'Improve NHS error reports' call (U.K.)

[Guest guest]

> SSRI-Research

> Tue, 17 Aug 2004 21:15:59 -0400

> [sSRI-Research] 'Improve NHS error reports'

> call

>

> >

>

> 'Improve NHS error reports' call

>

> Hospitals must improve recording of medical errors

> which may contribute to 72,000 deaths a year, say

> researchers. The National Patient Safety Agency

> estimates one in 10 patients admitted to NHS

> hospitals is harmed, to some degree, as a result of

> their care. But independent research group Dr Foster

> found some trusts reported no mistakes, which it

> says is an unlikely claim. The NPSA says it is

> addressing the issue of under-reporting of errors.

>

>

> The appropriate level of attention is simply not

> given to solve this problem

> Roger Taylor of Dr Foster

>

>

> Dr Foster analysed four years of statistics from

> 1999-2000 to 2002-03, amounting to 50,215,687

> episodes of care - a period of care under one

> particular doctor. The researchers looked at the

> number of adverse events - unintended harm to the

> patient caused by medical management rather than

> their illness, resulting in death, life-threatening

> illness, disability, hospitalisation or prolonged

> stay in hospital. Scale of problem They found that

> on average 2.2% of all episodes, about 27,500 a

> year, included some kind of adverse event. Events

> were more likely in men, the elderly and emergency

> patients. The rate of adverse event recording varied

> between trusts with some reporting no adverse events

> at all. Hospital-acquired infections such as the

> MRSA superbug were also poorly recorded. The

> researchers said there was no specific code to

> indicate a case of MRSA had occurred. Roger Taylor,

> of Dr Foster told the BBC: " Throughout the

> healthcare system these kind of errors are a very

> large cause of unnecessary death, disability or

> illness. " This problem will never be properly

> tackled until we understand where it's happening,

> why, and design systems to prevent this taking

> place. " Reporting flawed Mr Taylor said: " Some

> hospitals report no errors and some report as many

> as 15%. " The appropriate level of attention is

> simply not given to solve this problem, " he said.

> The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) welcomed

> the study and its reporting recommendations. " It has

> long been understood that these incidents are under

> reported, not just here in the UK but worldwide,

> making it all the more important that information is

> gathered from a variety of sources, " said a

> spokeswoman. She said the NPSA was developing

> systems to improve reporting of medical errors. It

> has already developed a National Reporting and

> Learning System (NRLS) to enable NHS staff to

> anonymously report errors. " The NPSA is also setting

> up a Patient Safety Observatory which will draw

> together patient safety information from different

> sources, including the NRLS and studies such as this

> one from Dr Foster, to maximise our understanding

> and direct our safety solutions work, " she said.

> Professor Aidan Halligan, Deputy Chief Medical

> Officer, said: " Over a million people are treated

> safely and successfully in the NHS each day. " While

> it is an inescapable fact of life that people make

> mistakes, there is much we can do to reduce their

> impact and so reduce risks for patients.

> " Encouraging staff to be open about their mistakes -

> with the aim of ensuring they are not repeated -

> should help reduce hospital deaths. It should make

> the NHS a safer place for everyone that uses it. "

>

>

> Story from BBC NEWS:

>

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/health/3560730.stm

>

> Published: 2004/08/13 09:52:35 GMT

>

> © BBC MMIV

>

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