition-specific charities, and we conducted focus groups and a case study interview with patients and carers. These efforts aimed to gather diverse perspectives and first-hand accounts of lived experiences.
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