The Welsh Government's Health and Social Care committee have reported that over 100 patients are dying per day from undetected blood clots. The Assembly Members found that this was due to medical staff not following basic procedures. This cause of death exceeds those of patients who die from Cancer or M.R.S.A. ( Methacylin Resistant Staff. Aurius ) - a staggering total. In 2010 this was 900+ patients in Wales. Even more worrying is that medical experts have confirmed that 70% of these were preventable IF the basic procedures had been followed by medical staff.
This raises two obvious questions a) How could management scrutiny have failed to notice these deaths ? and b) Why were anticoagulants , such as Heperin or Warfarin not prescribed in these cases ? These are standard preventive measures in Cardiac, Post Operative and in suspected deep Vein Thrombosis cases. Blood clots are known to cause pulmonary emblems and fatal heart attacks, known as Miocardial Infarctions ( heart explosions ).
Why aren't all deaths of inpatient and recently discharged patients subject to closer scrutiny ?. In my opinion the only explanation can be gross incompetence of NHS staff at Local Health Board and National levels. What is the point of all these Directors, Directorate Managers, Consultants, Ward Managers and nursing supervisors if they cannot even follow basic life saving procedures ? R. W.
No comments:
Post a Comment