Urgent action is needed to address NHS computer failings which are causing harm to patients, the patient safety watchdog has told BBC News. The Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) says IT failures are among the most serious issues facing hospitals in England, with evidence of patient deaths due to system errors.
Interim head Dr Rosie Benneyworth cited an example of a patient found unresponsive who was wrongly identified as not wishing to be resuscitated because staff could not access information quickly through their IT system. She said computer failings were found in virtually every HSSIB investigation, describing poorly set up and badly used software, with some systems incompatible with others.
The watchdog wants NHS England to issue guidance to all healthcare organisations to improve staff access to critical patient information. An NHS England spokesperson said £900m had been invested to help hospital trusts upgrade electronic patient record systems. However, Dr Benneyworth said: 'We need to see much faster action in this area so that patients don't come to any further harm.'
One of the biggest trusts, Guy's and St Thomas' in London, suffered a catastrophic failure when their IT system went down last summer, cancelling operations and putting patients at serious risk. Professor Nizam Mamode, a former transplant surgeon, said IT problems were 'one of the most urgent issues that the NHS faces.'
Martin Dawe, from County Durham, was shocked to see three serious medical conditions including cancer on his NHS app profile after waiting weeks for test results. He was never told about them. His hospital trust said the mistake was due to human error, not IT issues, but apologised for communication delays.
