Adding Insult to Injury
'A number of the NHS/Foundation Trusts in or availed of by Kensington & Chelsea are failing to implement Patient Safety Alerts according to a new report released by Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA). The report "Adding Insult to Injury - NHS failure to implement patient safety alerts" is based on a Freedom of Information request the charity made to the Department of Health, which manages the Central Alert System (CAS).
When the NPSA issues an alert (which is only done after thorough research and consultation that the issues are serious and the recommended actions urgent in the interest of safety), NHS bodies have to report to the CAS when the recommended actions have been completed. Compliance with implementing the alerts within a given deadline is one of the top "core standards" which all NHS trusts in England are supposed to meet.
The research revealed that there is no system inplace for monitoring compliance. AvMA point out that failure to implement the alerts or to intervene where necessary is putting lives at risk, and adding insult to injury for injured patients and those who have lost loved ones due to lapses in patient safety. Chief executive Peter Walsh said: "It is this kind of complacency that could allow another Stafford to happen".' (source: AvMA)
The report found that K&C related Trusts still have a number of alerts to implement, including:
- Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust with 10 alerts
- The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust with 9 alerts
- Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust with 8 alerts
- Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust with 7 alerts
You can view the full report at: http://www.avma.org.uk/data/files/patient_safety_alerts__full_report.pdf
Details of the alerts are listed from page 24 of the document
Tell K&C LINk about your experiences and/or get involved to make a difference, contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or leave a comment on this blog post.
18th March, Older People Sub-Group Public Meeting
Please be reminded that the next K&C LINk Older People’s Sub-Group meeting will take place on Thursday March 18th.
The details for the meeting are:
Date: Thursday 18 March 2010
Time: 1pm - 3pm
Location: The Essex Unitarian Church
112 Palace Gardens Terrace
Notting Hill Gate, W8 4RT
Guests: Ms Helen Cylwik, Project Manager – Care of the Elderly, NHS K&C on Practice
Based Commissioning (PBC) and Older People's Services. And
Mr Peter McDonnell, Commissioning Manager, Royal Borough of Kensington
& Chelsea (RBKC) on “Commissioning Older People’s Service”
You can download a copy of the agenda and directions to the meeting.
NEW Opportunities for K&C LINk Volunteers
New Opportunities with K&C LINk 
K&C LINk are actively seeking interested members to represent us at the following opportunities:
1) Quality Accounts
From June 2010, all providers of NHS services will be required by law to produce Quality Accounts: annual reports to the public on the quality of services they deliver. The aim of these is to improve public accountability and to ensure boards of NHS organisations are not only reporting on the quality of their services, but also setting out the improvement plans they intend to take as a result.
We should note that these QAs are intended to be reports to the public (not to the PCTs or Monitor) and that they are intended to compare the services of healthcare providers so that users - in theory anyway - have the basis of an informed choice between service providers.
The measurements are separated into three key areas: safe care, effective care and a positive patient experience. Measurements are determined by reference to clinical metrics, data regarding key indicators such as the incidence of healthcare associated infections, comparative mortality rates and consultation with patients and families.
We are now looking for LINk members with an interest in/experience of the following Trusts:
Chelsea & Westminster Hospital Foundation Trust
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
Central North West London Mental Health Trust
What we need from you?
We will ask you to consider the public and patient experience of these Trusts locally in K&C. We will also need you to meet and work cross borough with other LINks to discuss the content of the Quality Accounts from these Trusts.
We will provide you with all training and support required.
2) Housing, Environmental Health and Adult Social Care
This Committee scrutiniese the condition of adult social care and environmental health and also assesses how cabinet members are responding to important housing issues. It is chaired by Councillor Mary Weale. We now need a LINk member to attend this meeting every second month to update the Committee on the work of K&C LINk. This group meets in the evenings in Kensington Town Hall.
3) Family & Children’s Services
Alongside its important work monitoring school performance, Cllr Campbell’s Committee ensures that the borough delivers on its commitment to children’s social care, youth services and libraries. It is chaired by Councillor Elizabeth Campbell Councillor. We now need a LINk member to attend this meeting every second month to update the Committee on the work of K&C LINk. This group meets in the evenings in Kensington Town Hall.
K&C LINk will provide all necessary support for you to attend these meetings – training, expenses, background information etc. If you would like further information or would like to register your interest please contact Paula Murphy, K&C LINk Coordinator on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or ph: 020 8968 7049 before March 23rd.
The K&C LINk Management Group will make a final decision on LINk representatives on March 25th 2010
4) Design for Patient Dignity
Janice Stevens CBE, National Programme Director of Health and David Kester, Chief Executive of the Design Council, invite you to view and feedback on ground-breaking new products and services to improve patient dignity and privacy in hospital.
Sessions are being held specifically for former patients to give their views on 24 and 25 March at the Design Council in London. The new ideas include patient clothing, new ward layouts, washing and toilet facilities, and systems to help patients feel more secure as they move between wards.
You can attend at anytime during the session and we anticipate it will take approximately 1 hour to view all the concepts and prototypes and provide your feedback. Please contact K&C LINk now to book your session! Options are the afternoon of March 24th or the morning of March 25th.
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Have your Say! LINk Membership Survey - complete by 23rd April
Tell us what you think of K&C LINk!
We would like you to take this opportunity to tell us what we are doing right, and what we can improve! Please take a few minutes to complete the K&C LINk Membership survey so we can find out your experience and views of being a LINk member.
There are only 10 questions and an optional equalities data page. Feedback from this survey will be used to make recommendations for changes within your LINk.
Please click on Kensington & Chelsea LINk Survey to complete the survey.
Central London Community Healthcare 'Have Your Say' Week 2010
'Have Your Say' Week: 22 - 28 march 2010
Central London Community Healthcare launches ‘Have Your Say Week’
Central London Community Healthcare (CLCH) launches their patient feedback week - Have Your Say from 22 to 28 March 2010.
CLCH is encouraging patients, service users and carers who live in Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea, and Westminster boroughs to have their say and complete a short survey about their experiences.
To take part, please click HYS Survey
