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Content ArticleRare conditions affect over 3.5 million people in the UK. People affected by rare conditions face profound systemic inequity, often experiencing a complicated diagnostic odyssey followed by fragmented care and limited access to treatments. The Genetic Alliance UK 'Equity for Rare' consultation highlights the inequities the rare conditions community experiences, and found that equity broadly means ensuring that people with rare conditions can navigate the healthcare system with the same dignity and efficacy as those with common conditions. While common conditions are not without their own challenges, they often benefit from established clinical infrastructure, visibility and prioritisation. By contrast, those with rare conditions must navigate a system fundamentally not designed for their specific needs. This report acknowledges that rarity is seldom a standalone challenge and it intersects with broader drivers of inequity such as ethnicity, gender, and socio-economic status. This report adopts a narrower focus, highlighting that a defining, and immutable, characteristic of all rare conditions in their small patient population. It centres this analysis on how this scarcity is a fundamental driver of inequity for all rare conditions, resulting in three systemic challenges: low priority, limited evidence, and low clinical familiarity. Overcoming these three challenges is essential to delivering a fair healthcare system for those affected by rare conditions. Genetic Alliance UK is calling on the governments of the UK to: Deliver a UK-wide map of rare conditions: The four UK nations must urgently fund comprehensive rare condition registries and work in partnership to map all 7,000 rare conditions. Robust national data infrastructure is not optional, it is the foundation of equitable service planning, resource allocation, and healthcare delivery. Close the evidence gap through fair research investment: Government and research funders must correct the imbalance in research investment by directing funding towards rare conditions. Decision-makers must also reform evidence standards to recognise that uncertainty is an inherent feature of rare conditions and should not be used as a barrier to access or innovation. Mandate system-wide accountability for rare conditions: Healthcare systems must stress-test policies, commissioning decisions, and service delivery frameworks against the realities of low-prevalence conditions. This must include systematic auditing to identify gaps, eliminate inequities, and enforce consistent standards of clinical accountability across all services. Embed rare conditions into mainstream healthcare delivery: Current reforms across the UK healthcare system present an opportunity to fully integrate rare condition care into routine service provision. Failure to act now will entrench existing health inequalities for the 1 in 17 people in the UK that will be affected by a rare condition at some point in their life. Commit to a bold successor to the UK Rare Diseases Framework: UK governments must commit to a long-term successor to the UK Rare Diseases Framework that delivers measurable improvements for people with rare conditions. This successor must set clear targets, and the nations must respond with adequate funding, directly addressing the structural drivers of inequity identified in this report. Further reading on the hub: Top picks: Rare diseases
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News Article
Weight loss drugs could widen health inequalities, experts warn
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Weight loss jabs are transforming obesity treatment, but without access to affordable healthy food and ongoing support they could widen health inequalities in the UK, experts have warned. The injections, also known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, are taken by an estimated 2.4 million Britons and work by mimicking the natural hormone which regulates blood sugar, appetite and digestion. Although drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro have transformed weight-loss treatment, researchers at Cambridge University and University College London (UCL) have argued that their long-term benefits depend on diet, exercise and healthcare support. “We have highlighted that obesity treatment is not just a medical issue, but a social and structural one. Without integrated dietary support and attention to food affordability, these medications could deepen existing health inequalities,” Dr Adrian Brown at UCL Medicine said. “The key message is clear: these treatments are powerful, but their long-term public health impact will depend on whether the right support systems are in place to ensure equitable and safe access for all patients,” he added. The report, published in the journal Nature Medicine, warned that healthier diets are often more expensive, and on top of the cost of weight-loss jabs, are unaffordable for many. Dr Marie Spreckley from Cambridge University said: “The key question is not simply who can access these medications, but who can benefit from them in the long term. If access to healthy food, nutrition support and ongoing care is uneven, there is a risk that the benefits of these treatments will also be uneven.” Read full story Source: The Independent, 1 June 2026 -
News Article
Streeting’s NHS home-working revolution ‘puts patients at risk’
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Patients risk having serious conditions missed by doctors working from home under an NHS revolution championed by Wes Streeting. Doctors will deliver millions of virtual hospital appointments at their convenience – and from their own homes – as part of plans to tackle the NHS backlog that Mr Streeting set out when he was health secretary. However, health leaders and patient groups are concerned about patients falling through the cracks and the risk that serious conditions such as cancer could be missed. They also fear the creation of a “two-tier” health system in which the digitally capable are “fast-tracked” while others who are older or more vulnerable are forced to wait longer for care. The new “Online NHS Trust” will be officially formed on 1 June and start seeing patients from October 2027, The Telegraph can disclose. Patients facing some of the longest waits will be the first to test the new service, with the virtual hospital to be piloted on gynaecology, urology, gastroenterology and ophthalmology. Patients referred to a consultant will have the option to connect remotely to one of the specialists across the country via the NHS app – with more specialities and conditions added over time. But concerns gathered by Healthwatch, an official health service body that represents patients, have warned that serious conditions such as cancer could be missed in video calls. And one patient advocate said it was “described as being optional, but in reality, if there is a long waiting list for an in-person appointment, the patient may ‘choose’ the online appointment instead, eg if the GP says it’s a shorter waiting time to get seen online, it is not a fair choice”. Read full story (paywalled) Source: The Telegraph, 18 May 2026 -
Content ArticleThe Health Services Safety Investigation Body (HSSIB) released a new briefing, in partnership with the NHS Race and Health Observatory (NHSRHO), to raise awareness and encourage positive change around bias and discrimination in patient safety investigations at all levels across the NHS. This briefing is informed by contributions from a national roundtable held in November 2025. This collaborative event brought together individuals with lived experience, patient advocates, clinicians and senior healthcare leaders. The briefing identified a series of recommendations, which include: embedding explicit consideration of racism within investigation standards improving expectations for family involvement strengthening leadership accountability for equity ensuring more consistent use of data to identify inequalities anti-racism to be a core component of patient safety investigations robust mechanisms to monitor implementation and impact.
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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
NHS rollout of artificial pancreas narrows inequality in diabetes care
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The rollout of a “life-changing” artificial pancreas on the NHS for people with type 1 diabetes has helped to narrow ethnic and socioeconomic inequality within access to treatment, according to figures for England and Wales. Officially known as a hybrid closed-loop system, an artificial pancreas comprises three interconnected parts: a sensor worn on the body called a continuous glucose monitor; an algorithm either built into the pump or on a separate device such as a phone that calculates the precise dose of insulin needed; and an insulin pump that delivers the dose into the bloodstream. For patients, the device removes much of the mental burden of managing blood sugar levels, especially around mealtimes and during the night. According to previous clinical trials, the device is more effective at managing diabetes than current diabetes technology, such as using continuous glucose monitors alone. Previous rollouts of diabetes technology have had stark disparities in uptake regarding ethnicity and deprivation. Studies have shown that people from minority ethnic backgrounds in England are less likely to have access to continuous glucose monitors, while people from deprived backgrounds have been unable to have full use of this tech. However, the first two years of the artificial pancreas rollout in England and Wales has been seen to reverse this trend, with only a 3% difference in uptake between people from the most and least deprived backgrounds, as well as those from minority ethnic backgrounds compared with white counterparts. Naiha Shafiq, 27, from London, was fitted with an artificial pancreas three years ago. She said the device had been “life-changing” because she was previously in and out of hospital with diabetic ketoacidosis, a life-threatening complication, as a result of struggling to administer her insulin injections. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 19 May 2026 -
Event
Webinar on equity and access in healthcare
Patient Safety Learning posted an event in Community Calendar
Equity and access are central to safe, fair, and people-centred healthcare. Yet many patients continue to face financial, geographic, cultural, and system-level barriers that limit their ability to receive timely and quality care. This webinar, organised by the WPA Asia Pacific Region Steering Committee, will bring together experts, patient advocates, and health leaders to explore how patient organizations can help identify barriers, generate evidence, influence policy, and improve access to services, medicines, and diagnostics. Through expert presentations and a focused panel discussion, the session will highlight regional experiences from the Asia Pacific region while offering insights relevant to a global audience. Speakers will share practical examples of patient-led action, collaboration with health authorities, and approaches that strengthen fairness, accountability, and sustainable system improvement. Learn about the main equity and access challenges experienced by patients, with emphasis on the Asia Pacific region. Hear expert insights on how patient organizations can drive policy and service improvement. Discover practical examples of patient-led initiatives that strengthen fairness, accountability, and access to care. Gain understanding of how patients and patient organizations can work with health authorities to improve health system performance. Register -
EventuntilIn this fireside chat, Habib and Rachel will explore the root causes of health inequalities and why building trust with communities is essential to improving outcomes. Reflecting on lessons from the pandemic, they will consider what has changed—and what still needs to. The conversation will also look ahead to the growing role of AI in healthcare, alongside the important work of addressing bias in clinical trials, drawing on RHO’s work to create more inclusive and representative research. Chair: Rachel Power, Chief Executive, the Patients Association Professor Habib Naqvi MBE FFPH, Chief Executive, NHS Race and Health Observatory Register
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News Article
GPs ‘force the elderly to book online in breach of NHS rules’
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
GP surgeries are forcing elderly patients to book appointments online, against NHS rules, a survey suggests. As many as one in three people aged 75 or over surveyed by a charity said they were made to submit online forms to see a doctor. This is despite the GP contract requiring all practices to allow patients to book over the phone or in person if they prefer. The NHS says all practices should offer a range of booking methods. There is no evidence that any surgeries have been punished for not following the NHS rules. Critics warned that practices were operating with impunity and “should lose funding” if they were found to be flouting contract requirements. The results are part of a report by Re-engage, a charity fighting loneliness in old age, which said older people were being “dehumanised” and “excluded” by the digital-first approach. The charity’s report, Care On Hold, revealed findings from a survey of 926 older people based on their real-world experiences of accessing GP services. The authors warned that forcing elderly people to book online left them without healthcare appointments. The report also warned that some patients were instead getting help from emergency services, self-treating, or going untreated. Read full story (paywalled) Source: The Telegraph, 4 May 2026 -
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 -
Content ArticleWhen we talk about NHS administration, it often gets described as systems, processes, inefficiencies. That’s not how it feels in general practice. From where I sit as a practice manager, administration is the bit that either helps a patient get care – or quietly stops them from getting it at all, writes Kay Keane in this guest blog for The King's Fund. The recent report from The King's Fund talks about patients feeling ‘lost in the system’. What is less visible is the amount of work happening every single day to stop that from happening.
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Content Article
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. -
News ArticleFewer and fewer Americans can afford healthcare and the situation has reached a “crisis point,” according to an urgent warning from the American Heart Association. And with total healthcare spending expected to account for 20 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product over the coming decade, people could feel even more financial pain, medical experts cautioned Thursday. Total healthcare spending by U.S. adults currently sits at $5 trillion annually, driven largely by chronic disease, the association’s advisory said. Rising costs often mean that people will forgo initial care, increasing the likelihood for more serious problems and therefore greater costs down the road. The American Heart Association identified some causes behind people’s rising healthcare costs as complex administration at facilities, and a lack of investment in prevention and public health across the U.S. The doctors called on lawmakers and the healthcare industry to address the crisis. Read full story Source: The Independent, 30 April 2026
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Content Article
The UK Council on Deafness created Deaf Awareness Week to increase the visibility of challenges the deaf community face and educate others on how they can support them. Patient Safety Learning has pulled together 9 useful resources shared on the hub to help healthcare professionals, friends and family communicate and support people with hearing loss or deafness. 1 Royal College of General Practitioners: Deafness and hearing loss toolkit This educational kit, developed by Royal College of GPs (RCGP) in collaboration with RNID and NHS England, aims to support GPs to consult effectively with deaf patients by offering tips on how to communicate during face to face and remote appointments. It offers guidelines on how to recognise early symptoms of hearing loss and how to refer patients for a hearing assessment. 2 Communicating with patients with hearing loss or deafness—Can you hear me? The authors of this JAMA article describe the experience of a family member who was in critical care, and who is deaf. They outline a lack of awareness amongst healthcare professionals about their relative's deafness and highlight the lack of understanding in how to communicate with her. They go on to outline a number of approaches to communicating with patients who are deaf or hard of hearing. 3 Inequalities and unreasonable adjustments: are D/deaf women being given a detrimental care pathway in the name of risk assessment? In this article, published in The Practising Midwife, Rachel Crowe argues that in the UK, pregnant women who are hearing impaired or D/deaf (sign language users) and deaf (who are hard of hearing but who have English as their first language and may lipread and/or use hearing aids) are often labelled as high risk and offered a care pathway that is unsuitable and detrimental to their care. This article provides an overview to the needs of D/deaf birthing people with a number of recommendations and tools for use in clinical practice. 4 Blog - 12 tips for communicating with deaf patients Communication barriers are the number one reason deaf people have poorer health compared to hearing people. This blog by the organisation SignHealth gives 12 tips for healthcare workers and non-clinical staff on how to communicate with deaf people. It also describes the difficulties deaf people face when booking appointments and describes why remote consultations are problematic for deaf people. 5 CardMedic: Empowering staff and patients to communicate across any barrier In this interview, anaesthetist Rachael Grimaldi tells us about CardMedic, the organisation she founded to empower staff and patients to communicate across any barrier. Rachael explains how their tools can be used to support vulnerable groups and reduce inequalities. 6 Accessible and inclusive communication within primary care: What matters to people with diverse communication needs The primary care team have an important role in making people feel welcomed, listened to and taken seriously. Yet we often hear examples about people who have not had their communication needs met within primary care. This includes people with sensory impairments. This report from National Voices sets out the key issues faced by people with specific communication needs within primary care and what they feel would make the biggest difference, as well as key actions primary care leaders and teams can take to support inclusive communication. 7 Independent Review of Audiology Services in Scotland In January 2022 the Scottish Government asked for an independent review of the audiology services in Scotland in the context of failings in the standards of care provided in the NHS Lothian Paediatrics Services and made a series of recommendations. 8 The Safety Gap: Safety and accessibility of medicines and medical devices for people with sensory impairment This report for the Patient Safety Commissioner for England, commissioned from Professor Margaret Watson, highlights serious gaps and deficiencies in the way that people with visual and/or hearing impairment or loss (referred to as sensory impairment) are able to access and use medicines and medical devices safely. The report presents the results of a short-term study to explore the challenges experienced by patients with sensory impairment in relation to their safe and effective access to and use of medicines and medical devices and offers a number of recommendations. 9 Kingdon review: terms of reference Dr Camilla Kingdon has been appointed by the Secretary of State to chair an independent review of children's hearing services. The review will consider NHS England’s response to the service failures in paediatric audiology; how the relevant governance arrangements between NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care could be improved and identify lessons learned; and how NHS England’s handling of any future service failures in similar services could be improved and identify lessons learned. Do you have a resource you'd like to share? We’d love to hear about it - leave a comment below or join the hub to share your own post. -
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 ArticleDespite being regarded as the gold standard, outpatient hysteroscopy (OPH) is associated with inconsistent outcomes and pain, while the clinical, organisational, and personal determinants shaping patient-centred experience remain poorly characterised. This study aimed to harness the authenticity and richness of naturally occurring online qualitative data to explore the clinical, organisational, and personal factors that shape women’s hysteroscopy experiences, offering vital insights for service improvement. The study found that five themes captured women’s specific hysteroscopy experiences: (1) Contingent Consent, (2) Unacknowledged Vulnerability, (3) Analgesia Roulette, (4) Gynaecological Pain Gaslighting, and (5) Gendered Pain Gap. These themes delineate a hysteroscopy pathway where consent is shaped by limited choices and misinformation, vulnerability is heightened by procedural exposure, pain relief is inconsistently applied, women's suffering is routinely dismissed, and gender biases reinforce unequal standards of care. This study identifies clinical blind-spots that contribute to perceptions of systemic neglect in women’s gynaecological health care, evidenced by inconsistent pain management, inadequate consent, and gendered biases in OPH. These findings present an opportunity to inform structural reforms that advance equitable, patient-centred gynaecological care and improve clinical accountability. Further reading on the hub: Painful hysteroscopy Community thread My experience of an outpatient hysteroscopy procedure Preventable negative hysteroscopy experience
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News Article
UK healthy life expectancy falls by two years in past decade
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The number of years people in the UK spend in good health is falling, according to a new report. Over the past decade healthy life expectancy (HLE) has dropped by around two years to just under 61 for both men and women. The UK is one of only five of the richest 21 countries to see HLE decline and its fall was the second steepest. The Health Foundation, which produced the analysis, said there was a significant economic cost to this trend and the findings should act as a watershed moment. It said poverty, poor housing and lifestyle factors such as obesity were to blame along with the impact of the Covid pandemic. The analysis, based on data from the Office for National Statistics between 2022-24 and 2012-2014, found those in the wealthiest 10% of areas could expect to have around 20 more years of good health than those in the poorest. Read full story Source: BBC News, 27 April 2026 -
Content ArticleThis analysis from The Health Foundation examines how healthy life expectancy in the UK has changed over the past decade, how it varies across local areas and how these trends compare with other high-income countries. Healthy life expectancy – the average number of years a person would expect to live in good health based on current mortality rates and levels of self-reported good health – is a key measure of the population’s health, providing a more comprehensive picture of the UK’s health than life expectancy alone. Over the decade 2012–14 to 2022–24, healthy life expectancy in the UK fell by about 2 years, to 60.7 years for males and 60.9 years for females. England, Scotland and Wales all saw steep declines, while the fall in Northern Ireland was more modest. The vast majority of local areas in Great Britain saw a decline over the decade, with healthy life expectancy having now fallen below the state pension age of 66 years in more than 90% of areas. In more than 1 in 10 local areas, healthy life expectancy is below 55 years. Deep inequalities in healthy life expectancy between affluent and deprived areas have widened. The gap between the most and least deprived deciles in England is now 19.4 years for males and 20.3 years for females. At the UK level, life expectancy has remained broadly stable, indicating that the drop in healthy life expectancy is largely driven by self-reported health and cannot simply be explained by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in the most deprived areas, life expectancy has still not recovered to pre-pandemic levels. Of 21 high-income countries, the UK is one of only five that saw healthy life expectancy fall between 2011 and 2021, and had the second steepest decline. As a result, the UK has fallen from 14th to 20th out of these countries – only the United States now has a lower healthy life expectancy. These findings reinforce growing evidence about declining health in the UK, particularly among the working-age population. Successive governments have failed to take the long-term action needed to address this, resulting in a growing economic and fiscal impact as well as a substantial human cost. A new approach is needed to rebuild the UK’s health that puts improving health on a par with delivering economic growth at the heart of government policy. This should be supported by cross-government action on the wider factors that shape people’s health, a shift to prevention and a new strategy to address economic and health inequalities.
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Content Article
Protocols, targets and pathways save lives. They give us essential structure to deliver safe, high‑volume care with finite resources, and they have transformed the NHS for the better. But as the healthcare experience becomes increasingly streamlined, Hannah Little, Assistant Chief Nursing Officer at North Bristol NHS Trust, asks: who are we leaving behind? One size rarely fits all We often hear about what healthcare can learn from efficiency‑led industries such as automotive manufacturing, where success is defined by pace, scale and uniform outcomes. And indeed, cross‑industry learning has benefited the NHS enormously. But context matters. People are not cars rolling off a production line. We are complex, diverse human beings with individual social, psychological and clinical needs. And I wonder how far we can push a target‑driven model before we start hearing louder public concern about the fact that, in healthcare, one size rarely fits all. Finding the sweet spot As a nurse, I see individuals deliver personalised care brilliantly. I see colleagues who instinctively adapt, interpret and flex protocols to truly meet the needs of their patients and families. What worries me is not the people—it’s systems that increasingly constrains them. There is a 'sweet spot' between regulation, targets and national mandate on one side, and freedom to innovate on the other. That tension is necessary: too much control and we lose space for creativity; too little and we invite unsafe variation. When the balance is right, systems evolve safely, testing change within a clear structure while allowing for the flexibility that person‑centred care requires. The weight of national targets Standards and strong governance are essential to quality. But how do we ensure they don’t swallow the space needed for anything else? Over recent decades, the weight of national targets has grown heavier. The NHS Oversight Framework was intended to bring much‑needed clarity—a more focused set of national priorities that would reduce noise and strengthen local autonomy. At the 2026 Patient Safety Forum, national leaders spoke about a welcome cultural shift away from over‑mandating and toward local devolution. But this shift appears to be landing alongside a net reduction in resource and ever higher stakes to deliver. So instead of fewer mandates and more autonomy, we may be facing fewer mandates and less capacity for innovation. This raises a critical question: after the targets are met, is there enough resource left for the other things that matter? The things that support sustained performance? Targets tend to serve the 80% who fit neatly onto the healthcare conveyor belt. Without additional support for those who don’t, we risk widening health inequalities. Equity requires adaptability to be hard-wired into pathways—and adaptability requires headroom. The trade-offs Are we comfortable with where we are now? Has the pendulum swung into the place we need for 2026? Everyone recognises that resources are limited. But when limited resources necessitate laser focus on a small number of priorities, are the trade‑offs services have to make the right ones for population health? What will we think, looking back in five to ten years? Will we feel confident that a model which rewards optimising delivery for the majority was worth potentially widening the gap for those who didn’t fit standard pathways? Unlike other industries (e.g. Apple, which famously narrowed its product line to recover focus), healthcare cannot simply do fewer things well. Complex populations do not disappear because they fall outside a national priority. When centrally governed targets narrow without a corresponding rise in local capacity, the burden of adapting care falls to already stretched individuals. And when that happens, quality, equity and outcomes inevitably feel the strain. So what is the solution? If we care about equity and the safety and health of whole populations, resource to adapt and personalise care needs to be preserved. We need open, honest analysis of the trade-offs being made at policy level. Do we have the right set of priorities? Are we incentivising organisations to only pick low‑hanging fruit? And crucially: are we preserving the resource required to deliver personalised, equitable care? Passionate individuals cannot carry this burden alone. Flexibility must be designed into the system, not left to chance. And perhaps the answer is not fewer targets—but targets that incentivise equity as much as efficiency. Call to action Policymakers and senior leaders must prioritise embedding flexibility within national frameworks for all sectors by protecting resource for personalised care, incentivising equity alongside efficiency and enabling local systems to adapt. Without deliberate action, we risk incentivising services that work well for many, but fail those most in need. -
News Article
UK must act on allergies after 'decades of neglect', charities and doctors say
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The government must improve allergy prevention, diagnosis, and management, according to a group of charities, doctors, and patients, who say the UK has some of the highest allergy rates in the world. The group, which has found that allergies affect 39% of children and 30% of adults in the UK, has developed a National Allergy Strategy, which was presented to Westminster this week. The strategy, which is the first UK-wide framework for improving allergy care, aims to tackle "decades of policy neglect", according to the National Allergy Strategy Group (NASG). It aims to improve awareness and governance of allergies, such as asthma, hay fever, food and drug allergies, and calls for all four UK governments and the NHS to recognise allergic disease as a major long-term condition. “For too long, despite the scale of the problem, too little has been done to develop solutions,” said NASG chair Professor Adam Fox. “This strategy focuses on system-level change, embedding allergy into national policy, strengthening safety in everyday environments and improving accountability across health, education, food and workplace settings”. Read full story Source: ITV, 20 April 2026 -
Content Article
National Allergy Strategy (April 2026)
Patient Safety Learning posted an article in Allergies
The National Allergy Strategy represents the first coordinated UK‑wide framework for improving allergy prevention, diagnosis, management and patient safety. It has been shaped through extensive consultation across the allergy community, including clinicians, patients and charities, and reflects both lived experience and frontline clinical realities. The strategy outlines the key objectives and priority projects needed to improve health outcomes and other unmet needs of the allergy community across the UK. The National Allergy Strategy Group (NASG) is an alliance of the professional organisations BSACI (British Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology) and the patient charities, Allergy UK, Anaphylaxis UK and Natasha Allergy Research Foundation (NARF). Intended outcomes Reduced preventable harm, including fewer avoidable deaths and severe allergic reactions, through safer environments and earlier, more consistent intervention. Improved health outcomes and quality of life for people living with allergic disease, with greater safety, inclusion and confidence in everyday life. Reduced health and social inequalities, ensuring protection, access to care and quality of support do not depend on geography, background or individual advocacy. Equitable access to high-quality, lifelong allergy care across all four nations, supported by consistent standards, safer transitions between services, and timely access to effective treatments. A sustainable, skilled workforce and system capability, with allergy embedded in service planning, professional education and community provision to meet growing need. Better value for money for the NHS and wider public services, achieved through prevention, early intervention, improved data and surveillance, and more efficient use of resources. Further reading on the hub: Reducing the risk of your child having a serious allergic reaction: Parent and carer leaflet Why allergies are the Cinderella service of the NHS – a blog by Tim McLachlan -
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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Content ArticleThe government has launched the refreshed Women’s Health Strategy and Sling the Mesh are deeply upset to see no mention of mesh injured women and mesh centres in the media announcements from Government nor of the need for pelvic floor physiotherapy education for girls in school – despite a pledge for better education around periods. A brief reference to the postcode lottery of mesh centres appears on page 61 as Action 63. However, the Sling the Mesh community expected that their advocacy, particularly on highlighting how women’s voices are dismissed within healthcare – to be given far greater prominence. Its absence sends a deeply troubling message: that the experiences and needs of women harmed by mesh are no longer considered a priority. YET, it was the 2020 First Do No Harm report, the formidable Baroness Julia Cumberlege and Sling the Mesh campaign which highlighted for the first time how women’s voices were not being heard – and as forerunners called for urgent action to address this. Sling the Mesh have written to Wes Streeting, MPs and journalists. Read their letter at the link below.
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Content ArticleThis report finds that one in three people aged 75 and over can only get to see their doctor if they book digitally, and the same proportion feel they are cut off from care. With nearly 90% of older people still trying to make appointments by phone or in person, Re-engage believes many of them are being cut off from their doctor, which risks increasing their loneliness and isolation. The report calls on UK governments to make accessing GP appointments easier for older people as many practices continue to insist on online bookings only. Key recommendations Embed in NHS digitalisation strategies the right for people to choose between digital or offline access when using health services, ensuring that digitalisation does not replace the option of non‑digital contact. Include in GP contracts a condition that analogue routes remain available by making non‑digital access a protected component of health digitalisation policy, so that no one is required to go online to receive care. Ensure older people are directly involved in shaping digital health policy and service design, so decisions reflect the needs and experiences of those most affected. Centrally collect and publish data from Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) and health boards on both digital and analogue access, broken down by age, gender, disability and ethnicity, to make the impact of digitalisation visible and identify any groups disproportionately affected.
