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News ArticleA health minister has acknowledged that restricted access to weight loss drugs on the NHS may be driving individuals to seek unregulated alternatives, as officials face urgent calls to investigate deaths linked to black market obesity jabs. Health officials were directly challenged by MPs on the Health and Social Committee regarding measures to curb illicit sales of anti-obesity treatments. A stark warning was issued to NHS and Department of Health officials: "People have already died as a result of this, and there is a chance that this could get worse." Conservative MP Gregory Stafford questioned whether current NHS access constraints were creating a patient safety risk, citing evidence that barriers were pushing patients to "unregulated and potentially unsafe sources." Professor Aidan Fowler, national director of patient safety for NHS England, informed MPs that discussions with the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) frequently address risks around medicine safety, including black market issues, drawing parallels with cosmetic surgery. However, committee chairwoman Layla Moran delivered a harrowing account, stating: "I’ve met with families whose loved ones have tragically passed away because they did access on the black market, they then got sepsis and died, and the coroner report is still ongoing. “But the concern is it was the injection itself and its administration that caused the death, they don’t feel that the MHRA are on top of it, and I’m not sure that they will have heard today’s evidence and felt that you guys are either, and I really hope, minister, that when you go away and look at this that you bear in mind the fact people have already died as a result of this, and there is a chance that this could get worse." Read full story Source: The Independent, 3 June 2026
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Content ArticleNearly one million people in the UK have dementia. By 2040, that number will rise to 1.4 million. Yet the systems designed to diagnose and support people are struggling to keep pace, with delays, inequalities and missed opportunities far too common. Too many people have a poor experience, wait too long for a diagnosis and receive less treatment and support than clinical guidance says they should. Everyone with dementia has the right to an early and accurate diagnosis and the best available treatments. Individuals and our health and care systems are paying for the price of inaction. Alzheimer's Society’s two new 'Unlocking the door' reports lay out a stark reality – and a clear programme of reform for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Key recommendations Together, the two reports set out a coherent programme of reform across diagnosis and treatment. These reforms are designed to: ensure diagnosis is early and accurate support consistent access to effective dementia drugs and non-drug interventions reduce inequalities and unwanted regional variation strengthen systems’ readiness for future innovation in diagnosis and treatments deliver better outcomes for people living with dementia and their families. To do this, we need: clear targets to set a national ambition and local accountability strengthen clinical guidance and standardise pathways invest in and support the dementia workforce strengthen dementia data and monitoring build systems ready for innovation. Further reading on the hub: Top picks: Key patient safety resources for people with dementia
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News ArticleMillions of people with breast cancer could safely avoid chemotherapy as scientists have developed a DNA test that can distinguish between patients who are likely to benefit from the treatment and those who are not, according to trial results. The international study found that more than two-thirds of its participants could be spared the side of effects of chemotherapy and treated with hormone therapy alone. Chemotherapy can cause fatigue, nausea, hair loss, a weakened immune system and fertility issues. The study, led by University College London (UCL), involved more than 4,000 newly diagnosed patients over the age of 40 in the UK, Norway, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand and Thailand. The primary treatment for breast cancer is usually surgery to remove tumours. Chemotherapy is often recommended afterwards to diminish the risk of return. It is also regularly offered to people with early-stage breast cancer that has spread to the nearby lymph nodes. Clinicians are concerned the treatment provides little benefit to those with the most common type of breast cancer, UCL said. The university said more than 5,000 NHS patients a year could avoid chemotherapy as a result of the trial. Read full story Source: BBC News, 30 May 2026
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News Article
Weight loss drugs could widen health inequalities, experts warn
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Weight loss jabs are transforming obesity treatment, but without access to affordable healthy food and ongoing support they could widen health inequalities in the UK, experts have warned. The injections, also known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, are taken by an estimated 2.4 million Britons and work by mimicking the natural hormone which regulates blood sugar, appetite and digestion. Although drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro have transformed weight-loss treatment, researchers at Cambridge University and University College London (UCL) have argued that their long-term benefits depend on diet, exercise and healthcare support. “We have highlighted that obesity treatment is not just a medical issue, but a social and structural one. Without integrated dietary support and attention to food affordability, these medications could deepen existing health inequalities,” Dr Adrian Brown at UCL Medicine said. “The key message is clear: these treatments are powerful, but their long-term public health impact will depend on whether the right support systems are in place to ensure equitable and safe access for all patients,” he added. The report, published in the journal Nature Medicine, warned that healthier diets are often more expensive, and on top of the cost of weight-loss jabs, are unaffordable for many. Dr Marie Spreckley from Cambridge University said: “The key question is not simply who can access these medications, but who can benefit from them in the long term. If access to healthy food, nutrition support and ongoing care is uneven, there is a risk that the benefits of these treatments will also be uneven.” Read full story Source: The Independent, 1 June 2026 -
News ArticleCalcium and vitamin D supplements are ineffective at preventing falls and fractures in older people, a review has concluded. Despite their common prescription on the NHS for those at risk of osteoporosis or fracture, and widespread public use for bone health, the comprehensive study found no evidence to support their regular intake specifically for this preventative measure. Published in the British Medical Journal, the research, led by academics in Quebec, Canada, meticulously analysed 69 clinical trials encompassing 153,902 individuals. Their investigation delved into the risk of any fracture, hip fractures, bone breaks occurring outside the spine, spinal fractures, and the overall frequency of falls. The results showed that there was “little to no effect” on the risk of any fracture from taking calcium supplements, vitamin D supplements or both of them combined. The team said almost a third of people aged 65 and over experience at least one fall every year. “As much as 85% of older adults have a fear of falling because of a fall, contributing to reduced daily functioning and increased risk of subsequent falls,” they added. “Furthermore, half of women and one fifth of men will sustain a low trauma fracture during their lifetime, often due to a fall.” They acknowledged some of the trials were small and had few people, and said the results may not apply to people with specific bone disorders or to those receiving drug treatment for osteoporosis. However, they concluded their findings “do not support routine supplementation with calcium or vitamin D, or combined supplementation to prevent fractures and falls” and they suggested doctors, guideline panels and regulatory agencies “should re-evaluate their general recommendations for calcium and vitamin D supplementation in light of current evidence.” Read full story Source: The Independent, 20 May 2026
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News ArticleCancer patients are among dozens of people found to have been “harmed” after their diagnosis and treatment were delayed due to administrative failures at an NHS trust, The Independent can reveal. A review of hundreds of gynaecology patients under the care of consultant Dr Jim Wolfe at Salford Royal Hospital, in Greater Manchester, in 2024, was prompted by concerns that the necessary follow-ups were not carried out. The months-long audit revealed that some women had not been sent letters about their treatment, or their results had not been acted on for conditions including cancer, and concluded many had been “harmed” as a result. Northern Care Alliance Trust (NCA) NHS Trust, which manages the hospital, has apologised for the “distress we’ve caused” and said those affected had been offered support and ongoing treatment plans. Sources confirmed that Dr Wolfe is still working at the trust, but NCA said it would not comment on the status of its employees. But the revelation comes amid wider staff unrest over the trust’s gynaecology services with concerns about patient safety, workforce pressures and unsafe workloads. Read full story Source: The Independent, 17 May 2026
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News Article
Rise in sickle cell disease prompts NHS call for more Black blood donors
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Demand for blood needed to treat rare disorders such as sickle cell has soared by more than 130% in 10 years, forcing the NHS to ask for more donors to come forward. Requests for haemoglobin S (HbS)-negative blood, the type most used in blood transfusions for sickle cell anaemia patients, stood at 82,181 units in 2015. But last year, more than 191,000 units were needed, a 132% increase. HbS is a type of haemoglobin commonly found in people with sickle cell trait and sickle cell disorder. It gives red blood cells a crescent or ‘sickle’ shape, reducing the flexibility of the cells in blood vessels. The NHS Blood and Transplant service (NHSBT) has highlighted the soaring demand from sickle cell disease patients and has made urgent appeals for Black people to donate. It has about 775,000 blood donors overall, about 21,500 of them of Black or mixed Black ethnicity. John James, chief executive of the Sickle Cell Society, said: “These figures show an urgent need for more blood donors, especially from Black and brown heritage communities. The blood types most commonly needed for sickle cell patients are more prevalent in people of Black heritage, who remain under-represented in the donor pool. “That’s why, working in partnership with NHS Blood and Transplant, we’ve developed our Give Blood, Spread Love programme to increase the number of Black-heritage donors. Giving blood is a simple act that can save or improve up to three lives, and for people with sickle cell it can be life-saving.” The increase in demand has been attributed to a range of factors, including an ageing population, more use of transfusions where all of a patient’s blood is replaced and an increase in numbers from areas where sickle cell is more common. Many sickle cell patients develop antibodies that mean they require very closely matched blood. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 14 May 2026 -
News Article
‘Concerning’ levels of therapy still carried out by unaccredited staff
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Tens of thousands of therapy sessions are still being carried out by unaccredited practitioners in the NHS, data suggests – nearly four years after a deadline to stamp this out. The situation has been called “concerning” by a leading psychology body, who warned expansion of mental health care should “not come at the expense” of patient safety. The data relates to talking therapies in mental health care, such as cognitive behavioural therapy, typically delivered over a number of sessions. More than 40,600 out of 227,800 appointments – nearly a fifth - were carried out by a therapist who was not accredited or in training, according to the latest NHS England data for February this year. This information was unknown for nearly 300,000 more sessions. NHSE previously set a deadline for all counsellors delivering NHS-funded care to be accredited or in training by mid-2022. But Rebecca Light from the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies said: “It is concerning that a substantial number of interventions continue to be delivered by practitioners who are not yet registered or accredited.” The chief accreditation officer and registrar said: “As demand for mental health services continues to grow, it is vital that workforce expansion is matched by consistent standards across services. “Strengthening the use of accredited registers, alongside supporting practitioners to achieve and maintain accreditation, will help ensure that increased access to care does not come at the expense of quality or patient safety.” Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 7 March 2026 -
News Article
Thousands of cancer patients in England to benefit from new immunotherapy jab
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Thousands of patients across England each year will benefit from a new immunotherapy treatment that can be used for several types of cancer, the NHS has announced. The injectable form of pembrolizumab, which can be administered in under two minutes, kills cancer cells by blocking a protein called PD-1, which acts as a brake on immune responses, allowing the immune system to recognise and attack cancer cells. This new form of immunotherapy will replace pembrolizumab, which is administered via an intravenous drip in a specialist clean room. Preparing and administering it can be time-consuming and expensive for NHS staff to maintain, taking about two hours per session for patient. Most of the 14,000 patients already taking pembrolizumab are expected to benefit from the new injectable version. It is estimated the treatment, which will be given every three weeks as a one-minute injection or every six weeks as a two-minute injection, will save the NHS more than 100,000 hours of preparation and treatment time each year. Up to 15,000 cancer patients became eligible last year for nivolumab, an immunotherapy injection that takes three to five minutes to administer. With the addition of this treatment, there are now two immunotherapies available for almost 30 types of cancer on the NHS. Prof Peter Johnson, the NHS national clinical director for cancer, said: “This immunotherapy offers a lifeline for thousands of patients and it’s fantastic that this new rapid jab can now take just a minute to deliver – meaning patients can get back to living their lives rather than spending hours in a hospital chair. “Managing cancer treatment and regular hospital trips can be really exhausting, and not only will this innovation make therapy much quicker and more convenient for patients, it will help free up vital appointments for NHS teams to treat more people and continue to bring down waiting times.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 4 May 2026 -
News ArticleThousands of stroke victims are being denied access to a crucial, life-altering treatment, a charity has warned. The Stroke Association has highlighted "stark inequalities" in whether patients receive a thrombectomy – a procedure that removes a blood clot from a blocked blood vessel in the brain. Getting this treatment in the hours after stroke symptoms start can save a person’s life or reduce the risk of life-long disability, as it reduces brain damage caused by a clot. Analysis by the Stroke Association reveals that 1,222 patients missed out on a thrombectomy between October and December last year, despite the procedure needing to be carried out within the first 24 hours. The charity attributes these disparities to the fact that some parts of the country lack access to round-the-clock thrombectomy services. NHS plans, introduced in 2019, had set ambitious targets to expand thrombectomy provision from just 1% to 10% of stroke patients, predicting this would enable 1,600 more individuals to live independently each year. But the Stroke Association said that this critical target remains unmet Read full story Source: The Independent, 29 April 2026
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News Article
Unqualified therapist treated patients for 10 months
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
An individual worked as a cognitive behavioural therapist at a trust for 10 months without having the qualifications to do so, HSJ can reveal. The “patient safety event” at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust was attributed to a “lack of scrutiny” during the recruitment process. Patients who had CBT sessions - a type of talking therapy for people with mental health conditions - with this individual were informed earlier this year, according to local media. HSJ has now obtained an integrated care board committee document which discussed the incident via a Freedom of Information request. The document said the trust realised in August 2025 that a substantive member of staff had been “delivering care as a cognitive behavioural therapist to Lancashire and South Cumbria residents”, despite not having the required qualifications or accreditations. The individual had been working in this role since November 2024, according to the quality and outcomes committee risk and escalation report. It said: “A lack of scrutiny of this individual’s qualifications/accreditation during the recruitment process has been attributed to this patient safety event.” Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 20 April 2026 -
News Article
Nearly half of 999 patients don’t need major A&E treatment
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Nearly half of patients who arrive at hospital in ambulances are being discharged without needing major care, according to data obtained by HSJ. Experts said the research also revealed a “postcode lottery”, with patients more likely to be taken to A&E in some areas due to a lack of alternative settings. The internal NHS England data has tracked how many ambulance patients were later discharged without any inpatient or “same day” emergency care, or transfer to another service, at different sites. These patients may have required hospital-based diagnostics, for example, or review from emergency clinicians before they could be sent away. At 24 hospitals, more than 50% of ambulance patients are being discharged without going to an inpatient or ambulatory unit. The highest proportion was 85% at St Peter’s Hospital in Surrey. It was at less than a third at other sites. This put the national average at 46%, according to data obtained by a Freedom of Information request. There was a wide range of acuity levels among ambulance patients discharged without further serious care. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 8 April 2026 -
News Article
Key stroke treatment still not available around the clock across England
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The NHS has not made a “life-changing” treatment for stroke available around the clock across England despite ministers repeatedly promising that it would. The health service was expected to improve stroke care by making a clot removal technique called mechanical thrombectomy available everywhere in the country 24/7 from 1 April. Doctors describe it as a gamechanging intervention that, if done quickly, can help someone who has had a severe stroke avoid ending up with a serious disability as a result. However, seven of England’s 24 regional stroke centres are still not providing thrombectomy on an all-hours basis, mainly because they do not have enough doctors and other staff to do so. Experts fear the NHS’s failure to deliver universal 24/7 access to the treatment could mean patients who have a stroke overnight, in the evening or at weekends in underserved areas may become avoidably severely disabled, or may even die, because they could not have the procedure. More than 100,000 people a year in the UK have a stroke, of whom 38,000 die and many others are left with life-changing disabilities that rob them of their independence. Dr Sanjeev Nayak, a stroke specialist at the Royal Stoke hospital in Stoke, said: “A patient presenting during normal working hours in a well-served area may receive rapid, life-changing treatment, whereas the same patient presenting at night or in a different region may not receive thrombectomy at all. This creates a real postcode lottery in access to one of the most effective treatments in modern medicine.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 6 April 2026 -
News ArticleMore than a million people with heart disease could be prescribed weight loss jabs on the NHS to prevent them from having heart attacks or strokes. Sold under the brand name Wegovy and made by Novo Nordisk, the weekly jab is a type of drug called a GLP-1 receptor agonist. It works by mimicking the natural hormone which regulates blood sugar, appetite and digestion. The drug can be prescribed to lower blood sugar in people living with type 2 diabetes, but can also help people to lose weight and has been shown to work directly on the heart and blood vessels. Now the NHS’s spending watchdog, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice), has given the green light to give semaglutide to overweight and obese patients living with certain heart and circulatory conditions. It is expected that 1.2 million people across England could benefit. Naveed Sattar, Professor of Cardiometabolic Medicine at the University of Glasgow, said the move was a “genuine win–win” that will improve patients’ quality of life. “We now have medicines that not only reduce heart attacks, strokes, and peripheral arterial disease, but also simultaneously lead to meaningful weight loss – which in turn lowers the risk of many weight‑related conditions,” Prof Sattar said. “Given that so many people living with cardiovascular disease also struggle with excess weight, it’s no longer sufficient to focus solely on lipids and blood pressure. We must also address weight directly if we want to deliver the best possible outcomes for our patients,” he added. Read full story Source: The Independent, 1 April 2026
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Content ArticleA new report, jointly produced by charities Cysters and Endometriosis UK, sheds light on the biases and inequalities faced by endometriosis patients from ethnically diverse communities. The report reveals that patients from these communities are waiting more than 16% (1 year and 8 months) longer than the UK average waiting time for an endometriosis diagnosis time. The report draws on findings from more than 500 people from ethnically diverse communities living with endometriosis, as well as ten supplementary interviews. Findings: People from ethnically diverse communities wait, on average, 11 years for an endometriosis diagnosis in the UK. This is compared to the UK-wide average diagnosis time of 9 years and 4 months. Patients from ethnically diverse backgrounds wait more than twice as long (4 years) between seeing a gynaecologist and being diagnosed with endometriosis as the UK-wide average (1 year and 10 months). This is despite going to their GP sooner after first noticing symptoms, and waiting less time to see a gynaecologist. More than two thirds (68%) believed their ethnicity either played a role in their diagnosis, proved a barrier to diagnosis, or was the subject of assumptions made by healthcare practitioners. Just 11% believed healthcare providers are culturally sensitive.
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News Article
Fears of two-tier health system as more turn to private care, says watchdog
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
A two-tier health system is emerging with people increasingly paying for tests and treatments on the private sector to beat NHS waits, a patient watchdog is warning. Healthwatch England said feedback from patients combined with polling suggested use of the private sector is on the rise, with long NHS waits said to be a key factor. Private sector providers said alongside rises in people paying for treatment, some were also using the private sector to get scans and tests done before returning to the NHS, with their results, in a bid to get seen quicker. The government said it is making improvements, adding it is determined to reduce the delays that meant some felt the need to pay fore care. The survey of nearly 2,600 people in England found 16% of people had used the private sector in the past year, up from 9% two years previously. Four in 10 of those that had paid for care cited long NHS waits. Healthwatch England, which also analysed 390,000 pieces of feedback from the public over the past three years to draw up its conclusions, said the government had to do more to improve waiting times. It said the NHS should also provide more information to patients while they wait, to reassure them about when they might be seen, as well as helping them manage any symptoms. Currently nearly four in 10 people wait longer than the target time of 18 weeks for hospital treatment. Figures from the Private Healthcare Information Network show nearly 950,000 operations and treatments were carried out in the private sector last year in the UK. Read full story Source: BBC News, 16 March 2026 -
News ArticleMillions of Americans use injectable drugs like Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy to help them lose weight - knowing there are possible side effects such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Now, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has written a letter alleging that the Danish drugmaker failed to report adverse effects in patients who took semaglutide drugs, including death. The 5 March letter cited three deaths in unidentified patients, including one patient who died by suicide, and Director of the Office of Scientific Investigations Dr. David Burrow wrote that Novo Nordisk had failed to failed to report “serious and unexpected” adverse drug experiences within the FDA’s required time frame. “Based on your written procedure, your staff or contractor cancelled or rejected serious and unexpected adverse drug experiences that were required to be reported within 15 calendar days because they documented these events as being unrelated to the product,” Burrow said. However, the FDA stopped short in deciding whether any of the adverse effects were directly linked to the drug. The findings were based on an inspection of a New Jersey facility last year that Burrow said “revealed serious violations” of reporting requirements. Since then, Novo Nordisk had taken corrective and preventive actions that officials claimed were “inadequate” because the pharmaceutical giant “did not provide sufficient details to determine whether [Novo Nordisk’s] actions will effectively prevent similar violations in the future.” Read full story Source: The Independent, 12 March 2026
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News Article
Police probe breast cancer treatment allegations
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
A police force is investigating allegations surrounding breast cancer treatment at a hospital trust. Durham Police is working to establish if any criminal offences were committed in light of concerns over the care of patients at the County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust (CDDFT). A report last year found unnecessary surgeries were carried out, cancers were missed and poor standards of care were delivered at the University Hospital of North Durham and Darlington Memorial Hospital. CDDTF said it wanted to support the patients it had let down, including by offering access to psychological support, and to ensure they knew how to make a claim or raise concerns with police. The Durham force has opened a portal, external where anyone can report their concerns if they believe they are a victim of crime as a result of breast cancer treatment at the trust between 2023 and 2025. A police spokesman said: "We would stress that the investigation remains in its early stages and detectives from the major crime team are liaising with the trust, which is supporting the inquiry." Solicitor Hayley Collinson said she had been supporting women who believed they had been affected by delayed diagnosis, had mastectomies they did not require, and patients who had not been offered reconstructions when they should have." Read full story Source: BBC News, 12 March 2026 -
Content Article
Lichen sclerosus is a skin condition that causes itchy white patches, most commonly on the genitals. There's no cure, but treatment can help relieve the symptoms. It is though to affect 1 in 100 women. The Lichen Sclerosus Guide was awarded first place in the 'Communicating effectively with patients and families' category of the 2025 Picker Experience Network (PEN) Awards. The guide has been written by people with vulval lichen sclerosus and expert healthcare professionals and researchers from the University of Bristol, University of Nottingham, East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, and Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. Since its launch earlier this year, the guide has been viewed by over 25,000 people in more than 50 countries. The Lichen Sclerosus Guide led by Dr Sophie Rees and Dr Caroline Owen combines clinical expertise with lived experience of vulval lichen sclerosus, offering clear, accessible information through written content, videos, animations, and downloadable tools. It contains information about symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and support, and includes videos explaining what happens to the skin in lichen sclerosus, vulval anatomy and self-examination, and how to apply treatment to the vulva. The judging panel praised the guide for its inclusive, evidence-based approach to tackling stigma and improving health literacy. They commented that: “It empowers patients, supports clinicians and bridges gaps in care, making it a model for effective communication and partnership in healthcare.” -
News Article
‘ChatGPT listened when my GP didn’t’: why women turn to AI on health
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
When Katie finally sat down in her GP’s surgery in November she had been in pain for years. Since the birth of her daughter in July 2023, sex had been agony. Yet the mother of three, a teacher, had delayed booking an appointment — she simply didn’t have the time. After explaining her pain to a stranger, she was met with a shrug. “I was told that this is just what happens after kids. I felt so ignored and so awful. I cried; I felt invisible.” Feeling failed by a human doctor, she turned to ChatGPT. “I know that AI is programmed to acknowledge me; it said something like, ‘that must be really stressful and tough to deal with right now,’ and then gave me a list of things my pain could be attributed to. It instantly put me at ease,” Katie, 28, said. She is now in the majority. A study of 1,000 UK women aged 20 to 50 found that 53% would use a free AI tool for medical advice, even while acknowledging the 20 per cent error rate. The report by Intimina, a Swedish company that makes women’s health products, Sixty-six per cent of women admitted they had avoided booking a GP appointment or collecting a prescription to avoid associated costs and 47% said the cost of living had led them to delay buying treatments until symptoms felt “severe”. However, a London School of Economics study last year found that AI models systematically downplayed women’s symptoms compared to men’s. Dr Susanna Unsworth, a women’s health expert with Intimina, said: “AI lacks the clinical nuance essential in intimate health. Self-treating based on a chatbot’s guess can lead to inappropriate treatment and prolonged suffering.” Read full story (paywalled) Source: The Times, 8 March 2026 -
News Article
Women receiving worse treatment for back and neck pain
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Women are receiving worse treatment for back and neck pain because their experiences are not factored into “male by default” clinical guidelines in the UK, research has found. The NHS fails to acknowledge sex-specific considerations such as pain being more common among women in its model of care for non-surgical management of chronic neck and back pain, according to research from the University of Lancashire. A major review of clinical guidance, published in the Physical Therapy Reviews journal, found that by consistently only referring to people, individuals or patients, clinical guidance in the UK ignores the role women’s different skeleton size, hormones, experience of pregnancy or menopause can play in musculoskeletal pain. Guidelines also ignore the different biological characteristics of intersex patients. Lauren Haworth, research associate at the University of Lancashire and lead author of the study, said that considering sex-specific biology was important to deliver personalised, equitable healthcare. “We know that large breasts can be heavy, and without adequate support this additional weight, combined with gravity, can cause strain on a woman’s body, which may contribute towards neck and back pain,” she said. But she added that because existing guidance doesn’t acknowledge sex-based differences, “women may still be disadvantaged simply because their biological needs differ from those of men”. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 11 March 2026 Further reading on the hub: Top picks: Women's health inequity Gender bias: A threat to women’s health Women’s heart health - a patient safety priority Medicines, research and female hormones: a dangerous knowledge gap -
News Article
Mother given wrong antibiotics died from sepsis
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
A young mother died from sepsis contributed to by NHS neglect after she was given the wrong antibiotics, a coroner has ruled. Aleisha Rochester, 33, a bank cashier from Croydon, south London, died two weeks after undergoing a routine procedure to remove an abscess from her left armpit. She had sought medical help several times for her worsening condition and been prescribed antibiotics - but not ones that could tackle the bacteria causing her infection. Staff at St Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals also did not follow the NHS trust's own guidelines on administering antibiotics, assistant coroner Sian Reeves said. During an inquest in December, Reeves ruled that Rochester's death had been contributed to by neglect and she would most likely have lived if given the right antibiotics in time. Rochester had undergone a routine day procedure at St Thomas' Hospital on 5 August 2023 to remove abscesses from her left armpit and groin but she became unwell and the wound to her left armpit became infected after 10 August, the coroner said. After multiple GP and hospital visits, on 15 August antibiotics were prescribed "but not in line with St Helier Hospital's antimicrobial guidelines," the coroner wrote. She added that the drugs did not provide effective coverage against a Gram-positive organism, which was the most likely pathogen causing the infection. "Prior to selecting this combination of antibiotics, the surgical team did not consult with the hospital's microbiology team for advice." The coroner ruled that, on 15 August, Rochester "should have been, but was not prescribed" the right antibiotics and if she had, she most likely would have survived. "Her death was contributed to by neglect," she said. Read full story Source: BBC News, 11 March 2026 -
News ArticleThe NHS is pausing new referrals for masculinising or feminising hormone treatment for 16 and 17-year-olds after an in-depth review found there was insufficient evidence to support its continued use. Prescriptions for hormones had been available in England for under-18s with a diagnosis of gender incongruence or dysphoria who met certain criteria. But after the Cass review, NHS England commissioned its own review of all the available clinical evidence. That review has now concluded and found the evidence did not back the continued use of the treatment for 16 and 17-year-olds. In her review of children’s gender care, Hilary Cass had recommended “extreme caution” in providing such treatment and a “clear clinical rationale for providing hormones at this stage rather than waiting until an individual reaches 18”. NHS England said patients under 18 currently receiving cross-sex hormones may continue to receive treatment. However, that treatment must now be reviewed individually with clinicians. On Monday, NHS England launched a 90-day consultation on plans to remove the treatment as a routine procedure. New referrals for the treatment will be paused during the consultation period. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 9 March 2026
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News ArticleA new initiative promises faster diagnoses and improved treatments for children living with rare diseases across the UK. The KidsRare platform will provide researchers with access to data from various hospitals on young patients with rare conditions. It is being developed by Great Ormond Street Hospital (Gosh) and LifeArc, in collaboration with the Children’s Hospital Alliance (CHA). Organising this information is hoped to lead to more breakthroughs in diagnosing and treating rare conditions, which are estimated to affect over three million people nationwide. Dr Sam Barrell, chief executive of LifeArc, said: “Thousands of children are diagnosed every year with a rare disease, and the vast majority currently have little hope of a treatment, let alone a cure. “Key to changing this stark reality is harnessing the comprehensive data we have in our amazing NHS hospitals to turbocharge research and position the UK as a global leader in rare disease research and care. “We need to act today to transform the system for the millions of people living with a rare disease.” Read full story Source: The Independent, 12 February 2026
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Content ArticleThe government’s new 10-year National Cancer Plan for England aims to bring cancer care squarely into the 21st century. The headline commitment is to improve 5-year survival and to achieve outcomes comparable with international peers. Full of promises to ‘end the treatment postcode lottery’ that too often means some but not all patients access the latest innovations, the key question is one of credibility. The plan is bold, but does the NHS have the resources to deliver the myriad commitments quickly, while fixing the basics?
