Tag

Patient Safety

All articles tagged with #patient safety

UK's booming non-surgical butt lifts expose regulatory gaps and patient risk
health9 days ago

UK's booming non-surgical butt lifts expose regulatory gaps and patient risk

A BBC InDepth investigation shows the UK’s cosmetic injectables boom—especially non-surgical liquid BBLs—has grown far faster than regulation, with deaths and serious harm from unregulated clinics, prescription medicines sold without proper checks, and counterfeit products; enforcement is fragmented and licensing reforms promised for England and Scotland have not yet been fully put in place, leaving patients at risk while authorities grapple with how to regulate the industry.

MIRA: autonomous AI navigates EHRs to match physician-level care in emergency simulations
technology27 days ago

MIRA: autonomous AI navigates EHRs to match physician-level care in emergency simulations

A autonomous AI agent named MIRA operates inside a sandboxed electronic health record to autonomously gather history, order and interpret tests, generate differential diagnoses, and formulate treatment and admission plans. In 574 real-case emergency department simulations drawn from MIMIC-IV, MIRA achieved diagnostic accuracy at or above physician performance, produced guideline-concordant and medication-safe orders, and demonstrated strong robustness to adversarial prompts and bias, while maintaining fidelity to the documented history and avoiding premature information disclosure. The study positions MIRA as a potential, governance-aware aid to clinical workflows rather than a replacement for clinicians; however, prospective real-world validation and safety/governance frameworks are still essential before deployment.

Dozens harmed by delays in gynaecology care at Salford hospital
health1 month ago

Dozens harmed by delays in gynaecology care at Salford hospital

An audit at Salford Royal Hospital found dozens of gynaecology patients, including cancer patients, were harmed by delays in diagnosis and treatment due to administrative failures. A prior NHS England review had flagged a backlog of over 2,000 unsent letters causing months-long delays. Staff raised safety concerns amid workforce pressures, the trust apologised, and a new leadership team is implementing improvements to patient follow-up and processes.

Welsh Hospital Under Scrutiny After 21 Patients Exposed to Unsterilized Surgical Tools
health3 months ago

Welsh Hospital Under Scrutiny After 21 Patients Exposed to Unsterilized Surgical Tools

At Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport, 21 patients were treated with instruments that were disinfected but not sterilized. The lapse was discovered Feb. 27, but patients were only informed on March 16, triggering precautionary testing for bloodborne pathogens (including HIV). The Aneurin Bevan University Health Board apologized and launched an investigation, while families and officials demand transparency and assess potential further risks.

AI in the OR raises safety alarms as malfunctions and lawsuits mount
technology5 months ago

AI in the OR raises safety alarms as malfunctions and lawsuits mount

Reuters documents safety concerns with AI-enabled medical devices, notably Johnson & Johnson’s Acclarent TruDi Navigation System, which added AI in 2021 and is tied to malfunctions and injuries, including misidentified anatomy and strokes, with several lawsuits alleging AI contributed to harm. The FDA reports thousands of AI-powered device alerts and dozens of recalls as regulators struggle to keep pace with rapid AI adoption in medicine, highlighting ongoing questions about safety and oversight as AI expands in the field.

Starmer criticizes doctors' strike amid NHS disruption fears
health6 months ago

Starmer criticizes doctors' strike amid NHS disruption fears

Prime Minister Keir Starmer criticized the ongoing five-day strike by NHS resident doctors in England, calling it 'dangerous' and urging doctors to prioritize patient care. The strike, driven by demands for better pay and training opportunities, has led to significant disruptions in NHS services amid a surge in winter illnesses. The government and union remain at an impasse, with concerns about the impact on patient safety and NHS operations during the holiday season.

87-Year-Old Man Waits Seven Hours for Ambulance on Garden Centre Floor
health7 months ago

87-Year-Old Man Waits Seven Hours for Ambulance on Garden Centre Floor

An 87-year-old man in Scotland waited seven hours on a garden centre floor for an ambulance after falling and breaking his leg, highlighting ongoing issues with ambulance response times in Scotland. The Scottish Ambulance Service apologized, citing significant pressure on the system, and the incident has led to increased public concern about emergency response reliability.