This alert provides new guidance on spinal (intrathecal) devices for chemotherapy that replaces guidance in previous alerts NPSA/2009/PSA004A and NPSA/2011/PSA001. All other guidance in previous alerts remains unchanged. Non-Luer spinal (intrathecal) devices for chemotherapy Non-Luer spinal (intrathecal) devices for chemotherapy (supporting information) Analysis of stakeholder engagement responses Patient safety alerts are shared rapidly with healthcare […]

NHS England and the Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery today commented on the current safety of children’s heart surgery at Bristol Children’s Hospital. It follows last week’s meeting between Sir Bruce Keogh and families of children who died at the hospital, where it was agreed that there should be an independent review, chaired by Sir Ian […]

A patient safety alert has been issued today (6 February 2014) by NHS England on the risk of hypothermia for patients on continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). This alert has been disseminated via the Central Alerting System (CAS) to ensure NHS staff are aware that it is never safe to use CRRT equipment without a […]

In the year since the publication of the Francis Report NHS England has led many significant improvements to address the concerns raised in this landmark report. Jane Cummings, Chief Nursing Officer for England and NHS England Chief Nurse said: “The lasting legacy that NHS England can give back to the patients and families who suffered […]

A new alerting system launched today by NHS England will ensure warnings of potential risks to the safety of patients can be developed much more quickly and be rapidly disseminated right across the NHS. The new National Patient Safety Alerting System (NPSAS) will ensure warnings of emerging risks can be rapidly issued following their identification […]

A need for transparency, better safety checks on testing, consistency and standardisation of processes and procedures are some of the recommendations made to NHS England in a review into pathology services. Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, Medical Director of NHS England commissioned Dr Ian Barnes, chair of NHS England’s Pathology Quality Assurance Review Board, to strengthen and refine the quality assurance […]

NHS England’s Chief Data Officer Dr Geraint Lewis said: “NHS England and the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) welcome the increase in public awareness and debate about NHS data usage following the nationwide distribution of the leaflet ‘Better Information Means Better Care’. “It is vital, however, that this debate is based on facts, […]

Since this news item published, certain details have now been superseded. Please see the care.data page for the most recent and up to date information. Leaflets explaining how the NHS uses patient information will begin landing on the doormats of England’s 26.5 million households from today. Over the next four weeks, every household in England […]

NHS England on behalf of the Incident Management Team today publishes the findings of its review of cancer services at Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust. The primary aim of the immediate review was to answer the question “Are the cancer services safe?” The Review took place between the 14th November and the 9th December […]

Hospitals are to get a £150 million boost to help improve patient safety and help make the NHS the safest healthcare system in the world. NHS England has worked with Monitor to adjust the price hospitals are paid to treat patients, in recognition that some hospitals will incur additional costs. They expect it to be […]