A report from the Well being Companies Security Investigations Bureau (HSSIB) has discovered that sufferers are coming to hurt on account of failures within the digital communication of crucial scientific data following hospital discharge.
The investigation, printed on 10 July 2025, says that important particulars about diagnoses, medicines and mandatory follow-up care are sometimes delayed, incomplete or missed, resulting in cases of hurt for sufferers, together with fatalities.
Nick Woodier, senior security investigator at HSSIB, stated: “The principle points stem from discharge planning not contemplating the organisation of the native well being and care system, alongside an absence of integration – as evidenced by the restricted collaboration between main, group and secondary care – and IT programs not passing data seamlessly alongside.
“These components make continuity of care difficult. Employees we spoke to inside the NHS have expressed that it’s troublesome and irritating to make choices primarily based on incomplete data, which hinders their capacity to ship the best normal of care.”
He added that the NHS 10 yr well being plan emphasises the significance of guaranteeing that digital programs and digital communications are invested in and match for future supply.
“Our report is particularly calling for stronger oversight and accountability to make sure crucial data is reliably communicated, supporting a protected discharge course of for sufferers needing important comply with up care,” Woodier stated.
The investigation discovered that digital programs used for discharge summaries are sometimes poorly configured, growing the potential for errors. In some instances, summaries are despatched earlier than care has concluded, which means that they comprise outdated or incorrect data.
HSSIB recommends that the Division of Well being and Social Care (DHSC) ought to deal with “establishing requirements for entry to high-quality, safety-critical data that may be contextualised to match native programs’ wants” and that expectations are set for NHS healthcare suppliers to make sure continuity of affected person care after hospital discharge.
It additionally suggests actions for built-in care boards to bolster collaboration and recommends studying prompts to assist native workers tackle affected person security issues.
A spokesperson for DHSC advised Digital Well being Information: “It’s unacceptable that sufferers endure hurt whereas trying to be discharged from hospital and our ideas are with those that have been affected.
“Our 10 yr well being plan will rework the NHS and convey it into the 21st century. We’re simplifying the programs supposed to enhance care and security – merging organisations, clarifying remits and strengthening powers.
“It will raise the bureaucratic burden to spice up the standard of care and put affected person expertise on the coronary heart of the NHS.
“Crucially, we may also harness the facility of know-how as a part of a basic shift from analogue to digital and make the NHS App the digital entrance door to the NHS.
“This shall be underpinned by a single affected person file guaranteeing seamless care for everybody – whether or not in a well being setting or at residence – which all healthcare workers can have entry to irrespective of the place they’re.”
A earlier HSSIB report, printed in July 2024, discovered that affected person security incidents regarding the usage of GP on-line session instruments had been underreported.
