Coroner exposes NHS failings

A coroner has exposed serious NHS failings.

David Almond died at Stepping Hill Hospital on January 5 2024 from complications of thrombophilia and a massive pulmonary embolism.

The coroner highlighted issues in accessing GP records at Macclesfield Hospital regarding patients living outside the East Cheshire NHS Trust’s area.

What most people don’t realise is that, unbelievably, in 2024, hospitals don’t have the ability to share patient data outside their own trust’s area – i.e. they are unable to access patient records, treatment, results or even medications doled out at other hospitals.

Over the past few years I’ve been under clinicians at Macclesfield District General Hospital, Salford Royal Hospital, Stepping Hill Hospital and Stoke Royal University Hospital – none of these could access my patient data from any of the others.

The National Program for IT (NPfIT) instigated in 2002 by Tony Blair’s Labour government for the National Health Service (NHS) was the largest public-sector IT program ever attempted in the UK.

After 10-years the companies charged with connecting the numerous elements of the NHS had made little progress – so the project was finally shut down – dead in the water.

So if you have an illness or incapacity, which involves visiting multiple clinics outside East Cheshire NHS Trust’s area, our advice is keep a record of everything and take it with you, wherever you go.

The NpfiT project was originally budgeted to cost UK taxpayers £6 billion. The true costs will never be known but are reckoned to be in the order of £12 billion – probably £20 billion in todays’ money!