Issues of Patient Safety in the NHS
The shocking deaths of over 400 patients due to the prescription and administration of excessive opioid medication at Gosport Hospital raises many questions. Not least among them are the issues of patient safety and the treatment of whistleblowers in the NHS - an on-going issue of concern.
Suppression of concerns
According to the BBC's reporting of the catalogue of deaths, nursing staff at the hospital in Gosport had become concerned about the levels of medication being prescribed for patients by Dr Barton nearly 30 years ago but, to quote the BBC website, 'their fears were silenced by management.'
It further reports the comments of Janet Davies, the chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing that the report made for 'very sober reading for everybody involved in the care of patients.'
Patient Safety in the NHS
NHS Improvement's National Patient Safety Incident report, published in March of this year observed that 'the number of incidents reported in the period October to December 2017 (508,409) represents a five-fold increase on the number reported in October to December 2005 (135,356).
It is suggested that this increase may be due to an improvement in reporting rather than a decrease in standards of patient safety and care.
Protecting Whistleblowers in the NHS
Last year, the government introduced new plans to protect whistleblowers in the NHS who have traditionally been prevented from speaking about their concerns due to a fear of recrimination and future discrimination in the job market.
Sadly, these proposals come too late to help the hundreds of patients who died at Gosport War Memorial Hospital.
A 'Just Culture' in the NHS?
The NHS has also recently introduced what it has termed a 'Just Culture Guide' to replace the former Incident Decision Tree. This is a structured and methodical process to be used when analysing causative factors in an incident which has affected patient safety. It describes itself as a document which 'encourages managers to treat staff involved in a patient safety incident in a consistent, constructive and fair way.'
The document is not intended to replace a Patient Safety Investigation but, to quote the words of NHS Improvement, to support 'a conversation between managers about whether a staff member involved in a patient safety incident requires specific individual support or intervention to work safely.'
The new guide has been developed in association with the 'Freedom to Speak Up' National Guardian and 'Action against Medical Accidents', among several other relevant organisations.
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