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In this blog, Laura Evans discusses the lack of protection against Covid-19 for vulnerable patients when going for a GP appointment or into hospital. She shares her personal experience of being dismissed when asking for basic patient safety measures to be put in place. Imagine you are in hospital waiting to be taken down for surgery. You are informed the surgeon does not like wearing gloves, mask or headwear and says it is their personal preference. You are also informed that the operating theatre has not been cleaned since the patient before you. What do you do? Do you say something, politely reminding people of your right to be kept safe in hospital? Or do you remain silent to avoid being ridiculed or made to feel like there is something wrong with you? Of course, this scenario would never happen. It would not be tolerated by society. There are safety regulations and protocols in place to prevent, as far as reasonably possible, spread of disease in healthcare settings. However, where spread of Covid-19 is concerned, this genuine fear is the lived reality for millions of people attending healthcare appointments where their vulnerability is neither checked nor proactively catered for. Many people do not have the confidence, in some cases the wherewithal, to ask people to be careful around them in healthcare settings. Those who do ask for their needs to be met, like myself, have been condescended to and, in some instances, shouted at when arranging appointments. The only exception being when arranging appointments on the cancer pathway, where there is an acceptance that the immune system may be compromised. It is astonishing. What is it about this particular C word? Covid-19 is responsible for the deaths of over a quarter of a million people in the UK and the mass disablement of millions lucky enough to survive it but who are now living with Long Covid. There are also over a million people who shielded during the pandemic restrictions, whose clinical vulnerability has not suddenly gone away. Even if the basic human response leaves a lot to be desired, it has become an economic imperative to prevent so many people being sick. The World Health Organization only declared the emergency phase of the pandemic over, the virus itself continues to devastate lives. The number of people unable to work full time, or even work at all, since the start of the pandemic is rising sharply.[1] The number of people moving to part time work or unemployment to care for someone has also risen in the last few years.[2] A BMJ study found people living with Long Covid have lower quality of life than stage 4 lung cancer patients.[3] Covid-19 has profoundly debilitating effects on aspects of normal life, such as walking, talking, cognitive function, bathing and dressing, personal relationships with friends and family, and employment. There is a lot of rhetoric about preventative medicine; why is more not being done to protect people from these devastating consequences? It is not just Covid-19 that spreads easily when basic protections are not proactively put in place. Patients are still swabbed for MRSA in pre-op checks despite the MRSA outbreak being two decades ago. Clearly proactive prevention works. Yet, there is no routine testing for Covid and a large proportion of positive cases are hospital acquired. My local NHS Trust, Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals, has been exemplary across its Southport and Ormskirk hospital sites wherever patients request safety precautions. Nothing is too much trouble. However, interactions with other Trusts have resulted in an appalling lack of respect and dignity, and an unnecessary battle for safe practices and care pathways. There is a worrying ‘survival of the fittest’ narrative pervading this matter, harking back to times when sick and disabled people were treated as socially embarrassing and a burden, to be hidden away and kept quiet. Anyone with the privilege of a robust immune system should ask if you would allow a medical practitioner to treat your open wound without gloves if you knew they were carrying a bloodborne infection? Any reasonable person would doubt such lapses in judgement. So why is Covid-19 different? Why should a vulnerable person be expected to tolerate lack of protections against Covid-19 and why is the NHS not compelled to put basic patient safety measures in place as they are expected to prevent spread of disease? It makes no sense. References House of Commons Library. Research Briefing. Labour Market Statistics. UK Government, 18 February 2025. Office for National Statistics. Employment in the UK: February 2025. Estimates of employment, unemployment and economic inactivity for the UK. 18 February 2025. Walker S, Goodfellow H, Pookarnjanamorakot P, et al. Impact of fatigue as the primary determinant of functional limitations among patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome: a cross-sectional observational study. BMJ Open, 2023. We would like to hear your experiences Are you a vulnerable patient? What is your Trust or GP doing to make you feel safe? You can share your experience by posting in the Comments below or join our conversation in the Community area of the hub. Related reading on the hub: “A perfect storm”: The global impact of the pandemic on patient safety Promises of Long Covid support have not materialised (a blog by Clare Rayner) Covid-19 : A risk assessment too far? A blog by David Osborn - Questions around Government governance Exploring the barriers that impact access to NHS care for people with ME and Long Covid Patient safety concerns for Long COVID patients

Blood clots, particularly deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), together venous thromboembolism (VTE), pose a significant health threat to patients. These potentially life-threatening conditions can manifest silently and without warning, making vigilance and knowledge crucial. In this Top picks, we’ve pulled together resources, blogs and reports from the hub for patients and healthcare professionals, which focus on how to recognise venous thromboembolism and how to improve patient safety. 1. Deep vein thrombosis: understanding and managing your risk In this blog, Jo Jerrome, CEO of Thrombosis UK, explains the dangers of DVT and why it is important for patients and staff to be aware of the risk factors. Jo offers advice on how we can all manage our risk of DVT. 2. HSIB - Clinical decision making: diagnosis of pulmonary embolism in emergency departments This investigation by the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) explores the timely recognition and treatment of suspected pulmonary embolism in emergency departments. 3. Jenny, and why we must learn from her misdiagnosis of pulmonary embolism Jenny Edwards died in February 2022 from pulmonary embolism, following misdiagnosis. In this blog, her son Tim introduces us to Jenny, illustrating the deep loss felt following her premature passing. He talks about the care she received and argues that there were multiple points at which pulmonary embolism should have been suspected. 4. Venous thromboembolism (VTE): deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism VTE is a significant cause of mortality, long-term disability and long-lasting ill-health problems – many of which are avoidable. 1 in 20 people will have a VTE at some time in their life and the risk increases with age. This NHS Resolution guide provides more information about the risks of VTE and how to spot the common signs and symptoms. 5. HSIB - The assessment of venous thromboembolism risks associated with pregnancy and the postnatal period final report This investigation by the HSIB explores the issues associated with the assessment of risk factors for venous thrombosis in pregnancy and the first six weeks after birth. 6. NHS Resolution: Working to prevent avoidable venous thromboembolism VTE is an international patient safety issue and a clinical priority for the NHS. Around half of all cases of VTE are associated with hospitalisation, with many events occurring up to 90 days after admission. It is a leading and preventable cause of death in an estimated 25,000 of hospitalised patients each year. This information leaflet highlights the cost of VTE claims and what you can do in your organisation to prevent VTE. 7. Pulmonary embolism misdiagnosis – a systemic problem Tim Edwards is a risk management expert and son of Jenny, who passed away in February 2022 from pulmonary embolism, following a misdiagnosis. Frustrated by the quality of the initial investigation that followed her death and the lack of assurance that learning would take place, Tim conducted an independent review. In this opinion piece, Tim draws on his research to highlight the key patient safety issues, and to encourage further dialogue around the topic. 8. Let's Talk Clots! Help reduce your risk of DVT and PE in hospital with this simple app Download the free Let’s Talk Clots patient information app from Thrombosis UK, and help reduce your risk of DVT and pulmonary embolism in hospital. 9. Patient Safety Spotlight Interview with Beverley Hunt, Professor of Thrombosis and Haemostasis and founder of Thrombosis UK In this interview, Beverley Hunt talks about setting up Thrombosis UK and how it has grown to have a national impact on patient safety in hospitals. She also describes the value of combining policy work with seeing patients face-to-face, and explores the need to find new ways of working to deal with the pressures facing the healthcare system. 10. Risk assessment models for venous thromboembolism in medical inpatients This cohort study in JAMA Network Open aimed to determine the prognostic performance of the simplified Geneva score and other validated risk assessment models (RAMs) to predict VTE in medical inpatients. The study provided a head-to-head comparison of validated RAMs among 1352 medical inpatients. It found that sensitivity of RAMs to predict 90-day VTE ranged from 39.3% to 82.1% and specificity of RAMs ranged from 34.3% to 70.4%. The authors concluded that the clinical usefulness of existing RAMs is questionable, highlighting the need for more accurate VTE prediction strategies. 11. HSIB: Investigation into management of venous thromboembolism risk in patients following thrombolysis for an acute stroke This HSIB investigation focused on the management of VTE risk in inpatients following thrombolysis for an acute stroke detection of medical problems (that impact on VTE risk) occurring in inpatients following thrombolysis for an acute stroke. Do you have a resource or story to share? We’d love to hear about it - leave a comment below or join the hub to share your own post.

Are all of your severely immunocompromised patients aged 50 and over vaccinated against shingles? These patients are eligible for vaccination through the National programme Discuss identifying and vaccinating your most vulnerable patients, and how GSK can support you. This event is organised and funded by GSK­­. Further information and registration

The International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations (IAPO) and Patient Academy for Innovation and Research (PAIR Academy) in partnership with Dakshama Health are launching a series of webinars to introduce the Strategic Framework of the Global Patient Safety Challenge - Medication Without Harm. The theme of the 5th webinar of the medication without harm webinar series is "Medication safety in high-risk situations”. This webinar will emphasise how to address high-risk situations and reduce the risk of medication-related harm, within WHO’s Global Patient Safety Challenge: Medication Without Harm, to improve medication safety. The patient safety series of webinars will focus on the strategic framework of the Global Patient Safety Challenge, which depicts the four domains of the challenge: patients and the public, health care professionals, medicine, and systems and practices of medication, and the three key action areas—namely polypharmacy, high-risk situations, and transitions of care, The series of webinars will share challenges, technical strategies, tools, and patient experiences in implementing the Strategic Framework of the Global Patient Safety Challenge to reduce medication-related harm. Register #medicationwithoutharm #medicationsafety #medications #patientafety #safemeds

This webinar by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices in the US is aimed at: Pharmacists, physicians, nurses Medication safety officers Quality professionals Risk managers Leaders in pharmacy and nursing Pharmacy and anaesthesia technicians Although most medications in healthcare today have a wide margin of safety, there remains some which can cause serious harm or death if they are misused. To reduce the risk of error with these “high-alert” medications, special precautions and high leverage strategies should be implemented to avoid serious patient safety events. Many organizations have taken steps to identify these medications, but many are still less than confident that they have taken all the necessary precautions with high-alert drugs against serious patient harm. Join the ISMP faculty as we examine and define the importance of high alert medications as part of routine patient care and review the results of ISMP’s National Medication Safety Self Assessment® for High-Alert Medications with particular attention to vasopressors and insulin. Faculty will review specific safety characteristics of each these important drug classes, describe self assessment findings related to the use of these medications and discuss the necessary strategies for harm prevention when using these medications. Register for the webinar 3.00pm Eastern Time (US and Canada), 8.00pm GMT