NHS ‘mistakes’ put patients at risk claims academic

THE NHS’s “unprofessional approach” has put patient safety at risk during the pandemic, an academic says.

Professor Sue Hignett, of Loughborough University, criticised bad management for the mistakes made on personal protective equipment (PPE) and unsuitable ventilators.

She said patients were being hurt by the lack of safety experts involved in the health service.

“The pandemic response has shown that the NHS continues to take an unprofessional approach for patient safety,” Prof Hignett said.

“Over the past 20 years there have been good intentions to improve safety, but very little involvement of safety scientists – especially chartered human factors specialists.

“So, it is not surprising mistakes were made with procurement, for example PPE not fitting women, and ventilators, some of which were unfit for purpose.”

Prof Hignett, an expert in healthcare ergonomics and patient safety, is one of four Loughborough professors who have been giving their opinions on the pandemic and how the future will be affected, in a survey for a House of Lords inquiry, which last week produced a report, Life beyond Covid-19: What are experts concerned about?

Prof Hignett said: “I hope this inquiry provides the impetus for the NHS to start employing qualified, professional human factors experts and to stop hurting patients through lack of engagement with safety experts.”

The inquiry is also looking at employment, social care, society and community.

Dr John Hillier, a lecturer in geography, is encouraging the government to set up a traffic light system to let people know how serious the pandemic is getting.

He said: “The UK helps to govern a volcanic island called Montserrat.

“During the last eruption, which started in 1995 and was variably active for 10 years or so, they found effective communication with the public really benefited from a simple system with a limited number of colour-coded risk severity levels and defined actions attached to them.”

The Life beyond Covid-19 report includes other predictions, including:

■ The security of work might reduce;

■ There could be potential increases in health and social inequalities;

■ There could be long-term effects of loneliness and isolation.