'Nothing to see' attitude found at hospital trust

An independent review found what it described as a "'nothing to see' attitude" towards some patient safety concerns at Medway NHS Foundation Trust.

Board papers show 113 patient safety incidents were closed without being properly investigated, while a further 428 cases remained open.

The trust also identified 59 cases where there was either no evidence, or insufficient evidence, that patients or their families had been informed about safety incidents.

Medway's chief nursing officer Evonne Hunt said the trust accepted the review's findings and had strengthened oversight, governance and training while working through the backlog.

A review, by former chief nurse and improvement director Steve Lennox, highlighted wider cultural issues within the organisation.

According to the report, some members of the governance team appeared to have a "'nothing to see' attitude" towards potential patient safety incidents, alongside a lack of trust and confidence between teams.

Many of the cases were linked to medicines management and emergency care services, according to the trust.

The review first came to light following a Freedom of Information request by the Health Service Journal.

Under the NHS duty of candour, patients should receive an explanation and apology when mistakes cause, or may have caused, harm.

The trust said it had since completed, or found evidence of, duty of candour processes in 45 of the 59 cases identified and was working through the remainder.

"It is critical for clinical staff to feel they can make a difference and improve patient safety," Mr Lennox said.

Ms Hunt said the review had identified a series of issues in the way patient safety incidents were managed.

"Alongside addressing the backlog of investigations, we have strengthened executive oversight and clinical leadership of patient safety, introduced robust governance and quality assurance arrangements, and improved training and data quality," she said.

"Our focus is ensuring concerns are investigated promptly, learning is shared consistently, and the changes needed to improve the safety and quality of care for our patients are implemented."

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