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  1. News Article
    NHS England has paused a major AI project after concerns were raised about how the primary care records of 57 million people were used to train it. The Joint General Practice IT Committee (JGPITC) – a collaboration between the Royal College of General Practitioners and the British Medical Association – wrote to NHSE last month to question the lawfulness of the Foresight AI project. Foresight is the result of a data sharing agreement between NHSE and a consortium of researchers brought together by the British Heart Foundation. It will be used to predict potential future outcomes for patients that could be used to identify opportunities for early intervention. In its letter, the JGPITC said it was “very surprised and extremely concerned” to learn of the project, which used the GPES Data for Pandemic Planning and Research dataset to train the AI model. The committee said it had “serious concerns about the lawfulness of the data use for this project” and the “apparent absence of strict governance arrangements”. An NHSE spokesperson said: “Maintaining patient privacy is central to this project and we are grateful to the Joint GP IT Committee for raising its concerns and meeting with us to discuss the strict governance and controls in place to ensure patients’ data remains secure.” Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 4 June 2025
  2. Content Article
    A Brighton GP surgery is under threat despite providing excellent services and strong links to the local community. This decision flies in the face of the proven 'social value' being delivered and potentially puts patients at risk. The reasons are presented in this excellent article which exposes the continued 'race to the bottom' due to an apparently unnecessary tendering exercise, a decision made behind closed doors and a failure to consult. Quote from Polly Toynbee's article in the Guardian: "Here’s the puzzle. Andrew Lansley’s calamitous system that opened the NHS to “any willing provider” to compete for contracts was supposedly swept away in 2022, replaced with ICBs that strove for cooperation across all NHS and social services in England. Yet some ICBs still apply the old competitive impulse to NHS services, even though they now have an obligation to ensure that tenders help to reduce inequalities."
  3. News Article
    Two maternity units in Kent have shown signs of improvements three years after a damning independent review found up to 45 babies might have survived if they had received better care, a report has said. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) report rated maternity services at William Harvey Hospital in Ashford and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital in Margate as good, two years after they were downgraded to inadequate. The CQC said "significant improvements" had been made at both units to safety, leadership, culture, the environment and staffing levels. Tracey Fletcher, chief executive of East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust, said the report was "an important milestone in our continuing work to improve our services". Serena Coleman, CQC's deputy director of operations in Kent, said: "We found significant improvements and a better quality service for women, people using the service and their babies. "This turnaround in ratings across both services demonstrates what can be achieved with strong and capable leaders who focus on an inclusive and positive culture." Kaye Wilson, chief midwife for the South East at NHS England, said: "This report marks a turning point for services at East Kent and is the result of the commitment, determination and sheer hard work of midwives, obstetricians and the whole maternity team." Read full story Source: BBC News,15 May 2025
  4. Event
    This webinar will have an emphasis on the role of local Healthwatch organisations and it will provide practical guidance on how Healthwatch can safeguard patient data, adhere to regulations, and ensure trust in healthcare services. It will be looking at: Importance of cybersecurity and data protection Role of local Healthwatch in data and cyber protection Cybersecurity threats in healthcare Best practices for data security Legal framework for data protection Collaboration with healthcare providers Who can attend? This joint event with Healthwatch England is designed for adult health and social care providers in England and are aimed at people who make decisions about the use of technology in care services. For Healthwatch staff who support this sector. This might also include: Owners Registered Managers Nurses Senior Care Staff Domiciliary Care Administrators IT Professionals Quality & Compliance Leads Register
  5. Content Article
    This King's Fund article sets out how prioritising non-clinical support for people who frequently attend A&E can contribute to the government’s ambition to deliver three major shifts in health and care.
  6. Content Article
    The Patients Association and the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) have published a joint report setting out a bold new vision for reforming outpatient services in the NHS over the next decade. Outpatient care (planned specialist care delivered without an overnight hospital stay) is one of the most commonly used NHS services, with over 135 million appointments in 2023/24 alone. Yet for many patients, the experience is marked by long waits, fragmented communication, and a lack of coordination between services. Drawing on extensive engagement with patients, clinicians and NHS England, Prescription for outpatients: reimagining planned specialist care outlines five key ambitions to reshape the outpatient model: provide timely care by the right person, in the right setting, empower patients through personalised care and self-management, improve communication across professionals and with patients, use innovative models of care to avoid unnecessary appointments, harness data and technology to reduce inequalities and prioritise need. The report also proposes eight transformational shifts to how care is delivered, supported by five key enablers including digital infrastructure, workforce investment, and improved commissioning models. Collectively, these changes aim to ensure outpatient services are more efficient, equitable and centred around patients' needs.
  7. Content Article
    When they get into the system, people living with mental health issues are typically prescribed medication. The most common prescriptions are for antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, stimulants for ADHD, and antipsychotics for conditions like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. These are dangerous drugs if not taken properly, with potentially serious side effects. So taking them on time, in the right dosage, is vitally important. According to the Pharmaceutical Press: “Adhering to (or compliance with) the recommendations on how to take all these medicines is essential if they are to work successfully and with minimal side effects”. But those at home living with mental health issues are the ones most likely to fail to remember to take their meds, or to deliberately overdose. So there need to be systems in place to monitor and report on this most vulnerable group. What could those systems look like, and what are the most effective mechanisms for ensuring adherence and safety?
  8. Content Article
    More information about "Care co-ordination for people with long-term conditions: Patient Safety Learning’s response to HSSIB investigation"
    On the 10 April 2025, the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) published a report looking at how care is co-ordinated for people with long-term conditions. In particular, the investigation considered the role of ‘care co-ordinator’ to understand how care is co-ordinated within the existing workforce. In this blog, Patient Safety Learning sets out its reflections on the findings and recommendations in this report. HSSIB investigates patient safety concerns across the NHS in England and in independent healthcare settings where safety learning could also help to improve NHS care. Their latest report looks at primary and community care co-ordination for people with long-term conditions, specifically considering the role of ‘care coordinator’ in this context.[1] While language around the care coordination is varied, the role of care co-ordinated is defined by NHS England as follows: “Care co-ordinators help to co-ordinate and navigate care across the health and care system, helping people make the right connections, with the right teams at the right time. They can support people to become more active in their own health and care and are skilled in assessing people’s changing needs. Care co-ordinators are effective in bringing together multidisciplinary teams to support people’s complex health and care needs.”[2] In this blog we set out our reflections on the findings and recommendations in this HSSIB investigation. Challenges navigating the healthcare system Navigating the healthcare system in the UK can be complex and frustrating for patients, families and carers. At Patient Safety Learning we hear time and time again about the lack of joined up care and communication within and across organisations. Failing to share the right information at the right time can create significant patient safety risks. Poor communications, both with patients and between healthcare professionals, can result in misunderstandings and mistakes resulting in poor outcomes and potentially patient harm. In a recent series of blogs published on the hub, patients and their relatives shared with us the challenges and barriers they have faced when trying to navigate the healthcare system.[3] The concerns and issues raised in this HSSIB investigation echo many of the key themes we identified in our new blog series. Confusing communications HSSIB’s report refers to the case of a child prescribed anti-epileptic medication by a specialist hospital to reduce the number and severity of their seizures. It then details the difficulties the parents subsequently found in getting this medication through their GP or consultant. The parents highlighted concerns about the lack of communication between the separate services, with the report noting: “The parents told the investigation that they were ‘exhausted’ because of the effort they had had to put in over the years to connect services together, having to tell the same story over and over again, while having to provide care for their child.” Delays to treatment The investigation report also highlights the case of a middle-aged professional working man who suffered a stroke. He received hospital care to treat and manage his healthcare needs; however, once discharged he encountered significant difficulties when seeking appropriate support for his additional healthcare needs. HSSIB highlighted how he had told them it required significant effort from him directly to ensure the right level of care was maintained for his needs. Recounting his experience, the report states: “He said that these multiple agencies ‘all operate in their own silos’ and not as a team, and that ‘there was nobody to create that team [a cross-system team aware of all his health and care concerns]’. The way that he and his wife cope with this situation is that they ‘manage the team’ to connect the individual parts of the system and get the care he needs.” Impact on mental health HSSIB also spoke to a man in his late seventies who is the main carer for his wife. She has multiple long-term conditions that require primary, secondary and community care. Reflecting on the impact that coordinating her care had on their lives, the report noted: “The husband explained that his role of care co-ordinator had placed a considerable burden on him, which led him to ‘feel overwhelmed’. He said that because he needing to act as her ‘co-ordinator’ he was unable to spend time with his wife as her husband. He also described having to administer medication and dress his wife’s wound which caused her considerable pain.” HSSIB’s investigation also highlights broader areas of concern relating to the coordination of care in the healthcare system, again mirroring themes raised we heard from patients in our recent blog series. Difficulties sharing information The investigation highlights a recurring concern around problems sharing patient information and the negative impact of this on coordinating a patient’s care. It highlights both issues of digital systems in different organisations not being compatible with one another and other barriers, stating: “Healthcare professionals described the challenges in information sharing. Digital patient records could not be viewed across primary, community, secondary and tertiary care because information technology systems are unable to ‘talk to each other’. They also said that sometimes they were unsure whether patient information could be shared as it was ‘protected information’. This was a particular problem when trying to share information between health and social care.” A complex and confusing system The report also reflects more broadly on how accessing and navigating health and care services can be difficult and complex, and potentially overwhelming for patients. This was highlighted by examples such as this from the investigation: “A GP practice told the investigation that it had tried to put together an easy-to-read document explaining the care pathway for patients with dementia, including contact numbers and ways to access services. The GP practice went on to say that the system was so complex that it was unable to bring together all the information. It stated: ‘We are healthcare professionals and we can’t do this, so how can patients cope?’” Safety recommendations A theme that runs throughout HSSIB’s investigation is that there is a clear need and support for the role of care co-ordination. It highlights that while patients and carers can, and often do, themselves act in this role, when they are unwell or unable to do so a patient’s care can be significantly impacted. The report states that the availability of care co-ordination varies widely across the system. This is a particular issue for those living with multiple long-term conditions as there is no single centralised care co-ordination function to span across primary, secondary and tertiary care. Concluding its investigation, HSSIB recommends that: NHS England/Department of Health and Social Care, working with other relevant organisations, reviews and evaluates the implementation of the care co-ordinator role. This is to ensure that all patients with long-term conditions have their care co-ordinated and that they have a single point of contact 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to help them with any queries or concerns that they may have. The Department of Health and Social Care works with NHS England and other stakeholders to develop a strategy that ensures that all diseases are given parity and that all people with a long-term condition in primary, secondary, tertiary and community or social care have their care effectively co-ordinated across multiple agencies. This is to ensure that people with long-term health conditions have co-ordinated care plans with effective communication between services and a single point of contact for concerns or questions. Patient Safety Learning agrees that there needs to be greater time and investment into care coordination. On the first recommendation, we would note that seeking to ensure all patients with long-term conditions have a single point of contact 24 hours of day, 7 days a week, would be a significant shift from the status quo. This would require a clear commitment of both financial and workforce resources from NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care to deliver. In considering how this might be approached, it would also be important to consider: How this can be flexible depending on the long-term condition in question. Different conditions will require different levels and types of coordination. Systemic barriers that result in many of the difficulties navigating the care system would not be addressed by implementing this recommendation. For example: – We would continue to have various digital systems in primary, secondary and tertiary care that lack interoperability (the ability of computer systems or software to exchange and make use of information). – Non-digital communication barriers that prevent cross-organisational sharing of information in the NHS, ranging from data sharing restrictions to cultural attitudes within organisations, would also remain. On the second recommendation we agree with the principle of this, that there needs to be parity for people with a long-term condition and an expectation that their care is effectively co-ordinated across multiple agencies. Poorly coordinated care is not only confusing and frustrating for patients but also creates safety risks that can result in serious avoidable harm. Concluding comments The challenges of navigating the healthcare system discussed in this report are not a new issue, but a long-standing set of problems that do not have a simple solution. Their impact on patient experiences and outcomes is exacerbated in the current environment, when our healthcare system that is under increasing pressure and in a “critical condition”.[4] Patient Safety Learning believes that care co-ordination should form an important area of focus for the UK Government’s forthcoming 10 Year Health Plan. If it is to achieve its strategic ‘shift’ of moving the future of the NHS from "hospital to community" this will require a healthcare system where patients aren’t simply left to "join the dots for patient safety".[5] This will require organisational and leadership commitment to take forward the issues raised in this HSSIB investigation. The needs of patients should be central to improving health and care services, actively listening and acting on their experiences and insights when things go wrong for safety improvement. References HSSIB. Workforce and patient safety: primary and community care co-ordination for people with long-term conditions, 10 April 2025. NHS England. Care co-ordinators, Last accessed 10 April 2025. Patient Safety Learning. The challenges of navigating the healthcare system, 24 February 2025. UK Parliament. NHS: Independent Investigation, Hansard, Volume 753, 12 September 2024. Department of Health and Social Care, Independent report: Review into the operational effectiveness of the Care Quality Commission, 15 October 2024. Related reading Digital-only prescription requests: An elderly woman sent round the houses How the Patients Association helpline can help you navigate your care Lost in the system? NHS referrals Navigating the healthcare system as a university student: My personal experience The challenges of navigating the healthcare system: David's story The challenges of navigating the healthcare system: Sue's story Share your story What has been your experience of navigating the healthcare system? What is and isn’t working? How does it feel as a patient or carer when you hit barriers? Has your health been affected? Share your story in our community forum or contact our editorial team at [email protected].
  9. Content Article
    People who have a long-term condition may be in contact with multiple health and care organisations and may experience harm if their care is not co-ordinated. This investigation focuses on people with long-term conditions and how their care is co-ordinated, specifically considering the role of ‘care co-ordinator’. It is intended for healthcare organisations, policymakers and the public to help improve patient safety in relation to co-ordinating care for people with long-term or complex healthcare needs.  Findings The NHS has produced a definition of the professional role of NHS care co-ordinator. However, there is variation in how this role is implemented. Other national organisations have different definitions of care co-ordination and care navigation, which can create ambiguity for people overseeing these roles. There is not a single person/role/organisation responsible for co-ordinating care for people with long-term or complex health and care needs across multiple health and care organisations. The health and care system frequently fails to support care co-ordination across multiple care pathways and instead focuses on individual diseases or issues. This can leave people who have complex long-term conditions with uncoordinated care. Accessing and navigating health and care services can be difficult and complex, and patients and carers would like improved service integration and care co-ordination. Patients and carers act as a central point for information and contact for providers, but when they are unwell or unable to do this, care can be impacted. People who are unable to navigate the health and care system can experience deterioration of health, miss appointments or their care may become delayed or forgotten about, meaning they may need more intense treatment in the future or longer stays in hospital. Patients and carers have to retell their health history to different health and care providers. They believe the system is not joined up and that information does not flow across health and care organisations, or that different parts of the system cannot access information from other providers. When patients are discharged from a health or care setting out of normal working hours they do not always know who they can speak to about any concerns or their ongoing care. Different methods of sharing health and care information can create an information gap, particularly out of hours and at the weekend, resulting in a situation where not all health and care staff have the appropriate information to make decisions. Patients and carers can feel exhausted, burnt out, frustrated, angry and guilty, among other emotions. Patients and carers physical and mental health may deteriorate because of the extra burden of navigating the health and care system. Patients and carers may disengage with the health and care system because they are exhausted and frustrated. This may lead to poor outcomes for both patients and carers. There are different ways of supporting care co-ordination across the system, some of which are assisted by the charity sector. Safety recommendations HSSIB recommends that NHS England/Department of Health and Social Care, working with other relevant organisations, reviews and evaluates the implementation of the care co-ordinator role. This is to ensure that all patients with long-term conditions have their care co-ordinated and that they have a single point of contact 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to help them with any queries or concerns that they may have. HSSIB recommends that the Department of Health and Social Care works with NHS England and other stakeholders, to develop a strategy that ensures that all diseases are given parity and that all people with a long-term condition in primary, secondary, tertiary and community or social care have their care effectively co-ordinated across multiple agencies. This is to ensure that people with long-term health conditions have co-ordinated care plans with effective communication between services and a single point of contact for concerns or questions. Safety observation Health and care organisations can improve patient safety by allocating a point of contact for patients and/or their carers when people are discharged from services out of normal working hours. This will ensure patients and their carers are able to escalate any concerns relating to their ongoing care and drive improvements in care co-ordination. Related reading on the hub: Read Patient's Safety Learning's response to the findings and recommendations of this HSSIB report
  10. Content Article
    The Nuffield Trust and The King’s Fund join forces each year to analyse and present findings from the gold-standard survey of public attitudes and opinions towards the NHS and social care, as surveyed by NatCen. The 2024 survey results show that the British public are deeply unhappy with the way the NHS runs – just 1 in 5 people said they were satisfied. Key findings Satisfaction with the NHS In 2024, just one in five British adults (21%) were ‘very’ or ‘quite’ satisfied with the way in which the NHS runs. This is the lowest level of satisfaction recorded since the survey began in 1983 and shows a steep decline of 39 percentage points since 2019. Only 2% of respondents were ‘very’ satisfied with the NHS, down from 4% in 2023. The percentage of people who were ‘very’ or ‘quite’ dissatisfied with the NHS rose to 59% in 2024, from 52% in 2023. This represents a statistically significant 7-percentage-point increase from the year before, which already had the highest dissatisfaction seen in 40 years of the British Social Attitudes survey. A higher proportion of people in Wales (72%) were dissatisfied with the NHS compared to the survey average and compared to people in England (59%). Supporters of the Reform party were less likely to be satisfied (13%) than the survey average and this was significant after controlling for other variables like age and income. There is a divide between generations, with satisfaction lower and falling in younger age groups. While the proportion of people who were satisfied rose slightly for those aged 65 and over, from 25% to 27%, among those under 65 it fell significantly, from 24% to 19%. Satisfaction with social care In 2024, only 13% of respondents said they were ‘very’ or ‘quite’ satisfied with social care (the same figure as 2023). 53% of respondents were ‘very’ or ‘quite’ dissatisfied. Respondents in Wales (69%) were again significantly more likely to be dissatisfied than the survey average. Satisfaction with different NHS services Public satisfaction with A&E services has fallen sharply, from 31% to just 19%, and dissatisfaction has risen from 37% to 52%. These are the worst figures on record by a large margin and make A&E the service with lowest satisfaction levels for the first time. Satisfaction with NHS dentistry has continued to collapse. As recently as 2019 this was at 60%, but it has now fallen to a record low of 20%. Dissatisfaction levels (55%) are the highest for any specific NHS service asked about. Satisfaction with GP services continued to fall, mirroring the trend over the last few years. 31% of respondents said they were satisfied with GP services, compared with 34% in 2023. Inpatient and outpatient hospital care is the part of the NHS with the highest levels of satisfaction, with 32% saying they were satisfied and only 28% dissatisfied. Attitudes to standards of care, staffing and efficiency The majority of the public (51%) said they were satisfied with the quality of NHS care. People aged 65 and over were more likely to be satisfied (68%) with the quality of NHS care than those under 65 (47%). Dissatisfaction with waiting times and the ability to get an appointment is widespread, and is consistent across respondents from all ages and UK countries: 62% of all respondents were dissatisfied with the time it takes to get a GP appointment. 23% were satisfied. 65% of respondents said they were dissatisfied with the length of time it takes to get hospital care. 14% said they were satisfied. Dissatisfaction levels are highest regarding the length of time it takes to be seen in A&E. 69% of respondents said they were dissatisfied, while just 12% said they were satisfied. Only 11% agreed that ‘there are enough staff in the NHS these days’. 72% disagreed. NHS funding, principles and priorities 8% of respondents said that the government spent too much or far too much money on the NHS; 21% said that it spent about the right amount, and 69% said that it spent too little or far too little. When asked about government choices on tax and spending on the NHS, the public would narrowly choose increasing taxes and raising NHS spend (46%) over keeping them the same (41%). Only 8% would prefer tax reductions and lower NHS spending. Only 14% of respondents agreed that ‘the NHS spends the money it has efficiently’. 51% disagreed with this statement. Respondents felt the most important priorities for the NHS should be making it easier to get a GP appointment (51%) and improving A&E waiting times (49%), with increases in staff (48%) and better hospital waiting times close behind (also 48%). A&E has now slightly overtaken staffing as a priority, reflecting the sharp fall in satisfaction described above. People under 65 were more likely to prioritise improving mental health services (34%) than those aged 65 and over (21%). As in previous years, a strong majority of respondents agreed that the founding principles of the NHS should ‘definitely’ or ‘probably’ apply in 2024: that the NHS should be free of charge when you need to use it (90%); the NHS should primarily be funded through taxes (80%); and the NHS should be available to everyone (77%). The percentage of people saying that the NHS should ‘definitely’ be available to everyone decreased from 67% in 2023 to 56% in 2024. This is the only statistically significant change year-on-year across all three principles. Supporters of the Reform party (20%) were significantly less likely to say that the NHS should ‘definitely’ be available to everyone than the survey average.
  11. News Article
    Mental health patients are routinely smoking on trust premises, and do not have enough support to stop, despite the threat of tightening rules. Public health charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) surveyed mental health trusts at the end of last year and found that although the vast majority of had smoke-free policies, fewer than half were able to support their patients to stop smoking. ASH found mental health patients still routinely smoked on trust sites, often with the support of staff, and with “patchy” tobacco dependence treatment. The charity warned implementation of “tobacco dependence treatment services” had been inhibited by “staff attitudes and beliefs, lack of capacity and resources, lack of leadership, and inadequate or poorly enforced policy”. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 18 March 2025
  12. Content Article
    This study from Spain investigated the factors influencing medication errors made by informal caregivers while providing care at home.    It found that errors made by informal caregivers occur more frequently than expected, and recognising these errors remains a challenge. Training is essential for creating safer care environments by increasing awareness of error sources and the risks associated with medication. Recipients’ direct relatives should receive appropriate training, considering differences between male and female caregivers. Associations and companies within the care economy sector should prioritise the creation of safer home care environments as a key objective.
  13. Content Article
    The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh’s Patient Safety Group is dedicated to upholding patient safety and ensuring that the highest standards of care remain central to the College’s mission. These core values are at the heart of everything the College does. Learn more in the attached e-flyer, including some resources available on page 2.
  14. News Article
    The rate of patients dying by suicide shortly after discharge from mental health units has increased in recent years, with researchers calling for better post-discharge support. According to the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Safety in Mental Health annual report – an audit published by the Health Quality Improvement Partnership – the number and rate of deaths after discharge from a ward have been gradually increasing since 2017, after falling from 2013-17. The rate in 2022, the most recent figures reported, was 14.1 per 10,000 discharges. Isabelle Hunt, senior research fellow at the Manchester University and report co-author, told HSJ the most recent figures should be “treated with caution”, but added that the rise in post-discharge suicides could be attributed to the case mix of patients. A “reduction in inpatient beds” could mean “a higher-risk group of patients are being managed by services” and being discharged when more unwell. Dr Hunt said the increases could also be associated with changes in the circumstances patients are being discharged to. “Around a quarter of patients who died by suicide within three months of discharge were known to have been discharged to housing, financial or employment problems and a fifth were discharged to poor social support,” Dr Hunt said. “Awareness of the stressors patients may face after leaving hospital is a key element when judging the appropriateness of discharge, and greater involvement of families and carers is likely to provide a clearer picture of the circumstances a patient is returning to.” Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 12 March 2025
  15. News Article
    Mental health charities in England are struggling to cope with the number of sick patients referred to them by GPs, with under-qualified professionals increasingly tasked with treating the seriously ill. Experts told the Guardian that some desperate GPs were “signposting” patients to services not always equipped to deal with them. These are provided by unregulated charities, which employ practitioners who are not always transparent about their qualifications or level of competence. Some charities reported struggling to cope with demand, with their staff, who do not need the specific qualifications required by the NHS, finding themselves tasked with helping the sickest patients. “The issue is that people are desperate,” said Jaime Craig, who will be appointed chair of the Association of Clinical Psychologists in May. “There’s very limited access to services, and so people go to the GP and they say: ‘Well, I’ve had a flyer from this person who’s offering counselling, why don’t you try them?’ “To be fair to GPs, sometimes their local areas don’t have an awful lot to offer in terms of mental health support and they are struggling with the amount of people coming in for psychological or counselling support. “But there’s a big problem because the patient can’t know whether what is being suggested on a leaflet or a website is OK unless someone does some vetting.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 12 March 2025
  16. News Article
    t-home tests for men worried about prostate cancer can give inconsistent and inaccurate results, BBC News has found. The tests, which resemble a Covid lateral flow strip, turn positive if a high level of a protein called PSA is detected in a drop of blood. Of five rapid tests analysed by the BBC, one did not work, three were negative or all-clear, but one returned a false positive result - all from the same blood sample. Prostate Cancer UK said it had significant concerns about the sale of the tests given their "questionable accuracy" and the absence of a doctor to interpret the results. There is no national prostate cancer screening programme in the UK, unlike for breast, bowel and cervical cancer. Instead, the onus is on men to request a blood test from their GP once they are over 50 years old, external, or from 45 for higher risk groups. That NHS test, which is processed in a laboratory, measures the level of PSA released by the prostate, a small gland involved in the production of semen. A high PSA level does not mean you have cancer but is a warning sign which can then lead to further scans and tests to rule out the disease. Dozens of companies now sell self-testing kits designed to measure PSA levels. The UK medicines regulator, the MHRA, says in its guidance that over-the-counter PSA kits are "not a reliable indicator of prostate cancer" and must not "claim to detect cancer". "As your experience shows, these rapid tests appear to have questionable accuracy," says Amy Rylance, assistant director of health improvement at Prostate Cancer UK. "That's a big problem because they can falsely reassure people who really do have elevated levels of PSA and should seek further testing, or they can cause undue worry among people who are absolutely fine." Read full story Source: BBC News, 5 March 2025
  17. News Article
    An AI tool is being rolled out across the NHS that can predict a patient’s risk of falling with 97% accuracy, preventing up to 2,000 falls and hospital admissions each day. The predictive tool, developed by Cera, is being used in more than two million patient home care visits a month, monitoring vital health signs such as blood pressure, heart rate and temperature, to predict signs of deterioration in advance so it can then alert healthcare staff. It is in use across more than two-thirds of NHS integrated care systems and helps to provide care at home by flagging up to 5,000 high-risk alerts a day, reducing hospitalisations by up to 70%. Dr Vin Diwakar, national director of transformation at NHS England, said: “This new tool now being used across the country shows how the NHS is harnessing the latest technology, including AI, to not only improve the care patients receive but also to boost efficiency across the NHS by cutting unnecessary admissions and freeing up beds ahead of next winter, helping hospitals to mitigate typical seasonal pressures. “We know falls are the leading cause of hospital admissions in older people, causing untold suffering, affecting millions each year and costing the NHS around £2 billion, so this new software has the potential to be a real game-changer in the way we can predict, prevent and treat people in the community. “This AI tool is a perfect example of how the NHS can use the latest tech to keep more patients safe at home and out of hospital, two cornerstones of the upcoming 10-year Health Plan that will see shifts from analogue to digital, and from hospital to community care.” The software will also be used to detect the symptoms of winter illnesses like Covid, flu, RSV, and norovirus, allowing NHS and care teams to intervene before hospital care is needed. Read full story Source: Digital Health, 5 March 2025
  18. Content Article
    The immediate release of test results to patients via patient portals is required. However, pathology reports contain complex medical terminology, are not written for patients and are often read by patients before discussion with a healthcare professional. Whether patients can extract relevant diagnostic knowledge from these reports is unclear. To address this challenge, US researchers have designed patient-centred pathology report (PCPR) formats, which present the most important clinical data from the pathology report in plain language. Pathologists can generate PCPRs as a supplement to their standard report using a template in a few minutes. However, no previous study has directly compared PCPRs with standard report formats in current use. This study compared diagnosis knowledge and worry among adults presented with different formats of prostate biopsy reports.
  19. Content Article
    Patient-Reported Indicator Surveys initiative (PaRIS) was set up by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to allow countries to work together on developing, standardising and implementing a new generation of indicators that measure the outcomes and experiences of healthcare that matter most to people. The PaRIS survey aims to fill a critical gap in primary healthcare by asking about aspects like quality of life, physical functioning, psychological well-being and experiences of healthcare. This website explains how PaRIS works and provides access to research outputs.
  20. Content Article
    The growing pressure of workload and staff shortages – and the decline in patient satisfaction in primary care in the UK – is a topic that’s generating a lot of discussion in healthcare.  Host Kristina Wanyonyi-Kay and guests Patrick Burch, Georgia Black, and Sean Manzi discuss:  How might increasing access to NHS care and changing how pathways are navigated impact a patient’s experiences of the healthcare system?  The power of multidisciplinary teams in tackling complex problems by defining the right pathway  How does a busy GP make a judgment call when they’re balancing the pressures of time, capacity, and urgent patient needs?  What is the system level approach, and what trade-offs have to be made? 
  21. Content Article
    Research led by Lancaster University has revealed that the exceptional circumstances early in the Covid-19 pandemic led to distressing experiences of death and dying in care homes. Not only did care homes suffer significantly high death rates amongst residents , but this was compounded by the impact of social distancing restrictions on family visiting and external support from palliative care teams for some care home residents dying in the early months of the pandemic. The study was led by Lancaster Professor Nancy Preston of the International Observatory on End-of-Life Care with colleagues from Newcastle University and the University of Sheffield. The research explored the impact on care homes of the early waves of the pandemic between Autumn 2020 and Summer 2021. Interviews were conducted with 16 UK care home staff , three residents , five family members and health service staff working with ten care homes , exploring their experiences of death and dying. Experiences of death and dying in care homes were particularly distressing for staff and families at this time for a number of reasons. Preparing for large scale deaths The findings suggest that care home staff found the prospect of preparing for, and managing a large number of deaths particularly difficult, with one care home manager telling researchers that “Just before lockdown we had a nurse came to the home and said to us, ‘Right you need to be prepared to hold bodies in the care home. Do you have any cold bedrooms where you can hold bodies?’ … and I think that kind of hit us.” Policing family visiting due to social distancing restrictions Care home staff also found it very distressing enforcing strict social distancing restrictions on family visits when a care home resident was dying, which often brought them into conflict with their personal and professional instincts for supporting residents and families at these times. One care home worker said: “It’s just an awful position to be in because who are we to say they can’t say their goodbyes and for how long. That’s the bit that I find difficult.” Distress surrounding deaths for all involved Social distancing regulations were clearly also very distressing for families. As well as time restrictions on visits, they also had to choose a single family member to visit, which was difficult for all involved, and could cause family conflict. The findings suggest that the impact of these factors continued to affect families some months after their bereavement, with one telling researchers: “To end his life without having anyone there with him that he knows. That is just a terrible way to go and I don’t think we’ll ever forgive that really.” Staff also found resident deaths extremely distressing, particularly witnessing the rapid decline of residents whom they had often known and worked with for months or years. They reported not being able to offer the type of end-of-life care that they would wish to, and some felt they had limited external support in managing end-of-life care. Professor Nancy Preston said: “We don’t yet know the long-term impact of this distress for care home staff and families, but planning for future crises should have clear policies for end-of-life care, including prioritising family visiting and ensuring consistent access to external support services including specialist palliative care.”
  22. Community Post
    In a new series of blogs on the hub, patients and their relatives describe the challenges and barriers they have faced when trying to navigate the healthcare system. What has been your experience of navigating the healthcare system? What is and isn’t working? How does it feel as a patient or carer when you hit barriers? Has your health been affected? Or perhaps you're a healthcare professional who has insights to share? Is your work affected by disjointed systems? Have you been involved in implementing systems to help care coordination? Please comment below (sign up first for free) or you can email us at [email protected].
  23. News Article
    Software developed in Cambridge is helping nine hospitals to prioritise care, saving lives and freeing beds sooner Hospitals are using artificial intelligence to select high-risk patients to go to the front of the 7.5 million-long NHS waiting list. Software trained on more than 200 million records in 46 countries considers blood pressure, age, respiratory rate and where a patient lives to give them a risk score. Its introduction is part of increasingly urgent efforts by the health service to manage record numbers of patients stuck on waiting lists for routine treatment. Many will be deteriorating while they wait. This month The Sunday Times revealed that thousands have died, gone blind or suffered serious injuries, including having limbs amputated, because of delays and failures in their care. The problem is costing almost £900 million a year in negligence payouts. The NHS last hit its target to treat most patients within 18 weeks of being referred from their GP in February 2016. Now trusts are experimenting with new ways to balance the risks of such large waiting lists after the pandemic. AI software developed by the Cambridge-based company C2-Ai is being used in nine hospitals in Cheshire and Merseyside; similar tools are being piloted elsewhere. The technology helps identify patients who have a high risk of deteriorating while they wait, or who might struggle to recover after major surgery. These people are given help to improve their health while waiting and can be prioritised for surgery sooner. Almost 1,000 patients have benefited from interventions such as health coaching before and after surgery. The approach has almost eradicated post-op chest infections and halved the rate of other complications. It has also reduced the amount of time patients are staying in hospital by more than four days — meaning beds are free for those waiting in A&E or others needing routine surgery. One of those who is benefiting is Tim Ashcroft, a 74-year-old businessman who was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer in 2023. After six weeks of chemotherapy, Ashcroft, from Winsford, Cheshire, had surgery to remove his oesophagus and possible cancer of the colon. After the surgery he had a stoma — an opening in the abdomen — which led to a double hernia; he was put on a waiting list to have the procedure reversed. Ashcroft had lost five stone since the initial surgery. In October, the C2-Ai technology flagged him as a potential risk and he was given a referral to use a phone app, Surgery Hero, which provides tools for exercise, tracking food intake and mental health support. The app linked Ashcroft with a dietitian who helped manage his nutrition and maintain his weight. They also spoke to consultants to bring forward his surgery, which he is hoping to have in the coming weeks. “It gave me a sense that I can look after my health while I wait, and that’s important especially as waits are so long at the moment,” Ashcroft said. “If this is a process which can generally save time and save lives … I don’t think anyone would object to that.” Rowan Pritchard Jones, medical director of the Cheshire and Merseyside NHS region, said it was right for the NHS to prioritise higher-risk patients. “We really need to think more smartly about the risk that is sitting on our waiting lists,” he said. “Nobody gets better while waiting but there are certain groups of patients who disproportionately deteriorate while they wait — patients whose [mortality risk] might move from 15 per cent to 45 per cent.” According to Cheshire and Merseyside, 40 per cent of its highest risk patients — those living with a number of conditions or diseases at the same time — come from the 20 per cent most deprived members of the population. Pritchard Jones said: “We have patients to worry about here, patients who will do badly. Let’s think about stratifying patients by risk.” C2-Ai’s technology is not the only innovation being tried to spot patients at higher risk from waiting times. In Coventry, the cardiologist Kiran Patel developed an algorithm to identify patients who had higher clinical risks and underlying social and demographic factors that meant they should be prioritised for treatment. It took into account whether a person had made repeat visits to A&E and whether they lived in a deprived area or had other health conditions. Patel, now chief medical officer at University Hospitals Birmingham, believes similar approaches could be considered there. “We know from the evidence that people are dying more from non-pandemic related issues and deprivation of care,” he said. “So that evidence is out there, and the fact that we have long waiting lists, and the fact that there are millions of people on there, would suggest that it’s inevitable some may be dying.” The approach is likely to prove controversial, particularly if it is used to prioritise patients according to factors such as getting them back to work. Jo Andrews, a consultant anaesthetist and chief medical officer at the consultancy Carnall Farrar, said: “If we look at the national challenge around people who are off work sick, we need to go after the things where it’s going to make the greatest difference. “That requires a difficult conversation with people, because you would be saying to the 75-year-old waiting for their hip replacement who can’t play golf, ‘Sorry, you’re going to have to wait a bit longer’, because the 65-year-old who can’t work and is the sole breadwinner for their family needs to take priority.” From The Sunday Times
  24. Content Article
    All Together Better Sunderland is an alliance of local health and social care services working as an integrated ‘out of hospital’ system. By working in a much more joined up way, it supports Sunderland residents with long-term illness, health problems, mental health issues and disabilities. The service enables them to access care as close to home as possible and live healthy, independent lives. The alliance wanted to find a digital solution which would enable hundreds of elderly and vulnerable people in self-isolation to receive healthcare support with the use of home care technology.
  25. Event
    This conference focuses on recognising and responding to the deteriorating patient in primary and community care. The conference will include National Developments including the new Sepsis 2024 NICE guidance, the national rollout of Martha’s Rule, and focus on best practice in primary care. The conference will include practical case study based sessions on identifying patients at risk of deterioration, improving practice in patient observations, the role of human factors in responding to the deteriorating patient, improving escalation and understanding success factors in escalation, involving patients and families in recognising deterioration, using clinical judgement, and improving the communication and use of NEWS2 in primary care, the community including care homes, and at the interface of care. For further information and to book your place visit https://www.healthcareconferencesuk.co.uk/virtual-online-courses/deteriorating-patient-summit=primary-care or email [email protected] Follow on Twitter @HCUK_Clare #DeterioratingPatient hub members get a 20% discount. Email [email protected] for discount code.

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