The NHS is today (Tuesday 21 March) taking the precautionary step of writing to patients who have had certain types of open heart surgery to inform them that they may have a low risk of having contracted an infection caused by Mycobacterium chimaera (M. chimaera). Over the next two weeks, letters are being sent to […]
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) and NHS England are working with Marie Stopes International to make sure that patients are protected from potential harm when undergoing pregnancy terminations. Following CQC’s inspections of Marie Stopes International’s services and its corporate headquarters in England, the regulator has raised concerns about the provider’s corporate and clinical governance arrangements […]
A patient safety alert has been issued by NHS England around the prioritisation of general practice home visits. When a request for a home visit is made, it is vital that general practices have a system in place to assess: whether a home visit is clinically necessary; and the urgency of need for medical attention. […]
A patient safety alert has been issued by NHS England to raise awareness of the risk of severe dehydration and death caused by an omission or delay of desmopressin in patients with cranial diabetes insipidus. Cranial diabetes insipidus is a rare disorder of the pituitary gland characterised by an inability to produce antidiuretic hormone (ADH), […]
A joint patient safety alert has been issued by NHS England and the Medicines & Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to raise awareness of the risk of having two different types of airway humidification devices simultaneously connected to a patient’s ventilation equipment. There are two humidifiers in common use: heated [water] humidifiers (HHs), usually located […]
A patient safety alert has been issued by NHS England to raise awareness of the importance of taking, recording and responding to vital signs where restraint has been used to manage a person’s behaviour if they are at risk to themselves or others. Healthcare professionals should follow existing guidance on positive interventions to reduce the […]
A joint patient safety alert has been issued by NHS England and the Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to highlight the risk of falls from hoists. The alert has been issued following patient safety incident reports that suggest existing Health and Safety Executive (HSE) advice on safely using hoists and providing training had […]
A patient safety alert has been issued by NHS England to support providers of NHS funded care to minimise the risk of distress and death caused by inappropriate doses of naloxone. The new ‘Stage 2: Resource’ alert highlights a number of resources now available to help providers ensure their local protocols and training related to […]
NHS England has today (23 September 2015) published a six-monthly data report on patient safety incidents reported to the National Reporting and Learning System (NRLS) between 1 October 2014 and 31 March 2015. Acute hospitals, mental health services, community trusts, ambulance services and primary care organisations report incidents to the NRLS where any patient could have […]
A Patient Safety Alert has been issued by NHS England to launch an NHS-wide programme of work based around the National Standards for Invasive Procedures (NatSSIPs) that were published on 7 September 2015. The alert asks NHS providers to review current clinical practice and ensure the NatSSIPs are embedded into local processes by developing their […]