{"id":35486,"date":"2024-05-30T04:22:18","date_gmt":"2024-05-30T04:22:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kede.com.br\/news\/nhs-computer-problems-put-patients-at-risk-of-harm\/"},"modified":"2024-05-30T04:22:19","modified_gmt":"2024-05-30T04:22:19","slug":"nhs-computer-problems-put-patients-at-risk-of-harm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kede.com.br\/news\/nhs-computer-problems-put-patients-at-risk-of-harm\/","title":{"rendered":"NHS computer problems put patients at risk of harm"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Sharon Barbour,<\/span>Nat Wright<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\"ErrollErroll Smith<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Darnell Smith died at the age of 22 in hospital<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
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IT system failures have been linked to the deaths of three patients and more than 100 instances of serious harm at NHS hospital trusts in England, BBC News has found.<\/p>\n

A Freedom of Information request also found 200,000 medical letters had gone unsent due to widespread problems with NHS computer systems.<\/p>\n

Nearly half of hospital trusts with electronic patient systems reported issues that could affect patients.<\/p>\n

NHS England says it has invested \u00a3900m over the past two years to help introduce new and improved systems.<\/p>\n

Introducing computerised records and making the NHS paperless is a government priority in England. The aim is for everyone’s health information to be accessible to GPs, hospitals and care homes at the touch of a button.<\/p>\n

But there have been numerous false starts. The latest deadline, set by the Department of Health and Social Care, is now 2026.<\/p>\n

Some hospital trusts have spent hundreds of millions of pounds on new electronic patient record (EPR) systems, but BBC News has discovered many are experiencing major problems with how they work.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

‘He was our rock’<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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\"ErrollErroll Smith<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Hospital staff could not see key information about Darnell Smith on their computer system<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
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Separate to our FOI investigation, coroners have highlighted the role that hospital IT systems have played in the deaths of some patients. Twenty-two-year-old Darnell Smith’s case is one example. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe was our rock, you know. He had a big personality. Words can\u2019t really explain how much he was to us\u2026\u201d says Erroll Smith of his son, Darnell.<\/p>\n

Darnell had sickle cell disease, cerebral palsy and was non-verbal. He was admitted to the Royal Hallamshire Hospital, in Sheffield, with a cough and cold-like symptoms and a reduced appetite, in November 2022.<\/p>\n

He should have had his vital signs \u2013 heart rate, blood pressure and temperature – checked by staff every hour for a minimum of six hours – but there were no checks for more than 12.<\/p>\n

Staff were not aware of Darnell\u2019s particular needs because his personal care plan was not visible in the hospital’s computerised records, a coroner later concluded.<\/p>\n

His father told BBC News: \u201cFor me, the IT system should be set up in a way where you have to see it\u2026 you know – it just doesn’t allow you to move any further until you’ve read what you’re supposed to read.\u201d<\/p>\n

Several hours after his care plan came to light, Darnell was admitted to critical care and was put on a ventilator the next morning. He died from pneumonia two weeks later.<\/p>\n

Following an inquest, the coroner warned of a \u201creal risk of further deaths\u201d if doctors couldn\u2019t access important information about patients\u2019 care needs.<\/p>\n

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Trust has apologised for the care Darnell received. They say they have already made changes to limit the chances of this happening again and a new IT system is being introduced this year.<\/p>\n

In September, we reported that more than 24,000 letters from Newcastle hospitals had not been sent from their EPR system<\/a> and more than 400,000 letters had got lost in computer systems at hospitals in Nottingham<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"GettyGetty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Electronic patient record systems are used by staff in most hospitals<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n

Serious patient harm<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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A Freedom of Information request sent to all acute hospital trusts in England, of which 116 responded, found that these were not isolated incidents:<\/p>\n