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News Article
NHS staff unsettled by patients filming care and posting videos on social media
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
NHS staff have voiced concern about the growing numbers of patients who are filming themselves undergoing medical treatment and uploading it to TikTok and Instagram. Radiographers, who take X-rays and scans, fear the trend could compromise the privacy of other patients being treated nearby and lead to staff having their work discussed online. The Society of Radiographers (SoR) has gone public with its unease after a spate of incidents in which patients, or someone with them in the hospital, began filming their care. On one occasion a radiology department assistant from the south coast was inserting a cannula into a patient who had cancer when their 19-year-old daughter began filming. “She wanted to record the cannulation because she thought it would be entertaining on social media. But she didn’t ask permission,” the staff member said. “I spent the weekend afterwards worrying: did I do my job properly? I know I did, but no one’s perfect all the time and this was recorded. I don’t think I slept for the whole weekend.” They were also concerned that a patient in the next bay was giving consent for a colonoscopy – an invasive diagnostic test – at the same time as the daughter was filming her mother close by. “That could all have been recorded on the film, including names and dates of birth,” they said. Ashley d’Aquino, a therapeutic radiographer in London, said a colleague had agreed to take photographs for a patient, “but when the patient handed over her phone the member of staff saw that the patient had also been covertly recording her, to publish on her cancer blog. “As NHS staff we wear name badges, so our names will be visible in any video. It makes people feel very uncomfortable and anxious.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 17 June 2025 -
Content Article
When the Covid-19 pandemic arrived in the UK in March 2020, Professor Paul Elkington and a team at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust (UHS) quickly developed a new form of respiratory protective equipment (RPE) called PeRSo (Personal Respirator Southampton) for hospital staff to use. PeRSo is a portable, wearable device which blows air through a HEPA filter into a hood, providing a high level of protection against respiratory infection. In this interview, Paul describes how, working with industry partners, his team was able to provide 3,500 members of staff at UHS with PeRSo during the pandemic. Describing the impact this had on staff morale and Covid infection rates, he explains why PeRSo is a preferable alternative to the FFP3 masks recommended by the Government during the pandemic. Paul outlines how, in the event of another pandemic, providing personal respirators would offer effective protection for healthcare workers and the wider population at relatively low cost. He also outlines what the Government needs to do to ensure the UK is prepared for future pandemics, including making changes to the regulatory framework and incentivising the development of personal respirators designed specifically for infection control. Further reading on the hub: A personal respirator to improve protection for healthcare workers treating Covid-19 (PeRSo) Powered respirators are effective, sustainable and cost-effective Personal Protective Equipment for SARS-CoV-2 Respiratory protective equipment: An unequal solution for healthcare workers? A blog by David Osborn "Forgotten heroes" – the sequel: a blog and resources from David Osborn -
News Article"We've got two," explains Emer Szczygiel, emergency department head of nursing at King George Hospital, as she walks inside a pastel coloured room. On one wall, there's floral wallpaper. It is scored through with a graffiti scrawl. The words must have been scratched out with fingernails. There are no other implements in here. Patients being held in this secure room would have been searched to make sure they are not carrying anything they can use to harm themselves - or others. "So this is one of two rooms that when we were undergoing our works, we recognised, about three years ago, mental health was causing us more of an issue, so we've had two rooms purpose built," Emer says. "They're as compliant as we can get them with a mental health room - they're ligature light, as opposed to ligature free. They're under 24-hour CCTV surveillance." There are two doors, both heavily reinforced. One can be used by staff to make an emergency escape if they are under any threat. What is unusual about these rooms is that they are built right inside a busy accident and emergency department. The doors are just feet away from a nurse's station, where medical staff are trying to deal with acute ED (emergency department) attendances. On a fairly quiet Wednesday morning, the ED team is already managing five mental health patients. One, a diminutive South Asian woman, is screaming hysterically. She is clearly very agitated and becoming more distressed by the minute. Despite her size, she is surrounded by at least five security guards. She has been here for 12 hours and wants to leave, but can't as she's being held under the Mental Capacity Act. Her frustration boils over as she pushes against the chests of the security guards who encircle her. "We see about 150 to 200 patients a day through this emergency department, but we're getting on average about 15 to 20 mental health presentations to the department," Emer explains. "Some of these patients can be really difficult to manage and really complex." "If a patient's in crisis and wants to harm themselves, there's lots of things in this area that you can harm yourself with," the nurse adds. "It's trying to balance that risk and make sure every emergency department in the country is deemed a place of safety. But there is a lot of risk that comes with emergency departments, because they're not purposeful for mental health patients." Read full story Source: Sky News, 4 June 2025
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Content Article
In this podcast interview series, NHS whistleblower Peter Duffy and Patient Safety Learning’s Chief Executive Helen Hughes explore how the healthcare system responds when its staff raise concerns about patient safety. In each episode, Helen and Peter interview someone who has spoken up about patient safety issues in healthcare organisations, or who works to help staff raise concerns where they see unsafe care. In this episode, emergency medicine doctor Chelcie Jewitt describes why and how she co-founded Surviving in Scrubs, a campaign that shares survivor stories of sexism, harassment and sexual assault in the healthcare workforce. She outlines the work the campaign is doing with professional regulators to set clear behavioural standards that will more effectively hold perpetrators to account. She also describes the training and support that Surviving in Scrubs offers healthcare staff and organisations on how to respond to harassment and abuse. Subscribe to our YouTube podcast to keep up to date with the latest episodes. View a transcript of this interview Read a blog from Peter and Helen about the interview series -
News ArticlePlans for NHS staff to restrain and detain people experiencing a mental health crisis, instead of the police doing so, are “dangerous”, doctors, nurses and psychiatrists have warned. The former prime minister Theresa May has proposed legislation in England and Wales that would change the long-established practice for dealing with people who may pose a risk to themselves or others because their mental health has deteriorated sharply. But a coalition of eight medical groups, ambulance bosses and social work leaders said the switch would put mental health staff at risk and damage their relationship with vulnerable patients. The row has echoes of the controversy stirred by the Metropolitan police’s decision in 2023 to stop responding to 999 calls involving mental ill health unless they involved a threat to life. The force said the change meant officers were attending crimes such as robberies faster, but mental health groups said they feared it could result in deaths. May and two ex-health ministers, Syed Kamall and Frederick Curzon, have tabled amendments to the mental health bill going through parliament which, if passed, would lead to mental health nurses, psychiatrists or other doctors being called out to restrain and detain someone under the Mental Health Act. Those professionals would each become an “authorised person” who is allowed to detain someone under the act. But in a joint statement on Monday the eight groups said the risks posed by someone in a mental health crisis meant police officers must continue to always attend. The groups include the Royal College of Psychiatrists, the Royal College of Nursing and the British Medical Association. The groups said: “Removing police involvement entirely has hugely dangerous implications, as entering someone’s home without permission is fraught with huge risks and is only currently done with the assistance of police intelligence. Without this, professionals may be entering homes without police help and therefore lacking crucial intelligence that could ensure their safety.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 26 May 2025
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News Article
Staff locked in hospital during ‘unprecedented’ power cut
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Staff were effectively “locked in” a hospital at night during a power cut that led to a major incident being declared last year, HSJ can reveal. Details have emerged about the power failure and “unprecedented” disruption at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth following a Freedom of Information request made by HSJ. The loss of power, which occurred between midnight and 2am, resulted in a failure of secure door access systems with some reported incidents “where staff were potentially locked in”. Staff interviewed as part of a debrief after the major incident in August said this was a “serious risk” and raised concerns about why the doors defaulted to locked during the power cut. The trust claims there were manual overrides in place but staff did not know about them. A spokesperson for Portsmouth Hospitals University Trust said a “series of recommendations for improvement” made after the incident have since “been completed or have full plans in place for delivery”. They said: “To ensure patient and staff safety, we have security measures in place on some of our doors to reduce the risk of unauthorised access to clinical and secure areas. These doors have manual overrides in place which are checked by our estates team working with our contractors on an ongoing basis. “During this incident, general awareness of the manual override systems on our doors was raised, so we continue working with teams to ensure all staff are familiar with our plans and how to access areas during an incident.” Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 21 May 2025 -
News ArticleA senior nurse was struck off over allegations of sexual assault and harassment, after a colleague reported him to a regulator when a hospital refused to refer her case. The colleague, also an NHS nurse, first raised a complaint against Niyi Okegbola with managers at South London and Maudsley NHS Hospital four years ago, alleging he sexually assaulted her on trust premises. But after an 18-month investigation, the colleague, Holly*, was told the case against Mr Okegbola “did not meet the threshold”, and he would be returning to work. She then referred the matter to the Nursing and Midwifery Council, which struck off Mr Okegbola after finding 35 different allegations proven against him over actions that were “sexually motivated” toward her and four other staff from 2019 to 2022. The NMC tribunal found it was more likely than not that he had touched or attempted to touch the breasts of two people working at the trust. The panel added he had “breached professional boundaries” on numerous occasions and “repeatedly [harassed] more than one colleague over a prolonged period of time”. Speaking for the first time since Mr Okegbola was struck off, Holly has accused the trust of having a “culture of acceptance” and failing to protect female staff. Holly, whose name has been changed, told The Independent: “There is a complete lack of awareness about these things happening in the NHS. It’s very much hidden under the carpet, I felt like they [the trust] didn’t know how to handle this." Read full story Source: The Independent, 5 May 2025
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News Article
Poor mental health a 'common phenomenon' in healthcare staff
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
A charity set up to help doctors and healthcare professionals with their mental health in Great Britain has extended its services to Northern Ireland. Doctors In Distress was established by Amandip Sidhu in 2019, when his consultant cardiologist brother took his own life due to "overwhelming work pressure and burnout". Mr Sidhu said he came to learn that this is "a common phenomenon" within healthcare professions. Figures, published by the British Medical Association (BMA) NI show that 62% of doctors in Northern Ireland report "higher than normal levels fatigue or exhaustion". Speaking to the BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme on Wednesday, Dr Alan Stout from the BMA said the figures show that the problem is "more acute in Northern Ireland". Mr Stout welcomed the charity's services to Northern Ireland, but said "we need to go further", and "a dedicated health service for doctors in Northern Ireland" is required. Read full story Source: BBC News, 30 April 2025 -
News Article
Violence and abuse against ambulance staff in UK at highest level on record
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The number of violent assaults, acts of aggression and incidents of abuse against ambulance staff in the UK has risen to the highest on record, according to data health leaders described as “horrendous” and “truly shocking”. There were 22,536 incidents of violence, aggression and abuse directed at paramedics and other ambulance workers in 2024-25, up 15% on the 19,633 in 2023-24, figures from the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE) show. It means that each week on average those responding to 999 calls are the victims of 433 attacks, include kicking, punching, slapping, head-butting, spitting, sexual assault and verbal abuse. Senior ambulance officials said they believed the true toll was even higher, with many incidents not reported or recorded. Female paramedics and ambulance workers are the most likely to be targeted by the public. Jason Killens, the AACE chair, said: “These figures are truly shocking and reflect a pattern of increased violence, aggression and abuse directed at hard-working ambulance people who are there to help people in their times of greatest need. “Frontline staff as well as call handlers are affected by this horrendous abuse, and this unacceptable behaviour has a major long-term impact on the health and wellbeing of ambulance people who are simply trying to do their jobs and help save lives.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 24 April 2025 -
News Article
NHS staff fatigue poses ‘significant’ threat to patient safety, watchdog warns
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Fatigue among frontline personnel causing them to make mistakes is a “significant” risk to patients, according to the Health Services Safety Investigation Body (HSSIB). It “contributes directly and indirectly to patient harm”, yet is not properly appreciated as a risk by the NHS, possibly because of the perceived “heroism” of NHS staff. Exhaustion has led to doctors and nurses harming patients by inserting feeding tubes in the wrong place, leaving swabs inside a woman who had just given birth and mislabelling blood samples. But the NHS safety regulator for England also found that staff who are driving home after finishing a long shift could die in a road accident because they are extremely tired. “Fatigue was found to have a negative impact on staff safety,” the HSSIB said in a report, which is based on interviews with about 100 staff and evidence from national organisations. “A key risk related to this was staff driving home after a long shift and being involved in fatal car accidents or near misses.” “This report lays bare the daily reality for nursing staff. They are overstretched, understaffed and regularly work beyond their hours caring for too many patients,” said Patricia Marquis, the Royal College of Nursing’s executive director for England. “This drives dangerous levels of fatigue which not only harms patients but also follows staff home, with sometimes devastating consequences. “Nursing fatigue is deadly and in health and care services should be treated as a public safety emergency.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 24 April 2025 -
Content ArticleThis Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) report follows on from HSSIB's launch report, ‘Fatigue risk in healthcare and its impact on patient safety’, which introduced the concept of fatigue and outlined the risk posed to patient safety from staff fatigue. The International Civil Aviation Organization’s definition of fatigue was adopted by this investigation, where fatigue is defined as: “A physiological state of reduced mental or physical performance capability resulting from sleep loss, extended wakefulness, circadian phase [the natural daily internal body clock], and/or workload (mental and/or physical activity) that can impair a person’s alertness and ability to perform safety related operational duties.” The investigation engaged with a wide range of healthcare staff to learn what impact fatigue had on patient safety in acute NHS hospitals. The investigation explored the NHS systems and processes in place to capture and learn from the risk posed by fatigue on patient safety and staff safety. It also considered the main factors that contribute to healthcare staff being fatigued. The investigation shares findings from staff interviews, discussions and observational visits to several acute hospital trusts, combined with evidence from national bodies, forums and networks with insight on this topic. The report also refers to supporting surveys and literature. While the investigation focused on staff working in acute hospitals, the findings will be relevant to providers and staff in other health and care settings. Findings Staff fatigue contributes directly and indirectly to patient harm. However, there is little evidence available to help understand the size and scale of the risk, how it impacts on patient safety, and those staff groups who may be most at risk of fatigue. There was variation in how the concept of fatigue was understood and the impact it could have on patient safety and staff safety across the healthcare system. This inconsistent understanding prevented fatigue risks being addressed. The risks posed by staff fatigue are not always clear to trusts. The systems and processes needed to provide the information to assess staff fatigue risk are not always well developed or well used. However, some trusts were starting to explore these risks. A positive safety culture was a key enabler to support healthcare organisations to recognise and manage fatigue risk. Staff fatigue is not routinely captured as part of patient safety event reporting or routinely considered as part of patient safety event learning, or other governance processes. Fatigue was perceived by organisations and staff as an individual staff risk, with limited organisational accountability. This sometimes led to a blame culture and punitive actions when staff were fatigued, and limited actions to drive improvement. Fatigue arises from a number of personal and organisational factors, which can overlap. Organisational factors that contributed to staff fatigue included workload, long shifts, insufficient rest facilities and inadequate rest breaks during and between shifts. Personal factors that contributed to an increased risk of fatigue included caring responsibilities, menopause, pregnancy, religious practices and socioeconomic factors. Fatigue was found to have a negative impact on staff safety. A key risk related to this was staff driving home after a long shift and being involved in fatal car accidents or near misses. There are barriers to acknowledging the risk posed by staff fatigue. These include historical beliefs and norms around working long and additional hours, pride and ‘heroism’ of NHS staff. The demands on healthcare services, and workforce and financial constraints, limited the ability of some organisations to address fatigue risks. There is limited regulatory and national oversight of the risks posed to patient safety by staff fatigue in healthcare. There was limited consideration of the risk of staff fatigue in national initiatives addressing workforce challenges and care delays. The systems-based approach and supporting materials provided to trusts implementing the NHS England Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF) helped to prompt consideration of staff fatigue in safety event learning, but this was not routine in all organisations. Safety recommendations HSSIB recommends that NHS England/Department of Health and Social Care identifies and reviews any current processes that may capture staff fatigue related data. The output of the review should identify how information about factors impacting on staff fatigue can be collated and further enhanced to aid the understanding of fatigue risk in healthcare. This data will help inform the development of any future strategy and action to address staff fatigue risk and its impact on patient safety. HSSIB recommends that the NHS Staff Council, via the Health, Safety and Wellbeing subgroup, convenes fatigue science experts and other key stakeholders to develop and test a consensus statement defining fatigue for all healthcare staff. The group should work with existing networks to promote the definition and a shared understanding of the causes and impacts of fatigue. This will help to support a consistent understanding of fatigue among healthcare providers and improve the understanding of factors that may impact on staff fatigue and patient safety. Safety observations Research funding and commissioning bodies can improve patient safety by prioritising future research to measure and assess the impact of staff fatigue on staff and patient safety. This should include patient experience and the health economics of staff fatigue due to reduced performance and productivity. Healthcare organisations and professional bodies can improve patient safety by including aspects of fatigue when conducting staff surveys in order to help build an understanding of the level of fatigue and any impact on staff performance and patient safety. This will help organisations assess and understand the risks associated with staff fatigue, and to monitor and manage the risk of staff fatigue. Healthcare regulators and professional bodies can improve patient safety by: considering how they can contribute to driving improvement in the understanding and awareness of staff fatigue; considering how they can support and share best practice on mitigations for the risk of staff fatigue; considering organisational and individual factors that may have contributed to staff fatigue when making decisions about regulatory assessment and action. Government and national organisations can improve patient safety by accounting for the impact of staff fatigue on patient safety when developing national priorities for NHS services. Healthcare organisations can improve patient safety by considering the principles and activities for a systems approach to fatigue risk management and the roadmap to implement this as described in the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors white paper ‘Fatigue risk management for health and social care’. Related reading on the hub: Managing fatigue as part of a safety culture – a blog from Nancy Redfern, Emma Plunkett and Roopa McCrossan Why we need to manage fatigue in the NHS – a blog from Nancy Redfern and Emma Plunkett CIEHF: Fatigue risk management for health and social care
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Content Article
In this podcast interview series, NHS whistleblower Peter Duffy and Patient Safety Learning’s Chief Executive Helen Hughes explore how the healthcare system responds when its staff raise concerns about patient safety. In each episode, Helen and Peter interview someone who has spoken up about patient safety issues in healthcare organisations, or who works to help staff raise concerns where they see unsafe care. In this episode, Beatrice Fraenkel, ergonomist and Non Executive Director at Stockport NHS Foundation Trust discusses the importance of understanding the issues that lead to poor culture and harm in healthcare organisations. She describes the Board's radical approach to establishing a Just Culture during her time as Chair of Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust and the huge investment needed to build trust between healthcare staff and their employers. She also talks with Peter and Helen about the importance of understanding the needs, views and emotions of people in the wider community that each trust serves. They discuss the universal impact of fear and anxiety on human behaviour and the need to ensure lessons are really understood before attempting to put solutions in place to tackle issues, on any scale. Subscribe to our YouTube podcast to keep up to date with the latest episodes. View a transcript of this interview Read a blog from Peter and Helen about the interview series -
News Article
USA: Efforts to address workplace violence gain renewed attention
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Violence against healthcare workers made national headlines in March after the American Hospital Association warned of an alleged coordinated, multicity terrorist attack on hospitals in the coming weeks. The FBI found that the threat was not credible, but the incident brought violence prevention back to the forefront. Healthcare workers are five times more likely to suffer a workplace violence injury than workers overall. A 2024 study found emergency nurses experienced verbal or physical violence daily, but often chose not to report it. When asked, nurses said they did not report workplace violence incidents for the following reasons: “nothing will change” (24%), “event was not severe enough” (21%), “part of the job” (15%), “electronic reporting system is time-consuming/complicated” (9%), “lack of time” (6%), “don’t know how” (3%) and “lack of leadership support” (3%). Yet just 61.4% of hospitals reported having a workplace violence prevention initiative, according to 2021 data from the AHA, the most recent available. More systems are reacting to the need for better security, with many installing metal detectors, hiring more security personnel and installing cameras, among other measures. In the last year, governments, governing bodies and associations have also started taking more steps to help address workplace violence. Read full story Source: Becker's Clinical Leadership, 14 April 2025 -
News Article
Six Massachusetts hospital workers on same floor report getting brain tumours
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The number of staff members who have developed brain tumours while working on the same floor of a Boston-area hospital has increased to at least six, according to the facility’s leadership. A recent statement attributed to the president of Mass General Brigham’s Newton-Wellesley hospital, Ellen Moloney, said the newly reported tumour was benign, as were five previously documented ones. The statement maintained that investigators had not turned up any evidence of environmental risks at the hospital, though their work remained ongoing. Nonetheless, even before the number of staffers with tumours jumped, a labour union representing nurses at the hospital had pledged to press for answers. That pledge came after Newton-Wellesley hospital’s leadership initially confirmed that five nurses had reported developing non-cancerous growths in their brains after having worked on the facility’s fifth-floor maternity unit at some point. An additional half-dozen staff members with experience working on the floor in question reported other health concerns that did not involve brain tumors, Newton-Wellesley officials have said. The hospital has repeatedly suggested there is no evidence to establish that the situation is anything more than a coincidence. Moloney alluded to how the hospital had worked internal and governmental occupational offices while also consulting with outside environmental experts. Testing since then has examined the hospital’s water, radiation levels, air quality and other factors. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 16 April 2025 -
Content Article
Top picks: Race and ethnic health inequalities
Patient Safety Learning posted an article in Health inequalities
Race and ethnic inequalities in health are widely recognised, with much work needed to improve care, diagnosis and treatment, and outcomes for patients. Racism is also evident within healthcare organisations and the impact on staff can be devastating. In this blog, we’ve collated a wide range of resources, including the latest research, the barriers patients face, improvement initiatives, health inequalities in maternity, and staff discrimination to evidence some of the key patient safety issues and the need for greater investment in this area. Barriers to diagnosis and treatment 1 Perceived barriers to accessing mental health services among black and minority ethnic communities: a qualitative study In most developed countries, substantial disparities exist in access to mental health services for black and minority ethnic populations. This study sought to determine perceived barriers to accessing mental health services among people from these backgrounds to inform the development of effective and culturally acceptable services to improve equity in healthcare. 2 ‘Mistreatment’ due to the colour of your skin A blog highlighting the barriers in healthcare faced by patients due to the colour of their skin. Impacting factors can include explicit racial bias, which includes discrimination and prejudice; implicit racial bias; missing data; lack of trust; and reduced access. These can lead to misdiagnoses and delays in treatment, which can ultimately cause harm and preventable death. 3 95% of healthcare professionals do not feel confident diagnosing dermatology conditions across skin tones This blog by Pastest, a provider of medical exam preparation resources, explores how different organisations are developing transformative initiatives to diversify clinical practice. It highlights the results of a global survey that reveals a critical gap in dermatological diagnosis across skin tones and explores the need for a multifaceted approach to anti-racist medicine. 4 Equity in medical devices: independent review A core responsibility of the NHS is to maintain the highest standards of safety and effectiveness of medical devices available for all patients in its care. Evidence has emerged, however, about the potential for racial and ethnic bias in the design and use of some medical devices commonly used in the NHS, and that some ethnic groups may receive sub-optimal treatment as a result. In response to these concerns, the UK Government commissioned this independent review on equity in medical devices. In its final report, the Review sets out the need for immediate action to tackle the impact of ethnic biases in the use of medical devices. 5 Skin assessment in patients with dark skin tone This article in the American Journal of Nursing provides basic information about the assessment of dark skin tone and calls for action in academia and professional practice to ensure the performance of effective skin assessments in all patients. 6 “We’re not taken seriously”: Describing the experiences of perceived discrimination in medical settings for Black women Cervical cancer disparities persist for Black women despite targeted efforts. Reasons for this vary; one potential factor affecting screening and prevention is perceived discrimination in medical settings. Inequalities in maternity 1 For black women in the UK, a fear of pregnancy is far from irrational In this blog for Refinery 29, journalist L'Oréal Blackett discusses the additional risk and associated worries faced by black pregnant women in the UK. With black women four times more likely to die in childbirth than white women, and 40% more likely to suffer a miscarriage, she examines what action the government is taking to improve outcomes for black women and their babies. She speaks to a number of campaigners who highlight the importance of including black women at every stage of research and policy to tackle race-based health inequalities. 2 Five X More campaign: Improving maternal mortality rates and health outcomes for black women In this interview, Patient Safety Learning talks to Tinuke, co-founder of the Five X More campaign and founder of the mothers group, Mums and Tea. Tinuke started the Five X More campaign as a response to the MBRRACE 2018 report which highlighted that black women in the UK are five times more likely to die in pregnancy and childbirth in comparison to a white woman. 3 Review of neonatal assessment and practice in Black, Asian and minority ethnic newborns: Exploring the Apgar score, the detection of cyanosis, and jaundice The results of a commissioned review undertaken by Sheffield Hallam University highlights a number of ‘reliability concerns’ around three current neonatal assessments and perinatal practices – the Apgar score and the detection of cyanosis and jaundice. It calls for immediate update of maternity guidelines that refer to assessments by skin colour and the increased use of screening tool devices, including oximeters and bilirubinometers. Urgent research is also needed which focuses on enhancing the reliability of these tools especially for darker skinned babies. 4 Addressing critical gaps in Black maternal mental healthcare: a new partnership project is launched Sandra Igwe is the Founder and CEO of The Motherhood Group. In this interview Sandra tells us about a new partnership project, bringing together The Motherhood Group, Centre for Mental Health, and the Maternal Mental Health Alliance to address critical gaps in Black maternal mental healthcare. Staff discrimination 1 NHS Confederation - Shattered hopes: black and minority ethnic leaders’ experiences of breaking the glass ceiling in the NHS This report by NHS Confederation looks at the lived experience of senior black and minority ethnic leaders in the NHS. The report highlights that more than half of those surveyed considered leaving the health service in the last three years because of their experience of racist treatment while performing their role as an NHS leader. Colleagues, leaders and managers seemed to be a particular source of racist treatment, more so than members of the public. This suggests that more focused efforts are required at every level to reduce the incidence of racist behaviour and to improve awareness among all staff of the impact of this type of discrimination. 2 Resource for nursing and midwifery professionals to combat racial discrimination against minority ethnic nurses, midwives and nursing associates Racism is unacceptable and it has no place in health and care. But we know that it exists and that the impact on staff can be devastating. All registered professionals have responsibility under the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Code to challenge discriminatory behaviour, creating an environment where people are treated as individuals and with dignity and respect. This resource is designed to support nurses, midwives and nursing associates, providing advice on the action you can take if you witness or experience racism. It also supports those in leadership roles to be inclusive leaders. 3 Too hot to handle? Why concerns about racism are not heard... or acted on This report aims to understand the NHS response to racism, what trusts and healthcare organisations do about it and how effective they are at addressing it. It brings together key learning from a number of significant tribunal cases and responses from 1,327 people to a survey about their experiences of raising allegations of racism within their organisations. 4 Closing the gap: A guide to addressing racial discrimination in disciplinaries A guide from NHS Providers to help health service trusts tackle racial discrimination in disciplinary procedures and promote inclusivity. 5 Nursing narratives: Racism and the pandemic This report describes the findings of a study that collected stories of the working lives of Black and Brown healthcare staff during the Covid-19 pandemic. The study asked them to reflect on their experiences and highlight the changes they would like to see. It highlights a number of issues around victimisation, access to PPE, speaking up and risk assessments. 6 Racism which impacts healthcare staff endangers patient care As well as a moral issue, tackling racism affecting NHS staff is a crucial part of improving patient safety and care, says MDX Research Fellow Roger Kline. In this blog, Roger looks at the risks of racism on patient safety. Improvement initiatives 1 How Lambeth is closing the health inequality gap for Black and minority ethnic patients with high blood pressure Black and minority ethnic patients with high blood pressure have benefited from a project which was run by two Lambeth GP practices. The project aimed to reduce the very significant difference in blood pressure control (hypertension) between Black and minority ethnic patients and white patients. The year-long project resulted in the two practices achieving some of the best outcomes ever seen in South East London for overall hypertension control, with a 12% inequality gap for blood pressure control between black and white patients completely eradicated. In addition, over 300 patients from the local community were newly diagnosed with hypertension. 2 Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework - community This video provides an introduction to Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust's (SHSCFT's) Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF). The PCREF aims to help the Trust's staff and communities understand how to have sensitive conversations with patients and carers and to get better information from them. This will mean the Trust is more culturally aware and able to offer culturally appropriate care by understanding the barriers ethnic minority communities face in getting healthcare services for diagnosis and treatment. 4 Excellence through equality: Anti-racism as a quality improvement tool This report from the BME Leadership Network comprises examples of anti-racist initiatives from BME Leadership Network members, to help advance equality within the workforce and for service users. 5 Be the Change: How to tackle racial inequalities in health and care charities A few years ago, National Voices created an inclusion action plan to try to narrow the gaps in racial inequalities by driving improvements in their recruitment practices, organisational culture, influencing activities and work with people with lived experience. A key part of that plan was convening their members to learn from each other, so they organised a series of four members-only roundtables for focused, pragmatic and open discussion. This report, highlights the main learnings in each of the areas, and draws out general advice from all these conversations. They hope it will give colleagues in the health and voluntary sectors ideas for what they could do, alongside practical tools to take action. 6 Mind the Gap: A handbook of clinical signs in Black and Brown skin Mind the Gap is a Handbook to raise awareness of how symptoms and signs can present differently on darker skin as well as highlighting the different language that needs to be used in descriptors. The aim of this booklet is to educate students and essential allied health care professionals on the importance of recognising that certain clinical signs do not present the same on darker skin. 7 The Health Foundation: Bringing an anti-racism approach to quality improvement in maternity care Black Maternity Matters is a collaboration supporting perinatal staff to reduce the inequitable maternity outcomes faced by Black mothers and their babies. Through a ground-breaking programme of training, including anti-racist education, peer support, and quality improvement, it supports maternity systems to provide safer, equitable care. In a recent episode of the Leading Improvement in Health and Care podcast, Penny Pereira, Q Managing Director, spoke to three improvement leaders from the Black Maternity Matters programme. Structural racism 1 Institute of Health Equity: Structural racism, ethnicity and health inequalities in London Racism in London is widespread and persistent causing damage to individuals, communities and society as a whole. Its impacts are experienced in different ways and to varying levels of intensity related to individual experiences, socioeconomic position and other dimensions of exclusion such as disability, age and gender. The intersections with other dimensions of exclusion can amplify the effects of racism. The focus of this review is on the effects of racism on health and its contribution to avoidable inequalities in health between ethnic groups – a particularly unacceptable form of health inequity. It is urgent that society tackle the damage to health and wellbeing as a result of racism. 2 Structural racism as a contributor to lung cancer incidence and mortality rates among Black populations in the United States Although racial disparities in lung cancer incidence and mortality have diminished in recent years, lung cancer remains the second most diagnosed cancer among US Black populations. Many factors contributing to disparities in lung cancer are rooted in structural racism. To quantify this relationship, Robinson-Oghogho et al. examined associations between a multidimensional measure of county-level structural racism and county lung cancer incidence and mortality rates among Black populations, while accounting for county levels of environmental quality. 3 Interrogating and uprooting systemic racism in the emergency department Systemic racism refers to systems in which norms and practice patterns reinforce racial and ethnic inequalities even in the absence of individual intentions to do so. Uncovering subtle, overt and pervasive instances of racism that influence and change the trajectory of patient care is important. Emergency departments (EDs) offer a distinct environment where equity is not just a concept, but a fundamental practice that should be woven through all interactions between the patient, healthcare professionals and the system. For this reason, EDs are poised to lead health equity advocacy in the delivery of high-quality care. This JAMA Health Forum viewpoint article looks at evidence relating to ED systems’ vulnerability to systemic racism and maps a path forward to dismantle racism in the ED. 4 Women from ethnic minorities face endemic structural racism when seeking and accessing healthcare Women from ethnic minorities are voicing their concerns that they face endemic structural racism when seeking and accessing healthcare, and they feel that their symptoms and signs are more often dismissed. It is vital that patients are listened to when they say that they feel this is also due to structural racism in healthcare. 5 Structural racism — A 60-year-old Black woman with breast cancer This study uses the case study of a 60-year-old Black woman with breast cancer as an example of structural racism and propose three critical strategies for addressing structural racism in health care. These strategies hinge on shifting the focus of work on racial differences in health outcomes from biologic or behavioural problems to the design of health care organisations and other social institutions. Research 1 Language-based exclusion associations with racial and ethnic disparities in thyroid cancer clinical trials Racial and ethnic disparities in thyroid cancer care may be reduced by improving enrolment of more diverse patient populations in clinical trials. This study in the journal Surgery looked at trial eligibility criteria and enrolment to assess barriers to equitable representation. 2 Differences in care team response to patient portal messages by patient race and ethnicity The use of patient portals to send messages to healthcare teams is increasing. This JAMA Network Open cross-sectional study of nearly 40,000 US patients aimed to find out whether there are differences in how care teams respond to messages from Asian, Black and Hispanic patients compared with similar White patients. The authors found that messages asking for medical advice sent by patients who belong to minoritised racial and ethnic groups were less likely to receive a response from doctors and more likely to receive a response from registered nurses. This suggests these patients receive lower prioritisation during triaging. The differences observed were similar among Asian, Black and Hispanic patients. 3 Racial implicit bias and communication among physicians in a simulated environment This JAMA Network Open study aimed to explore whether standardised patients in a simulated environment can be effectively used to explore racial implicit bias and communication skills among doctors. For this cross-sectional study, 60 doctors were placed in an environment calibrated with cognitive stressors common to clinical environments. The results reflected expected communication patterns based on prior research (performed in actual clinical environments) on racial implicit bias and physician communication. The authors believe that this simulation and the process of its development can inform interventions that provide opportunities for skills development and assessment of skills in addressing racial implicit bias. 5 Racial differences in shared decision-making about critical illness This US study looked at how critical care doctors approach shared decision-making with Black compared with White caregivers of critically ill patients. The authors found that racial disparities exist in critical care clinicians' approaches to shared decision-making and suggest potential areas for future interventions aimed at promoting equity. 6 Impact of healthcare algorithms on racial and ethnic disparities in health and healthcare This systematic review conducted for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) aimed to examine the evidence on whether and how healthcare algorithms exacerbate, perpetuate or reduce racial and ethnic disparities in access to healthcare, quality of care and health outcomes. The results showed that algorithms potentially perpetuate, exacerbate and sometimes reduce racial and ethnic disparities. Disparities were reduced when race and ethnicity were incorporated into an algorithm to intentionally tackle known racial and ethnic disparities in resource allocation (for example, kidney transplant allocation) or disparities in care (for example, prostate cancer screening that historically led to Black men receiving more low-yield biopsies). 7 Characteristics of publicly available skin cancer image datasets: a systematic review Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being used in medicine to help with the diagnosis of diseases such as skin cancer. To be able to assist with this, AI needs to be ‘trained’ by looking at data and images from a large number of patients where the diagnosis has already been established, so an AI programme depends heavily upon the information it is trained on. This review, published in The Lancet Digital Health, looked at all freely accessible sets of data on skin lesions around the world. These are just a selection of the resources we have on the hub, read more in the health inequalities section of the hub. Share your insights We'd like to hear from patients about your experiences and how it has impacted your care. Or perhaps you are clinician or researcher with a perspective to share on health inequalities? Please leave a comments below (sign up here first for free), or contact us directly at [email protected].- Posted
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News ArticleA growing number of healthcare workers and patients are demanding immediate legislative action to address rising workplace violence in hospitals, a survey by Black Book Research has found. The survey, which included responses from 240 individuals — emergency department physicians, nurses, hospital-based staff and 200 healthcare consumers — reveals widespread concern over increasing aggression toward medical professionals and overwhelming support for federal intervention. Key findings show that 98% of hospital staff and 93% of healthcare consumers support federal legislation mandating workplace violence prevention measures. All staff respondents said they had experienced or witnessed violence at work, with many expressing dissatisfaction with current safety protocols. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, an average of 57 healthcare workers are injured daily due to workplace violence, resulting in lost workdays, job reassignment or medical care. Incidents range from verbal threats and physical assaults to chronic aggression, particularly in emergency departments and behavioral health units. “Technology is now a cornerstone of prevention strategies in hospital safety plans,” Doug Brown, founder of Black Book Research, said in the report. “Healthcare IT vendors play a vital role in safeguarding hospital staff by embedding safety-focused features into the software and services used every day.” Read full story Source: Becker's Health IT, 14 April 2025
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Content Article
Speaking up as an agency nurse cost me my career
Patient-Safety-Learning posted an article in Whistle blowing
In this blog, Justean Winter shares her experience of working as an agency nurse in the NHS. She describes how she was told not to report patient safety issues she witnessed. After raising concerns about patient care, Justean received several accusations and was eventually blocked from working in the NHS. She outlines why she continues to try and raise awareness of the patient safety and organisational issues she witnessed. Patient safety issues and reporting I have been a nurse for 33 years, and worked for an NHS Health Board via an agency for a number of years. In the Autumn of 2022, I was working in the A&E department when we were told not to submit Datix reports without checking them with managers first. Datix is the incident reporting software widely used in the NHS for reporting patient safety issues. We weren’t able to report anything we saw, including short staffing, bullying and patients being left without treatment. When I or another member of staff asked about why we couldn’t report what we witnessed, we were told by the managers to stop asking and just get on with our job. Later that year, I was asked to work in paediatric A&E, but knew I wasn’t up to date with all the relevant training. I raised this but was told to go and do the shifts anyway. The atmosphere in the wider A&E department was one of keeping quiet about any concerns. If you raised concerns you were seen as a trouble maker. Some examples of issues I raised were patients being denied end-of-life medication, patients with diabetic ketoacidosis being left without treatment and nurses wearing name badges that didn’t belong to them. There were also some issues with staff conduct that could pose a threat to patient safety that I was told not to mention if I wanted to keep my job. At this point, I started reporting incidents anyway, as I was seeing patient safety issues that I just couldn’t ignore. Accusations and suspension In October, I was told by my agency that there had been a complaint against me, dating from that July. I asked to see the details, but they wouldn’t show me anything. I also asked why it hadn’t been raised with me sooner, but was just told there would be no statement needed and there would be no investigation. Then in March 2023, my agency contacted me to tell me about another complaint they had received against me. It turned out to be the same one they had mentioned before, but now the Health Board wanted a statement from me. I did the statement and nothing came of it again. I felt that something underhand was going on. Then in April, one of the nurse managers pulled me into an office and accused me of stealing cash from one of the patients. At this point, I felt I was being bullied because I was refusing to keep quiet about issues on the ward. There were other incidents of intimidation, such as being squared up to in the corridor by another nurse about whose care I had concerns. I was on holiday in May when I received a series of texts from my agency telling me all my shifts had been cancelled. When I came back I realised I was unable to book any shifts, and it turned out that I had been totally suspended by the Health Board. My agency then told me that I had been accused of stealing morphine back in January. Five months had passed and I was only being told about it now! I vigorously defended myself against these accusations. In June, I was called to a Zoom meeting to discuss my suspension. I wasn’t allowed to see any of the complaints or any evidence, but the accusation was used as the reason for my suspension. I asked them to check the CCTV and was told that there was no CCTV in the department. My contact at the agency told me they would be collecting more statements and coming up with a plan for a way forward. When I asked about what the process was, I received no response. After the meeting, I wrote a long email to the Health Board detailing all my concerns, including about the inability to submit Datix reports and inadequate care standards I had witnessed . I later wrote a further letter to 18 members of the Health Boards as well as the Senedd and Healthcare Improvement Wales (HIW), sharing my patient safety concerns but heard nothing back. The Senned Minister for Health and Social Services said that the concerns I had raised were employment concerns rather than safety ones but that they would keep the letter on file for 10 years. At this stage, life was really difficult. I couldn’t get any work—there was a red flag against my name so I was basically unemployable. I asked the agency what was going on, but again got no response. My career and life were being ruined and I hadn’t done the things I was accused of. The same day I delivered the letters, my agency phoned to tell me I had been referred to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). It wasn’t until December 2023 that I heard from the NMC. The referral stated that I lacked insight to reflect and had refused to do a communication course—no missing money or morphine had ever been mentioned in the referral. I was cleared by the NMC in January 2024. I later found out through court documents relating to my employment tribunal that seven managers and an entire health board were responsible for referring me to the NMC—ostensibly on the grounds of communication issues. It just doesn’t add up. Employment tribunals When I contacted ACAS in September 2023, they told me that I was within the timeframe for an employment tribunal. But three judges since then have told me I am out of date and have refused to read my evidence bundle because it was too long. One judge told me I should “Stop criticising the NHS” and accused me of having a personal vendetta. But all I want is for the truth to come out and to be able to resume my career. I am now on my fourth appeal to try and get my case heard at tribunal. I’ll continue to do everything I can to pursue justice. Vulnerability as an agency nurse I believe that my status as agency staff made me vulnerable to repercussions. There is no support mechanism or process to follow as an agency nurse when raising concerns, and as I wasn’t employed directly by the Health Board, I was more easy to falsely accuse and get rid of. The personal cost of my experience has been huge. We have had to put our home up for sale because I’ve been unable to work since May 2023. I have developed post-traumatic stress disorder and a fear of the NHS because of what I have witnessed. I believe patients are dying because they aren’t receiving the care they need, and that it is being covered up. There are so many issues that the public need to be aware of and that NHS organisations need to deal with to keep patients safe and protect staff. Related reading My experience as an agency nurse A dropped instrument, washed in theatre and immediately reused: a story from a theatre nurse Speaking up for patient safety: A new interview series about raising concerns and whistleblowing My experience of speaking up as a healthcare assistant in a care home Share your speaking up story If you have spoken up about unsafe care or have been a whistleblower in healthcare or social care, we would love to hear from you about your experience. You can: contribute to our community conversation (you’ll need to sign up first) comment on any hub post (you’ll need to sign up first) contact us at [email protected] and we can share your story anonymously. You can find information about organisations that offer support and guidance for staff about speaking up and whistleblowing on the hub. -
Content ArticleLive stream recording of Day 1 of the 7th Global Summit on Patient Safety, organised by the Department of Health of the Republic of the Philippines and co-sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO). This event focuses on advancing international efforts to improve healthcare quality and safeguard patients worldwide. It brings together global leaders, experts and stakeholders to discuss and shape the future of patient safety. Advancing Patient Safety Reporting and Learning Systems can be found at 2:46:57 Plenary 3 on AI and health can be found at 08:05:10 Related reading on the hub: 15 hub top picks for the 7th Global Ministerial Summit for Patient Safety
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Content ArticleThe provision of high-quality personal protective equipment (PPE) was a critical challenge during the Covid-19 pandemic. This study evaluated an alternative strategy—the mass deployment of a powered air-purifying respirator (PeRSo), in a large university hospital.
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Content ArticleDuring the Covid-19 pandemic, global stocks, supply logistics and suitability of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to protect healthcare workers were recurrent challenges. The “Personal Respirator – Southampton” (PeRSo) was developed by a team of healthcare professionals at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust during the first wave of the pandemic. It delivers High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filtered air from a battery powered fan-filter assembly into a lightweight hood with a clear visor that can be comfortably worn for several hours. This study looks the development of PeRSo and highlights feedback from doctors and nurses that the PeRSo prototype was preferred to standard FFP2 and FFP3 masks, being more comfortable and reducing the time and risk of recurrently changing PPE. Patients also reported better communication and reassurance as the entire face is visible.
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News Article
Zero tolerance ‘won’t fix sexual harassment of staff’
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
“Cultural transformation” rather than “zero tolerance” is required to overcome widespread sexual harassment by ambulance service staff and patients, according to the person leading national efforts to make improvements. The comments to HSJ from Bron Biddle, the lead for reducing misogyny and improving sexual safety at the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives, follow the publication of the 2024 NHS staff survey results. These found 1 in 12 reported unwanted sexual behaviour from colleagues or other staff in the past year – more than double the figure across all sectors and a slight increase on 2023. When reporting unwanted sexual behaviour at work from patients, relatives or the public, the figure totals a huge 29% of ambulance staff nationally — slightly higher than 2023 and massively above the national average for all NHS staff of under 9%. Despite the huge issue, HR specialist Ms Biddle, who has been running a programmme to tackle the problem for several years, said rooting it out required a “reset” of cultural norms, as well as social change. “If we just reinforce things like zero tolerance and stamping it out, we are missing the nuance of why this is happening in the first place,” she told HSJ. “It is easy for us to think of someone as a bad apple, but are they bad apples, or are we complicit in the environment they are operating in? And this is why wider culture transformation is so important if we want to prevent sexualised behaviours in the first place.” It means action taken against perpetrators should be “proportionate” rather than always hard-line, she said, and drew a distinction between predatory and exploitative behaviour, and that exhibited by someone who is capable of adapting their behaviour. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 28 March 2025 -
News Article
Long Covid health staff 'abandoned and forgotten'
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Healthcare workers with Long Covid say the government needs to do more to support those left with life-changing disabilities since catching the virus. Nurse Rachel Hext, 37 from Paignton, insisted she caught Covid in her job as a nurse in a small community hospital in Devon. "We were clapped and called heroes, and now those of us who have been bereaved or disabled by it have been forgotten," she said. The government said it knew Long Covid could have a debilitating impact on people's physical and mental health, that there was a "range of support for staff" and it was funding research into it. Mrs Hext is one of a group of healthcare workers with long Covid who have taken their fight to the High Court to try to sue the NHS and other employers for compensation. The staff, from England and Wales, said they believed they first caught Covid at work during the pandemic and said they were not properly protected from the virus. She said: "I want acknowledgement and I want support for the people who need it. "Long Covid is absolutely life-changing. It's devastated us as a family." Read full story Source: BBC News, 20 March 2025 Related reading on the hub: "Forgotten heroes" – the sequel: a blog and resources from David Osborn The pandemic – questions around Government governance: a blog from David Osborn Healthcare workers with Long Covid: Group litigation -
Content Article
In this podcast interview series, NHS whistleblower Peter Duffy and Patient Safety Learning’s Chief Executive Helen Hughes explore how the healthcare system responds when its staff raise concerns about patient safety. In each episode, Helen and Peter interview someone who has spoken up about patient safety issues in healthcare organisations, or who works to help staff raise concerns where they see unsafe care. In this episode, Peter and Helen speak to Bernie Rochford MBE, who spoke up while working as a clinical commissioner at a primary care trust. Bernie found serious issues and inaccuracies in records that posed a risk to patient safety—vital information about Continuing Healthcare patients (patients with significant ongoing care needs in the community) was missing from the system, and there were financial anomalies and serious governance issues. After raising her concerns and getting no response from her managers, Bernie found herself classed as a whistleblower and was isolated at work, eventually losing her job and going to employment tribunal. Bernie describes the serious impact this had on her health and talks about how she is now using her own traumatic experience to work for positive change for others who speak up. She discusses the complexities of regulating managers with Peter and Helen, and argues that we need to look at how people relate, rather than looking to technology, to provide a safer future for healthcare. Now a Principal Freedom to Speak Up Guardian, Bernie currently has a Churchill Fellowship award and is researching different global approaches to speaking up. Subscribe to our YouTube podcast to keep up to date with the latest episodes. View a transcript of this interview Read a blog from Peter and Helen about the interview series Can you help? As part of Bernie’s Churchill Fellowship award she will be looking at speaking up and whistleblowing good practice and alternative approaches from around the world. She will be particularly focusing on approaches in Japan, South Korea, the USA and the Philippines. While her research is predominantly patient safety and healthcare focused, Bernie's interest in learning and sharing best practice goes beyond these areas, as we can learn from other industries and cultures as well. If you have any suggestions, ideas, best practice or experience that you can share with her, from anywhere in the world, please email Bernie. She will be very grateful to hear from you! How whistleblowers are passed around the system In the interview, Bernie talks about how she was passed from one person and organisation to another as she tried to raise her concerns. This diagram, which was included in the report of the Freedom to Speak Up review carried out in 2015 by Sir Robert Francis QC, shows the 54 people, teams and organisations Bernie approached to speak up about the patient safety issues she saw. -
Content ArticleMore than 1 in 6 physicians have thought about or attempted suicide. 38% of them knew of at least one fellow doctor who had suicide ideation. A Medscape survey asked physicians what factors they saw behind the suicide issues, the role their job stress plays and where doctors in a crisis can turn for effective professional help.
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News Article
The lonely death of Dr Jagdip Sidhu
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Jagdip Sidhu was the platonic ideal of an NHS doctor. He took very little private work, despite it being common for consultants. His only exception was for those who needed urgent care that couldn’t get treated on the NHS. It was a point of ethics. “He said: I’m only going to do it for people who clinically cannot wait,” explains Amandip, Jagdip's brother. “I’m not going to sit and profit off people’s adverse health and misery.” But the hospital was impossible to get away from. On days and nights off, he would get urgent messages from the managers at his NHS trust asking him to clear more beds on the ward or hit new performance targets. Gradually, he had less time for anything outside of work. He’d developed “tunnel vision”, as Amandip describes it. By 2017, something had broken in him. “He had just suddenly aged,” recalls his brother, pausing for a moment before continuing. “It’s very hard to explain. But for someone who had a lot of vitality in life and charisma about him, it started to drain away.” His hair began to turn grey. He was constantly tired, surviving on just three or four hours of sleep each night and often working more than 14 hours a day. “He’d come and see mum and literally just pass out on the sofa,” recalls Amandip. He spoke less and less. Jagdip was also losing faith in the medical system whose values he once embodied, and confided to his brother that he thought the struggling NHS was “finished”. One day, Amandip got a call from his brother. “I saw his number flash up, and I knew something was wrong,” he recalls. Jagdip explained that he had been signed off work on medical leave after nurses he worked with noticed he was struggling to function. He was petrified. “He said: ‘I can’t ever go back to that hospital. They’ll crucify me. They’ll say ‘you made mistakes’, and I’ll be struck off’,” recalls Amandip. “Because he was signed off sick, he felt that he couldn’t be a doctor anymore. That was his identity as an adult human being forcibly stopped, outside of his control.” One afternoon, Amandip received an email from Jagdip. It was a confusing list of instructions, including how to access his financial accounts, life insurance policies, when to get the car MOT’d. There was no explanation. It ended with a short sign-off — he had gone to Beachy Head, a beauty spot atop the cliffs of the South Coast, with the car. As call after call went straight to voicemail, the panic started to set in. Jagdip called Jagdip’s wife — there was no sign of him at home. He had left without taking his wallet and house keys. Amandip raced across London to his brother’s house. When he arrived, it was already crawling with police. They had found the car by Beachy Head, but there was no sign of Jagdip. An agonising two hours later, he heard the crackle of the officers’ radio as they walked into the room and started to speak. “I remember them saying ‘This is the part of the job I really hate’,” Amandip recalls. They had found his brother’s body, identified by the car keys that were still in his pocket. Jagdip was 47 years old. There were a lot of questions in the blur of weeks and months afterwards. But above all, one thought haunts Amandip: did his brother’s job in the NHS play a role in his death? Read full story Source: The Londoner, 15 March 2025
