2020

PFD Reports
Reports: 309 Areas: 57

83% response rate (above 63% average).

Clear 215 results
Wendy Wilkes
All Responded
2020-0095 20 Apr 2020 Manchester South
Greater Manchester Health and Social Ca… Tameside and Glossop Clinical Commissio…
Concerns summary (AI summary) The GP practice lacked a clear system for alert notes or follow-up appointments for patients with extensive prescriptions and failed to assess risks associated with high alcohol use mixed with prescribed medication.
Action Planned (AI summary) Haughton Thornley Medical Centres conducted a Significant Event Analysis and implemented safeguarding changes, including alert notes for prescribed medication and training staff to share information on intentional/accidental overdoses with GPs. Tameside and Glossop CCG has developed guidance to all practices regarding the identification and management of patients prescribed neuropathic drugs and opioids that may also be dependent upon alcohol. The CCG will ensure practices undertake a quarterly search for patients taking opioids or neuropathic drugs cross-referenced with alcohol dependence. Practices will review their systems to alert prescribers to patients with high alcohol usage.
Ashley Holden
All Responded
2020-0096 17 Apr 2020 Lincolnshire
Department for Transport Health and Safety Executive
Concerns summary (AI summary) Inconsistent and absent definitive guidance for stacking, unstacking, loading, and securing bales in agriculture creates a risk of unsafe practices and fatalities from falling bales.
Noted (AI summary) HSE acknowledges the concerns and highlights existing guidance and enforcement approaches related to vehicle loading and workplace safety, particularly regarding bales. They will consider improvements to guidance INDG125 during its next periodic review. The DVSA will update the 'Load Securing - Vehicle Operators Guidance' in collaboration with HSE, focusing on generic safe loading principles rather than specific bale/trailer combinations. The DfT Code of Practice, 'Safety Loads on Vehicles' (2002) will be amended to cross-reference the updated guidance.
Millie Taylor-Noonan
All Responded
2020-0097 15 Apr 2020 Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire County Council Highways De…
Concerns summary (AI summary) Inadequate pedestrian safety measures near a school crossing, including a lack of lighting, railings, dedicated crossings, crossing patrols, or temporary speed limits, creates a high-risk environment for students.
Action Taken (AI summary) Lincolnshire County Council will install street lighting as an exceptional case, improve road markings including SLOW and yellow SCHOOL zig-zag markings, install additional school warning signs, and provide school amber flashing lights. The school has also provided a teacher to marshal students at the school gate.
Ava-May Littleboy
All Responded
2020-0085 2 Apr 2020 Norfolk
British Standards Institution
Concerns summary (AI summary) Concerns exist regarding whether an appropriate operating or instruction manual was obtained for the inflatable trampoline, which exploded and caused a fatality.
Disputed (AI summary) The British Standards Institution (BSI) expresses its sympathy but states that it is not a regulatory or enforcement body and therefore cannot take action to prevent a reoccurrence. BSI states it would not be able to create a compulsory scheme to augment or replace that of ADIPS. Rundles disputes the coroner's concerns, arguing that their role as an inspection body does not extend to ensuring operators use equipment safely. They claim it is dangerous to divert responsibility from operators to inspection bodies. HSE has written to the Amusement Safety Device Council to remind them of their obligations and intends to publish additional guidance on the design, operation, and inspection of sealed inflatable devices, which is currently being drafted in consultation with representatives of the amusement industry.
Jake Perry
All Responded
2020-0091 1 Apr 2020 Herefordshire
Wye Valley NHS Trust
Concerns summary (AI summary) Issues include varied parenteral nutrition protocols and communication breakdowns. Patients with specialist conditions managed by other hospitals require a named local consultant and consultation with the overseeing hospital's specialist department upon admission.
Action Taken (AI summary) Birmingham Women and Childrens NHS Trust has ensured that national guidance such as that the best practice guidance on Homecare medicines, issued in 2011 and known as ‘the Hackett Report’ has been put into practice. It has implemented a system in which Parenteral Nutrition (PN) prescriptions are completed in accordance with existing standards and a second check of PN prescriptions is carried out by a qualified healthcare professional. The Trust has developed and implemented a standard operating procedure for both the medical and surgical divisions to ensure patients with medical conditions overseen by another hospital have a named consultant at their local hospital and that the specialist department of the overseen hospital is consulted. They have also improved information held on patients with open access to the children's ward, developed a proforma for details of health professionals involved in patient care, and implemented the "situational awareness for everyone programme".
Michael Bostock
All Responded
2020-0083 31 Mar 2020 Derby and Derbyshire
British Hang Gliding and Paragliding As…
Concerns summary (AI summary) Lack of clear guidance on paraglider speed bar specifications, absence of speed bar inspection in pre-flight checks, and insufficient consideration for pilot size/weight in system configuration pose safety risks.
Action Planned (AI summary) The BHPA will publish an article in its "Skywings" magazine addressing specifications for speed bar lines, pre-flight checks and speed system setup. The article is planned for publication in July 2020.
Karen Bingham
All Responded
2020-0081 30 Mar 2020 Surrey
South East Ambulance Service Surrey Constabulary
Concerns summary (AI summary) Police training on mental health conditions is insufficient, and emergency service dispatchers lack understanding of each other's triaging and response systems, leading to coordination failures.
Action Planned (AI summary) SECAmb, in collaboration with Surrey, Sussex and Kent police forces, will review its Surge Management Plan and explore opportunities for closer collaborative working, aiming for implementation by the end of the year. They will also work to ensure partner agencies disseminate information internally. Surrey Police updated the "Mental Health Guide" on officers' Mobile Data Terminals, delivered training from SECamb to Contact Centre and Force Control Room staff in 2018, and hold quarterly meetings with SECamb's Emergency Operations Centre. A new Decision Support Flowchart has also been agreed for implementation in October 2020.
Dudley Howe
All Responded
2020-0079 25 Mar 2020 Norfolk
Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency
Concerns summary (AI summary) HGV training lacks mandatory instruction on Class VI mirror use, which covers blind spots, and not all drivers are required to undertake vulnerable road user awareness courses, increasing collision risks.
Action Planned (AI summary) The DVSA will add two questions to the driving theory test for new LGV drivers regarding class VI (cyclops) mirrors, planned for the next reprint in autumn 2020. They will also promote Safe Urban Driving/VRU awareness courses and highlight mirror adjustment on social media.
Simon Delahunty
All Responded
2020-0077 24 Mar 2020 London (North)
Department of Health and Social Care
Concerns summary (AI summary) The absence of arrangements or guidance for the safe collection and disposal of unused end-of-life prescription medication creates risks of misuse or environmental harm.
Noted (AI summary) The Department of Health and Social Care describes the NHS Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework, which requires pharmacies to accept unwanted medicines for safe disposal. They also mention the National Guideline 46 and the Medicines Value Programme to reduce medicine waste.
Kelly Sutton
All Responded
2020-0076 24 Mar 2020 Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire Constabulary
Concerns summary (AI summary) Valuable non-crime domestic abuse information is fragmented and not available as a national police resource, hindering effective safeguarding of potential victims.
Action Taken (AI summary) Hertfordshire Constabulary has implemented the Athena system for accessing intelligence and crime records across forces, and highlights the ongoing development of the national Law Enforcement Data Service (LEDS) to improve data sharing. They are also committed to working towards better opportunities for sharing data held by the police.
Sonny Parmar
All Responded
2020-0075 24 Mar 2020 London (North)
Barnet Council
Concerns summary (AI summary) There is no speed limit on the road adjacent to the school, failing to slow traffic during critical times when children are arriving and leaving the school.
Action Taken (AI summary) Barnet Council installed vehicle activated speed signs and renewed anti-skid surfacing near the crossing. They also programmed work to remove a dropped kerb and add guardrails, scheduled to commence 16 June 2020.
Lewis Francis
All Responded
2020-0074 23 Mar 2020 Exeter and Greater Devon
Avon and Somerset Police Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Tru… Cygnet Healthcare +8 more
Concerns summary (AI summary) A lack of mechanisms for transferring serious crime suspects in police custody to mental health facilities and insufficient understanding of autistic prisoners' needs pose significant risks.
Action Planned (AI summary) Wiltshire Police is working with other forces and the South West Provider Collaborative to develop a Memorandum of Understanding regarding mental health pathways. Avon and Somerset Police, on behalf of the South West Provider Collaborative, has clarified out-of-hours admission processes and confirmed with providers that services are commissioned to admit patients out of hours if clinically indicated. They are also developing a Memorandum of Understanding, with key milestones including governance/agency approval by October 2020 and communication to stakeholders by November 2020. They consider the training action is directed towards the Prison Service alone.
Jason Pendlebury
All Responded
2020-0069 12 Mar 2020 Manchester North
Greater Manchester Police North West Ambulance Service
Concerns summary (AI summary) Critical communication breakdowns and lack of information sharing between police, ambulance services, GPs, and mental health professionals repeatedly led to inadequate risk assessments and missed opportunities for mental health intervention.
Action Planned (AI summary) Greater Manchester Police is working towards an electronic information sharing system with NWAS to improve communication, and plans are in place to develop a training package for OCB staff including clear instructions regarding information sharing with NWAS. NWAS states that a referral process was only due to go live in 2021, but has been brought forward in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic. The current process is that NWAS Clinical Hub will identify two mental health incidents per hour from 999 or 111 that are either a Category 3 or Category 4 mental health incident.
Mitica Marin
All Responded
2020-0066 12 Mar 2020 London East
Department of Health and Social Care London Ambulance Service Physio-Control UK Ltd +2 more
Concerns summary (AI summary) A significant delay in defibrillation occurred because the paramedic was distracted and the device defaulted to manual mode; this is a recurring issue, reducing survival prospects.
Disputed (AI summary) Resuscitation Council UK disagrees with recommending defibrillators start in automatic mode, arguing manual mode results in greater chance of return of spontaneous circulation and supports the remedial actions taken by LAS. London Ambulance Service investigated the incident and found that Paramedic A did not recognise that Mr Marin was in ventricular fibrillation. LAS has updated guidance, provided human factors training, and provided focused training to solo first responders and are exploring devices to switch to AED mode automatically; they are undertaking thematic analysis and Trust wide learning following the incident. The Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE) acknowledges the need for prompt defibrillation and issued revised guidance in June 2019 advocating for the use of automatic mode by solo responders. However, it is not AACE's responsibility to recommend which defibrillator device an ambulance service should purchase. The Department of Health and Social Care acknowledges the concerns regarding defibrillator default settings, but states that factory settings must cover a wide range of applications and individual ambulance services are responsible for future procurement. MHRA has not received similar reports and the National Clinical Director considers the current default mode acceptable, though this will be kept under review. Stryker argues that the coroner's concerns about the LP15 device defaulting to manual mode are inaccurate, as the device can be configured to power on in either automatic or manual defibrillation mode based on the health system's clinical protocols, therefore no action will be taken.
Ian Weeks
All Responded
2020-0064 12 Mar 2020 South Wales Central
Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust
Concerns summary (AI summary) Failures in checking medical records upon prison admission led to missed antidepressant medication, exacerbated by staff shortages, heavy workloads, and the absence of a "red flag" warning system for suicide risk.
Action Planned (AI summary) Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust has reviewed the records, processes, and systems related to the death, noting a difference between NHS Wales and England regarding GP record access for prisoners. They have recently gained funding for an IT data specialist to improve IT in the prison, with recruitment to be pursued once a workforce review is complete.
Jennifer McKoy
All Responded
2020-0080 11 Mar 2020 Black Country
Black Country Hospital Trusts Black Country Pathological Service Walsall Manor Hospital
Concerns summary (AI summary) An inadequate audit process for sample monitoring and a lack of clear protocol for managing anticoagulation/prophylaxis regimes in community patients posed significant risks.
Noted (AI summary) BCPS is implementing audit processes for the routine review of malignant cases in preparation for MDT meetings, and modified Southampton audits. They will also improve pathways to notify BCPS of increasing cancer work. A consultant histopathologist post will continue to be advertised. Actions are to be completed by 31 May 2020. The response forwards information from Black Country Pathology Services and The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust relating to previous concerns. It notes that the patient was under the care of Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust. The Trust will develop a Community Standard Operating Procedure for VTE risk assessment and prophylaxis for specific patient groups, and will liaise with the CCG regarding procedures in Care Homes. Completion is expected by 31 October 2020.
Rifky Grossberger
All Responded
2020-0070 11 Mar 2020 London Inner North
NHS England Royal College of Nursing
Concerns summary (AI summary) Insufficient communication of blind cord dangers to new parents, absence of a national safety leaflet, and missed opportunities for healthcare professionals to provide warnings contributed to the risk.
Noted (AI summary) NHS England highlights the existing advice available on the NHS Choices website and the role of Health Visitors in delivering the Healthy Child Programme. PHE aims to reduce preventable accidents as part of the national priority on Best Start in Life (2020-2025) through the modernisation of the Healthy Child Programme. The RCN has reviewed and strengthened its guidance about the potential risks of strangulation and suffocation on its clinical webpages for Health Visitors, Midwives, School Nurses, Children’s Nurses, Neonatal Nurses and General Practice Nurses. This matter has also been brought to the attention of members through Forums and social media platforms.
Robert Brown
All Responded
2020-0065 9 Mar 2020 Staffordshire (south)
National Offender Management Service
Concerns summary (AI summary) Information in central NOMIS records, medical system records, and the security department was not available to all prison staff who may have benefitted from having it.
Action Planned (AI summary) NHS England and NHS Improvement are leading a project with HMPPS to implement inter-operability between SystmOne and NOMIS to improve information sharing; Phase one is delayed until August 2020 due to COVID-19 priorities, and Phase three is expected in 2021. The Safer Custody Zone at Dovegate was formed in 2019, to facilitate information sharing between prison and healthcare staff.
Darren Goddard
All Responded
2020-0060 9 Mar 2020 South Wales Central
Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Boa…
Concerns summary (AI summary) Failures in consent processes, misleading risk information, premature discharge, and significant delays in triage, escalation, fluid/antibiotic administration, and critical care admission collectively led to sepsis complications.
Action Taken (AI summary) The Health Board has agreed to use consistent terminology regarding sepsis and exclude reference to the word 'rarely' on the TRUS biopsy consent form. A single leaflet produced by the British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS) is now used. Sepsis training is being reinstated for medical and nursing staff.
Roy Campbell
All Responded
2020-0059 9 Mar 2020 Worcestershire
Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust
Concerns summary (AI summary) Inadequate systems to prevent detained patients from absconding included a flawed visitor tracking system and environmental checks not properly implemented or enshrined in policy with mandatory staff training.
Action Planned (AI summary) The Trust is implementing environmental risk assessment forms on wards, with completion covered in new staff inductions and existing staff supervision sessions. While a business case for an electronic visitor system is awaiting approval, additional manual checks are in place, and pre-signing of forms is prohibited.
REDACTED
All Responded
2020-0061 6 Mar 2020 Inner North London
Department of Health and Social Care NHS England
Concerns summary (AI summary) There is limited public awareness of stroke risks associated with cocaine use and variable access to thrombectomy services due to geographical and timing factors.
Action Planned (AI summary) NHS England is rolling out access to thrombectomy nationally via specialised neuroscience centres over a 5-year period, commenced in April 2017. They are developing a bespoke training programme endorsed by the General Medical Council and Health Education England to address the shortfall in practitioners, due for roll out imminently. PHE will ensure that stroke is included in the list of health risks of cocaine use on the FRANK website.
Carl Newman
All Responded
2020-0056 6 Mar 2020 Liverpool and the Wirral
HMPPS
Concerns summary (AI summary) Prison staff lacked accessible, up-to-date training records for critical safety procedures (ACCT & SASH), indicating a national issue with tracking and ensuring current staff competence.
Action Taken (AI summary) Following the inquest, the Governor of HMP Liverpool issued a staff information notice promoting the use of the myLearning system for accessing training records, and a comprehensive guide on how to use the system will follow. The ACCT case management system is being updated and training packages refreshed.
Katrina O’Hara
All Responded
2020-0051 3 Mar 2020 Dorset
College of Policing Crime, Policing and Fire Service National Police Chief’s Council
Concerns summary (AI summary) Outdated police policy led to a high-risk 999 call being downgraded, and officers failed to recognise the increased danger to the victim when the perpetrator expressed suicidal intent. The victim was also left without a replacement phone after hers was seized for evidence.
Noted (AI summary) The NPCC has undertaken a major refresh of the National Contact Management Strategy since 2015, with revised principles and practice that cover the issue of inappropriate channel selection. The report will be raised at the next meeting of the National Contact Management Steering Group. The Home Office is working to pilot and evaluate approaches to identifying and tackling high risk offenders, including adding suicide indicators to the list of potential risk indicators. Work is ongoing to review findings from domestic homicide reviews and academic research with a view to more accurately identifying key characteristics and risk factors for domestic homicides.
Shaun Turner
All Responded
2020-0050 3 Mar 2020 Manchester South
Department of Health and Social Care
Concerns summary (AI summary) Significant delays in accessing mental health services and support, along with the adverse psychological impact on patients of missed contact attempts, raised serious concerns.
Action Planned (AI summary) The government has introduced access and waiting time standards for mental health services, is expanding access to talking and psychological therapies through the IAPT programme, and is working to improve mental health crisis care. They published the first Cross-Government Suicide Prevention Workplan in January 2019 and are investing £57million in suicide prevention through the NHS Long Term Plan.
Sophie Boothe
All Responded
2020-0142 2 Mar 2020 Hampshire (Central)
Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Tru…
Concerns summary (AI summary) Poor communication and insufficient exploration of information from foreign jurisdictions, specifically misunderstanding critical medical terms, led to inadequate mental health assessment and referral downgrading.
Action Taken (AI summary) Learning events have taken place reflecting on the case, attended by both Talking Therapies and CPE teams, utilising the referral as a case study for further training on how the teams should work together. The Trust is undertaking transformation of its wellbeing services with redefinition of roles and a suite of training to support this, and there will be careful supervision and auditing.