NEWS WORLD IN BRIEF
Council apologises for neglect that contributed to patient’s death Surrey County Council said it ‘should have done more’ for a woman with dementia, who died after being left in her home without care for nine days. A district nurse discovered Gloria Foster, who was 81, lying dehydrated on a urine-soaked bed during a scheduled visit on January 24 2013. Ms Foster was taken to hospital, but died two weeks later. She had been receiving visits four times a day from home care provider Carefirst 24. However, the company had closed down following an immigration raid in January 2013. Surrey County Council was responsible for arranging replacement care for some of the agency’s clients, but Ms Foster was left without assistance at her home in Banstead. A three-day inquest into her death, which concluded last week, found Ms Foster died of natural causes contributed to by neglect. Coroner Richard Travers criticised the council’s failure to ensure care was provided for Ms Foster. A council spokesperson responded: ‘We would again like to say how sorry
we are for our failure to help Gloria Foster get the support she needed. We should have done more and we completely accept that. ‘While we have already made changes following this dreadful case, we will continue to do all we can to prevent anything like this happening again.’
Political notebook
nurse staffing levels bill, which was consulted on until last week, includes protection for whistleblowers and greater transparency in the system.
Our weekly round-up of news from the corridors of power
Welsh Liberal Democrat MP Mark Williams is backing a group campaigning for the protection of whistleblowers in the NHS. Mr Williams joined the Compassion in Care protest in Parliament Square, Westminster, last week. He said: ‘For improvements in all our care-giving professions, staff must feel able to speak honestly about their experiences without fear of repercussion.’ Welsh Liberal Democrats leader Kirsty Williams is campaigning for mandatory nurse-to-patient ratios. Her draft safe 12 september 17 :: vol 29 no 3 :: 2014
Clearer policies
Two members of staff have been dismissed as a result of the case. A serious case review last year commissioned by Surrey Safeguarding Adults Board recommended the need for clear policies and practical arrangements for multidisciplinary assessments care co-ordination of people with complex needs and long-term conditions, regardless of their funding or care package. It also concluded that if a provider failure protocol had been followed in Ms Foster’s case, there would have been full involvement of a NHS safeguarding lead and quick follow-up meetings.
Commons health committee chair Sarah Wollaston has called for increased funding of nurses specialising in irritable bowel syndrome. The Conservative MP wants a minimum of 1.5 IBS nurses for every 250,000 people in England. In a written response to Ms Wollaston’s question last week, care minister Norman Lamb said there were ‘no plans’ to increase nurse numbers, but said the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence was due to publish guidance this month on how to improve care for IBS patients.
Whistleblowing Laws introduced in 2010 forcing healthcare professionals in Australia to expose colleagues who put patients at risk have not made it easier for nurses to report concerns about doctors, a study concluded. Researchers analysed 697 notifications to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency in 2011/12 and found only 3 per cent involved nurses reporting doctors. The study, published in Medical Journal of Australia, said nurses are well placed to observe poorly performing doctors but the law has not overcome factors that might make it difficult for them to report concerns. These include fear of retaliation and a lack of confidence that appropriate action will be taken. To view the research, go to tinyurl.com/p65yxzj Exchange programme The wife of the Japanese prime minister Akie Abe has praised an educational exchange programme between Japanese and Bangladeshi nurses for enhancing their skills and experience. Ms Abe visited Dhaka Nursing College during a visit to Bangladesh, where she met teachers and nurses and was briefed on their work. Ms Abe talked to students about the importance of serving humanity. She also emphasised the value of exchange programmes between the two countries. Prescription drug misuse A prenatal intensive care nurse in Oklahoma who has been crowned ‘Mrs America’ was inspired to take part in beauty contests by the death of her brother from a prescription drug overdose. After her brother Joshua’s death four years ago, Michelle Evans set up drugfreeok.org as a resource for people seeking assistance or local treatment. A friend encouraged her to enter the beauty contest to raise awareness for her cause. Ms Evans said: ‘I did not know how prescription drug abuse would be received as a cause for the pageant, but Oklahoma is one of the leading states for drug abuse, and I think everyone views it as a national problem.’
NURSING STANDARD
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Council apologises for neglect that contributed to patient’s death Surrey County Council said it ‘should have done more’ for a woman with dementia, who died after being left in her home without care for nine days. A district nurse discovered Gloria Foster, who was 81, lying dehydrated on a urine-soaked bed during a scheduled visit on January 24 2013. Ms Foster was taken to hospital, but died two weeks later. She had been receiving visits four times a day from home care provider Carefirst 24. However, the company had closed down following an immigration raid in January 2013. Surrey County Council was responsible for arranging replacement care for some of the agency’s clients, but Ms Foster was left without assistance at her home in Banstead. A three-day inquest into her death, which concluded last week, found Ms Foster died of natural causes contributed to by neglect. Coroner Richard Travers criticised the council’s failure to ensure care was provided for Ms Foster. A council spokesperson responded: ‘We would again like to say how sorry
we are for our failure to help Gloria Foster get the support she needed. We should have done more and we completely accept that. ‘While we have already made changes following this dreadful case, we will continue to do all we can to prevent anything like this happening again.’
Political notebook
nurse staffing levels bill, which was consulted on until last week, includes protection for whistleblowers and greater transparency in the system.
Our weekly round-up of news from the corridors of power
Welsh Liberal Democrat MP Mark Williams is backing a group campaigning for the protection of whistleblowers in the NHS. Mr Williams joined the Compassion in Care protest in Parliament Square, Westminster, last week. He said: ‘For improvements in all our care-giving professions, staff must feel able to speak honestly about their experiences without fear of repercussion.’ Welsh Liberal Democrats leader Kirsty Williams is campaigning for mandatory nurse-to-patient ratios. Her draft safe 12 september 17 :: vol 29 no 3 :: 2014
Clearer policies
Two members of staff have been dismissed as a result of the case. A serious case review last year commissioned by Surrey Safeguarding Adults Board recommended the need for clear policies and practical arrangements for multidisciplinary assessments care co-ordination of people with complex needs and long-term conditions, regardless of their funding or care package. It also concluded that if a provider failure protocol had been followed in Ms Foster’s case, there would have been full involvement of a NHS safeguarding lead and quick follow-up meetings.
Commons health committee chair Sarah Wollaston has called for increased funding of nurses specialising in irritable bowel syndrome. The Conservative MP wants a minimum of 1.5 IBS nurses for every 250,000 people in England. In a written response to Ms Wollaston’s question last week, care minister Norman Lamb said there were ‘no plans’ to increase nurse numbers, but said the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence was due to publish guidance this month on how to improve care for IBS patients.
Whistleblowing Laws introduced in 2010 forcing healthcare professionals in Australia to expose colleagues who put patients at risk have not made it easier for nurses to report concerns about doctors, a study concluded. Researchers analysed 697 notifications to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency in 2011/12 and found only 3 per cent involved nurses reporting doctors. The study, published in Medical Journal of Australia, said nurses are well placed to observe poorly performing doctors but the law has not overcome factors that might make it difficult for them to report concerns. These include fear of retaliation and a lack of confidence that appropriate action will be taken. To view the research, go to tinyurl.com/p65yxzj Exchange programme The wife of the Japanese prime minister Akie Abe has praised an educational exchange programme between Japanese and Bangladeshi nurses for enhancing their skills and experience. Ms Abe visited Dhaka Nursing College during a visit to Bangladesh, where she met teachers and nurses and was briefed on their work. Ms Abe talked to students about the importance of serving humanity. She also emphasised the value of exchange programmes between the two countries. Prescription drug misuse A prenatal intensive care nurse in Oklahoma who has been crowned ‘Mrs America’ was inspired to take part in beauty contests by the death of her brother from a prescription drug overdose. After her brother Joshua’s death four years ago, Michelle Evans set up drugfreeok.org as a resource for people seeking assistance or local treatment. A friend encouraged her to enter the beauty contest to raise awareness for her cause. Ms Evans said: ‘I did not know how prescription drug abuse would be received as a cause for the pageant, but Oklahoma is one of the leading states for drug abuse, and I think everyone views it as a national problem.’
NURSING STANDARD
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