In a recent report produced by Imperial College London’s Institute of Global Health Innovation and commissioned by the charity Patient Safety Watch, it has been revealed that the NHS spends an alarming £14.7 billion annually on treating patients harmed by medical errors.
The report found that the safety of patient care has significantly declined over the past two years, with 820 preventable deaths from errors occurring annually as a result.
Additionally, the report uncovers a stark regional disparity in patient safety across England, with the north-east experiencing double the rate of death and disability due to medical negligence compared to London.
The authors of the report include Professor Lord Ara Darzi, surgeon and former health minister renowned for his work focused on improving patient care and safety in healthcare systems.
According to Darzi, there has been “alarming declines” in 12 out of 22 key metrics of patient safety in England since 2022. One of the most concerning areas is maternity care, where there has been a troubling rise in stillbirths, neonatal deaths, and maternal deaths during childbirth, with Black women disproportionately affected.
Darzi has called for “immediate action” from NHS leadership and government ministers to address worsening maternity care. The Royal College of Midwives attributes this decline to staff shortages, particularly a lack of specialist midwives. This issue is frequently identified by other organisations as contributing to poorer experiences for women during pregnancy, labour, and post-birth.
The report also found that:
The report concludes that addressing patient safety within the NHS is not only a moral obligation but also an urgent financial necessity. The spiralling costs of unsafe care are exacerbating the financial strain on the NHS, making it clear that improvements in patient safety are crucial not just for ethical reasons, but to manage escalating healthcare expenses.
The harsh reality is that patients continue to suffer harm despite the availability of known strategies and interventions – many of which have already been successfully implemented in other healthcare settings. This highlights a significant gap in the NHS’s ability to adopt and apply these effective measures, leading to preventable patient harm and unnecessary costs.
The report suggests that, with better implementation of proven safety strategies, many of these negative outcomes could be avoided, both improving patient care and reducing financial burdens on the system. To support the long-term improvement of patient safety in England therefore, the report recommends that:
The authors hope that these recommendations will be incorporated into the NHS 10-Year Plan and the Dash Review of patient safety organisations, providing a more coherent and actionable approach to improving patient safety across the system.
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