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Found 134 results
  1. Event
    Aimed at Clinicians and Managers, this national virtual conference will provide a practical guide to human factors in healthcare, and how a human factors approach can improve patient care, quality, process, and safety. The conference delves into integrating human factors into healthcare systems and processes, clinical decision making, healthcare system design, quality of patient experience, medication safety, and workload, fatigue, and stress management. Throughout the day there will be interactive sessions, small breakout groups, and collaborative exercises, fostering a dynamic learning experience. This conference will enable you to: Network with colleagues who are working to embed a human factors approach. Learn from outstanding practice in using human factors and ergonomics to improve patient safety and quality. Reflect on national developments and learning including the patient safety syllabus and the role of human factors within the new Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF). Understand the tools and methodology. Develop your skills in training and educating frontline staff in human factors. Understand how you can improve patient safety incident investigation by using a human factors approach. Learn from case studies demonstrating the practical application of human factors to improve patient care and safety. Understand the role of human factors in improving culture and delivering psychological safety. Self assess and reflect on your own practice. Supports CPD professional development and acts as revalidation evidence. This course provides 5 Hrs training for CPD subject to peer group approval for revalidation purposes. Register We are pleased to offer hub members a free place using the code HCUK00HFPSL
  2. Content Article
    This paper is based on interviews with Chief People Officers (and their equivalent role) from NHS organisations in England, Northern Ireland and Wales. Individuals were invited to take part based on the authors’ knowledge of their organisations’ work to review and improve disciplinary processes. Some were at the start of a journey to address issues and concerns. Others were further forward. Of the 19 organisations approached, 16 responded. They represented acute trusts (7), ambulance services (1), community trusts (2), mental health trusts (4) and specialist trusts (2). Apart from a few deputies, the interviewees all held responsibility for People/HR in their organisations and were members of their executive teams. The authors conducted 90 minute interviews with participants between October 2024 and April 2025. Each related to the application of disciplinary policy and processes in the interviewee’s organisation. After transcription and undertaking a thematic analysis, seven themes were agreed from the interviews. How you can use this paper Discuss with senior HR leaders in your community: What are the points that resonate with you? What do you challenge or disagree with? How can the paper and its themes support change? Discuss with your HR team: How does your current practice align or differ from the themes raised? What themes do you wish to develop? What themes need further consideration and discussion? Can you use this paper to guide your approach to disciplinary processes in your organisation? Discuss with your executive team and board: Introduce the seven themes to colleagues for awareness and reflection. How do they wish to proceed – in-line with the seven themes or by challenging them and taking another approach? What data do they need to assess performance and outcomes? Seven themes and key take-aways The essential role of HR leadership Strengthen Board leadership so CPOs lead, own and report on disciplinary policy in line with organisational culture and values. Putting people at the centre Design policies that are accessible, humane and rooted in trust, written in clear language and focused on the people affected. Support for everyone involved Ensure consistent, structured support for staff under investigation, as well as for managers, investigators and HR teams. Addressing inequality Improve fairness, transparency and consistency in how disciplinary processes are applied across the workforce. Choosing the correct process Support managers to distinguish between conduct and capability issues and to intervene in all HR issues earlier and appropriately. Taking a last resort approach Prioritise informal resolution wherever appropriate to reduce harm and improve outcomes for individuals and teams. Pursue continuous improvement Embed ongoing learning in organisations, reviewing processes regularly and using data to drive improvement and consistency.
  3. Content Article
    More information about "The flexibility factor: whole population safety for today and tomorrow"
    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.
  4. Content Article
    Healthcare systems are trying to reduce “low-value” work, which are tasks that waste time without improving patient outcomes. While low-value clinical treatments are identified through strong evidence, patient safety practices often originate informally and lack clear proof of benefit. Many persist because they provide emotional reassurance or a sense of protection for staff, making them harder to remove. A new article by researchers from the NIHR Yorkshire and Humber PSRC highlights that de-implementing low-value patient safety practices requires different approaches than reducing low-value clinical care, as their origins and meanings are more complex.
  5. Content Article
    Healthcare staff adapt to challenges faced when delivering healthcare by using workarounds. Sometimes, safety standards, the very things used to routinely mitigate risk in healthcare, are the obstacles that staff work around. While workarounds have negative connotations, there is an argument that, in some circumstances, they contribute to the delivery of safe care. This scoping review explores the circumstances and perceived implications of safety standard workarounds (SSWAs) conducted in the delivery of frontline care. It found that SSWAs are used frequently during the delivery of everyday care, particularly during medication-related processes. These workarounds are often used to balance different risks and, in some circumstances, to achieve safe care.
  6. Content Article
    Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are an essential part of any business operations. They provide a clear and concise set of instructions for employees to follow, ensuring efficiency, consistency, and quality control. However, writing SOPs can be a daunting task, and many companies struggle with creating effective processes and procedures. Too often, common mistakes are made in the creation of these critical documents, resulting in poorly written procedures that fail to achieve their intended purpose. The challenge lies in creating comprehensive yet user-friendly SOPs that foster a streamlined, productive working environment while reducing errors and enhancing overall performance. This blog looks at the common mistakes when writing SOPs and how to avoid them.
  7. Content Article
    Project proposal to improve equality and reduce health inequalities. This NHS guidance is to assist organisations to develop a Standard Operating Process (SOP) for managing Covid-19 risk assessments.
  8. Content Article
    The organisation Medical Protection are calling on NHS Trusts across England to correctly follow national guidelines, to ensure doctors are treated fairly during disciplinary proceedings. Failure to conduct disciplinary processes swiftly and fairly can also perpetuate a culture of fear amongst doctors in the NHS. This also works against improving patient safety. Openness and learning in the NHS relies on doctors having confidence in senior management and their commitment to due process, which further underlines why it is so important to get this right. A recent survey of a group of Medical Protection members who have experienced a disciplinary during the past seven years found: 53% said that the disciplinary investigation against them lasted over 1 year - 22% said the process was over 2 years. 80% said the disciplinary investigation had a detrimental impact on their mental health. 44% said that they experienced suicidal thoughts during the investigation. 72% said it affected their personal lives. 75% said the length of the investigation affected their mental health. 81% said feeling 'guilty until proven innocent' affected their mental health. 85% said the malicious nature of the allegation significantly impacted their mental health. 18% either chose to retire early or had no choice but to retire early. 24% either left the Trust, or had no choice but to leave the Trust. 13% considered leaving the medical profession due to their experience. The report identifies four themes for ensuring a ‘good’ disciplinary process. Within each of these themes, specific areas are identified where changes should be made. Theme 1: Efficient Proportionate - Trusts must consider whether a matter may be dealt with in a less formal manner before proceeding to an MHPS investigation. Any move to exclude the doctor from their duties must also be proportionate to the nature of the investigation. Timely - When a doctor is put through a disciplinary process, it should begin and conclude in a timely manner. Theme 2: Fair Fair treatment for all parties The doctor and their representatives should receive fair treatment during proceedings, with due process followed and all necessary disclosures made. NHS staff involved in carrying out the disciplinary processes should also receive adequate, specialised training; Trusts should not be relying on competence or experience. Dedicated time should be ring-fenced for those involved in an investigation to ensure that MHPS deadlines can be met. Free from bias and discrimination Steps must be taken to ensure discrimination and bias are not factors that can initiate a disciplinary investigation. Information about the importance of defence organisation and union membership should be highlighted at each induction to maximise the chances of a doctor being able to access appropriate support during an investigation. Theme 3: Compassionate Considerate - The wellbeing of the doctor subject to investigation should be considered at all times, and active steps taken to offer support and mentorship. Well communicated - The disciplinary process should be communicated clearly and in plain language at the outset, and frequent communication should continue throughout, so doctors are aware of the status of the investigation and any delays. Theme 4: Accountable Accountability of employers - When a Trust or another employer is found to have behaved in a seriously wrong way during proceedings, a clear method needs to be established to hold them to account. Scrutiny - Senior managers and Trust Boards should have greater knowledge and scrutiny of disciplinary processes. Standardised reporting and data collection, such as the inclusion of disciplinary processes in governance audits, should be rolled out.
  9. Content Article
    A hospital-acquired pressure ulcer (HAPU) is a localised lesion or injury to the underlying tissue (wound) that happens while a patient is staying in hospital. It occurs when standardised nursing care is not correctly followed in the presence of friction and shear, leading to skin or underlying tissue breakdown. Unfortunately, inadequate knowledge of nurses to assess and provide standardised care for pressure ulcers or manage HAPUs results in patient harm. This study shared lessons from a reported HAPU incident and aimed to address the knowledge gap in patient safety risk assessment, identification and wound management at Nyaho Medical Centre (Accra, Ghana). A review of HAPU incidents was conducted using quality improvement tools such as cause-and-effect analyses to identify contributing factors and root causes. Subsequently, plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycles were used to test interventions to improve pressure ulcer assessments and wound management. A run chart was used to analyse and evaluate the interventions over time. Development of policies, SOPs and training for assessing and managing pressure ulcers and wounds reduced the number of HAPUs during the project period. This project demonstrated that the combined use of quality methods and tools can be suitable for improving processes and outcomes for patients at risk for HAPUs.
  10. Content Article
    The overall objective of a patient recall is to limit or mitigate the harm to patients and provide a clear focus for their ongoing care. Patient safety is the priority concern for all recall processes. The purpose of the national recall framework is to provide guidance on the arrangement of a recall of patients. This guidance is for patients who need to be called back by a healthcare provider for further consultation, review and/or clinical management because a potential or actual problem has been identified. There is a need to: understand if and how patients may have been affected and/or provide any further information, treatment and support needed.  The National Patient Recall Framework contains principles for conducting a patient recall in the interests of safety for providers of secondary care. It includes key elements which should be considered in order to conduct a recall process which is rigorous and patient-centred. Although this is for use in secondary care, the principles outlined may also be useful for recalls taking place in other settings.
  11. Content Article
    The regulation of health practitioners is an essential strategy to minimise instances of patient harm in health services by enabling access to practitioners who meet minimum criteria for patient safety. Although the models of regulation vary, regulatory functions include the following: defining and enforcing education standards; defining the minimum levels for competence and conduct of health practitioners; investigating complaints and enforcing discipline; and informing the public about regulated practitioners. Health practitioner regulation also has the potential to advance other health system priorities and objectives, such as workforce availability, equitable distribution and improved performance. This World Health Organization (WHO) guidance aims to inform the design, reform and implementation of health practitioner regulation and to strengthen regulatory systems and institutions. It highlights the contemporary issues in health practitioner regulation, discusses challenges in implementing regulatory policies and articulates policy considerations for the design, reform and implementation of regulation. Finally, it highlights evidence gaps and identifies a research agenda.
  12. News Article
    A mother whose daughter was found to have been neglected by a hospital before taking her own life has blamed the “failures of the system” for her daughter’s death and has demanded improved care for future patients. Court documents show Iona Imogen Lee’s suicide is one of at least five deaths that failures at Derbyshire’s mental health units caused or contributed to in the past decade. The health and social care regulator is currently reviewing information over three deaths at the units. Morag Lee opened up about her “inspiring, friendly, loved” daughter Iona’s heartbreaking final hours on the Hartington Unit at the Chesterfield Royal Hospital in Chesterfield, before the 24-year-old was transferred to the ICU where she died on 18 September 2023. The 57-year-old mother, from Derby, spoke to The Independent after a coroner ruled in January that her child had died by “suicide contributed to by neglect” on the ward where she had been detained under the Mental Health Act on 15 September 2023. It was found at the inquest into Iona’s death in January that “there were a series of errors in the planning, management and implementation of Iona's observations after admission” and that “instruction, information and supervision were all inadequate, as was the primary induction”. The jury concluded that Iona’s observation level should have been raised to being kept within staff’s eyesight, but due to staff shortages on the ward, she was only being checked intermittently. Even then, this should have been at least every 15 minutes, but the 24-year-old was not found until 43 minutes after she was last seen. MS Lee raised “serious concerns” about the management of the Hartington Unit and believes blame also lies with this and previous governments in their role overseeing a crippled NHS. Inquests over the last 10 years identified failures by the Hartington and Radbourne Units that caused or contributed to at least five deaths, including over incorrect decisions around patients being granted leave or discharged from the wards, wrongful prescription of medications, and inadequate risk assessment. In a report, coroner issued a warning to the Trust asking for policy change for fear of risking future deaths. Calling for change for future patients, Ms Lee said: “In the past year, the hospital have changed their policies, but guidance was in place two years ago that wasn’t followed and led to my daughter’s death – so how do we know that what’s in place now will continue being implemented? What reassurances does the public have?” Read full story Source: The Independent, 13 April 2025
  13. Community Post

    Better use of data for medication safety in hospitals

    Kenny Fraser

    Kenny Fraser posted a topic in Medicine management

    NHS hospital staff spend countless hours capturing data in electronic prescribing and medicines administration systems. Yet that data remains difficult to access and use to support patient care. This is a tremendous opportunity to improve patient safety, drive efficiencies and save time for frontline staff. I have just published a post about this challenge and Triscribe's solution. I would love to hear any comments or feedback on the topic... How could we use this information better? What are hospitals already doing? Where are the gaps? Thanks
  14. Content Article
    The Duty of Candour for Wales statutory guidance. From April 2023 the Duty of Candour is a legal requirement for all NHS organisations in Wales. This duty builds on the Putting Things Right process which has been in place since 2011.
  15. Content Article
    These templates were developed by Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital for use in After Action Review, SWARM and Rapid Review toolkit responses.
  16. Content Article
    Failure to be aware of and to follow clinical guidelines and protocols could constitute clinical negligence, but not in all cases, and much will depend on the facts of each case. John Tingle, Lecturer in Law, Birmingham Law School, University of Birmingham, discusses aspects of the law on clinical guidelines and other care management tools.
  17. Content Article
    This is the phase 1 report by the independent inquiry into the issues raised by the David Fuller case. The inquiry has been established to investigate how David Fuller was able to carry out inappropriate and unlawful actions in the mortuary of Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust and why they went apparently unnoticed, for so long. A phase 2 report, looking at the broader national picture and the practices and procedures in place to protect the deceased in the NHS and other settings, is planned for publication at a later date.
  18. News Article
    Ambulance chiefs have warned that patients are coming to harm, paramedics are being assaulted and control room staff reporting a “high stakes game of chicken” with police during the implementation of a controversial new national care model. The Association of Ambulance Chief Executives say in a newly published letter they believe the “spirit” of national agreement on how to implement the Right Care, Right Person model is not being followed by police, raising “significant safety concerns”. The membership body set out multiple concerns about the rollout of the model, under which the police refuse to attend mental health calls unless there is a risk to life or of serious harm. In the letter to Commons health and social care committee chair Steve Brine, AACE chair Daren Mochrie says timescales for introducing it were often “set by the police rather than “agreed” following meaningful engagement with partners”, meaning demand was shifting before health systems had built capacity. They also flag a lack of NHS funding to meet the new asks. Mr Mochrie, also CEO of North West Ambulance Service Trust, described a “grey area” relating to what he called “concern for welfare” calls, which meet neither the police nor attendance services’ threshold for attendance. “To date this is the single biggest feedback theme we have heard from ambulance services, with some control room staff describing feeling like they’re in a ‘high-stakes game of chicken’ where the police have refused to attend and told the caller to hang up, redial 999 and ask for an ambulance,” he wrote. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 20 February 2024
  19. News Article
    The head of the NHS has today announced the rollout of ‘Martha’s Rule’ in hospitals across England from April, enabling patients and families to seek an urgent review if their condition deteriorates. The patient safety initiative is set to be rolled out to at least 100 NHS sites and will give patients and their families round-the-clock access to a rapid review from an independent critical care team if they are worried about their or a loved one’s condition. This escalation process will be available 24/7 to patients, families and NHS staff, and will be advertised throughout hospitals, making it quickly and easily accessible. NHS chief Amanda Pritchard said the programme had the potential to “save many lives in the future” and thanked Martha’s family for their important campaigning and collaboration to help the NHS improve the care of patients experiencing acute deterioration. Thirteen-year-old Martha Mills died from sepsis at King’s College Hospital, London, in 2021, due to a failure to escalate her to intensive care and after her family’s concerns about her deteriorating condition were not responded to promptly. Extensive campaigning by her parents Merope and Paul, supported by the cross-party think tank Demos, has seen widespread support for a single system that allows patients or their families to trigger an urgent clinical review from a different team in the hospital if the patient’s condition is rapidly worsening and they feel they are not getting the care they need. Merope Mills and Paul Laity, Martha’s parents, said: “We are pleased that the implementation of Martha’s Rule will begin in April. We want it to be in place as quickly and as widely as possible, to prevent what happened to our daughter from happening to other patients in hospital. “We believe Martha’s Rule will save lives. In cases of deterioration, families and carers by the bedside can be aware of changes busy clinicians can’t; their knowledge should be recognised as a resource. We also look to Martha’s Rule to alter medical culture: to give patients a little more power, to encourage listening on the part of medical professionals, and to normalise the idea that even the grandest of doctors should welcome being challenged. We call on all NHS clinicians to back the initiative: we know that the large majority do listen, are open with patients and never complacent – but Martha’s doctors worked in a different culture, so some situations need to change. “Our daughter was quite something: fun and determined, with a vast appetite for life and so many plans and ambitions – we’ll never know what she would have achieved with all her talents. Hers was a preventable death, but Martha’s Rule will mean that she didn’t die completely in vain.” Read full story Source: NHS England, 21 February 2024
  20. News Article
    Hundreds of rheumatology patients have stopped receiving drugs they did not need or had their diagnosis changed after a damning review of the service found the standard of care was “well below” what would be considered acceptable. Jersey’s Health and Community services department has said it will be contacting some of the affected patients “over the coming weeks” and would also be seeking legal advice on “an appropriate approach to compensation”. The independent review by the Royal College of Physicians also noted there was “no evidence” of standard operating procedures for most aspects of routine rheumatological care and, in some cases, “no evidence of clinical examinations”. It also found that there had been incorrect diagnosis and wrongly prescribed drugs, describing the standard of care as “well below what the review team would consider acceptable” for a contemporary rheumatological service. The review was commissioned by HCS medical director Patrick Armstrong, following concerns raised by a junior doctor in January 2022. Read full story Source: Jersey Evening Post, 22 January 2024
  21. Event
    until
    While the pandemic didn’t cause all the shifts happening in healthcare, it had a major hand in accelerating and shaping the changes that will alter the healthcare landscape far into the future. Join Fierce Healthcare as we examine the tectonic transformation across healthcare. We’ll explore changing consumer expectations in access to care, the moves by major tech players and providers to reach their customers and strategies for actually paying for everything. Register
  22. Event
    until
    The importance of healthcare data and good data practices continues to grow as the COVID-19 pandemic drives further digitalisation and creates new data streams. This free online event from the King's Fund explores the importance of patients trusting that their health and care data will be safely and responsibly used by the NHS. Now is the time to come together and look at how we can modernise protocols and ensure trust is built with the public. This event is the first in a series exploring how we put trust, transparency and fair value at the centre of digital health and care. Our expert panel will discuss what public institutions, industry and decision-makers that hold, control and use our most personal data are doing to help to maintain and improve trust in England while simultaneously modernising best practice. Register
  23. News Article
    Mortuary abuser David Fuller was able to offend without being caught because of "serious failings" at the hospitals where he worked, an inquiry has found. Between 2007 and 2020, Fuller abused the bodies of at least 101 women and girls in Kent hospitals. Inquiry chair Sir Jonathan Michael said "there were missed opportunities to question Fuller's working practices". He added the abuse "had caused shock and horror across our country and beyond". The inquiry has made 17 recommendations to prevent "similar atrocities". Read full story Source: BBC News, 28 November 2023
  24. News Article
    A new mother has spoken of her distress after wrongly-imposed Covid rules led to her being separated from her six-week-old baby for almost a week while she received treatment in hospital. Charlotte Jones, 29, was taken to Princess Royal University hospital in Kent by ambulance last Wednesday, after complications following the birth of her son, Leo. When she arrived, she asked whether she would be able to see her baby, whom she is breastfeeding, while in hospital, but was told it would not be allowed because of the threat of coronavirus. She did not see him until her release six days later. The restrictions as applied in Jones’s case, appear to contravene official guidance and go against the advice of NHS England, which specifies that mothers and babies should be kept together unless it is absolutely necessary to separate them. Separation at such a critical time can have an adverse impact on the physical and mental health of the mother, baby and wider family, say healthcare professionals and charities. King’s College NHS foundation trust, which manages the hospital, has admitted that although it is limiting the number of visitors during the pandemic, there is no policy stopping babies to be brought in to be breastfed. The trust has pledged to ensure staff are aware of its policies. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 4 December 2020
  25. News Article
    Trusts have been urged to reflect on their disciplinary procedures, and review them annually where required, following the death of a senior nurse who took his own life after being dismissed. NHS England’s chief people officer Prerana Issar has written to trust leaders to highlight Imperial College Healthcare Trust’s new disciplinary procedures, which were put in place following Amin Abdullah’s suicide. Mr Abdullah, a senior nurse at Charing Cross Hospital in west London, was suspended in September 2015 before being let go from his job that December. He died in February 2016 after setting himself on fire. An independent investigation criticised both the trust and its staff and concluded he had been “treated unfairly”. The summary report produced by the trust was labelled a “whitewash”, which “served to reassure the trust that it had handled the case with due care and attention”, and the delay of three months between the events and hearing were “troubling”. The report, which also criticised the delays as “excessive” and “weak” in their justification, said Mr Abdullah found the delay “stressful” and caused him to become “distressed”. In the letter sent on Tuesday, seen by HSJ, Ms Issar said: “The shared learning from Amin’s experience has demonstrated the need for us to work continuously and collaboratively, to ensure that our people practices are inclusive, compassionate and person-centred, with an overriding objective as to the safety and wellbeing of our people… our collective goal is to ensure we enable a fair and compassionate culture in our NHS. I urge you to honestly reflect on your organisation’s disciplinary procedure…" Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 3 December 2020

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