The head of the NHS has today issued a stark warning to staff that they face the sack or even prison if they access patient records without a legitimate reason, as part of a new crackdown by the health service. Sir Jim Mackey today said that staff looking at medical records for personal reasons or out of curiosity was “wholly unacceptable, […]
More than 1,000 NHS staff across England have used Martha’s Rule helplines to help identify rapid deterioration of a patient’s condition in the first 18 months of the scheme, new figures show. Latest NHS England data shows that between September 2024 and February 2026, 1,781 calls were made by hospital staff to Martha’s Rule helplines […]
Every maternity service in England will need to meet new clinical standards, set out by the NHS, to significantly reduce the number of women who die each year during or after pregnancy. All pregnant women will be offered an early risk assessment for venous thromboembolism – blood clots that form in deep veins and are […]
More than 10,000 calls have been made to Martha’s Rule helplines in the first 16 months of the NHS scheme, saving lives and helping thousands of patients benefit from changes to their care. New NHS England data shows that one in three calls (34%, 3,457) to Martha’s Rule by patients, families and staff identified rapid […]
The NHS is reminding the public to continue coming forward for care as normal over the last 2 days of strike action this weekend. This period of industrial action by resident doctors began at 7am on Wednesday 17 December and will continue until 7am on Monday 22 December. Despite rising flu cases and other winter […]
A national patient safety alert has been issued by the NHS England National Patient Safety team – in collaboration with the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine – about the risk of harm from incorrectly assembled breathing circuits lacking a proper exhalation route for patients receiving invasive or non-invasive ventilatory support. Risk associated with adult breathing […]
A joint National Patient Safety Alert has been issued by the NHS England National Patient Safety team, in collaboration with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, Royal College of Physicians and Royal College of General Practitioners, about the risk of harm from inadvertently recording patients’ penicillin allergies as penicillamine allergies in electronic prescribing and medicines administration (EPMA) […]
This national patient safety alert has been issued by the NHS England National Patient Safety team. It instructs all organisations providing emergency departments and cancer services to take steps to reduce the risk of harm from delayed administration of rasburicase for tumour lysis syndrome (TLS). All actions should be completed by 9 March 2026. National […]
Martha’s Rule is being expanded to every acute hospital in England, the NHS has announced, as new data shows hundreds of patients have benefitted from potentially life-saving changes to their care thanks to the scheme. Between September 2024 and June 2025, there were 4,906 calls made to Martha’s Rule helplines to escalate concerns about care – […]
England’s top doctor is warning the public about the risk of ‘bargain-basement’ Brazilian butt lifts, following a stream of deals being offered by overseas clinics in the run up to Christmas. The NHS has seen clinics offering 25% discounts, all-inclusive packages including hotels and flights for under £3,000, as well as finance deals in a […]
The roll-out of Martha’s Rule in NHS hospitals in England has already begun triggering “potentially life-saving changes in care” for patients, Martha Mills’ parents and the NHS have today announced. The major patient safety initiative aims to provide a consistent and understandable way for patients and families to seek an urgent review if their or […]