Report Puts Spotlight On Need For Medical Staff To Perform Checks

Concerns have been raised that a high number of hospital patients in north Wales may have developed blood clots when such issues could have been avoided, according to reports.

The Daily Post reports that an estimated 140 people are believed to have suffered thrombosis during a hospital stay in 2013, with calls being made for medical experts to ensure patients are properly checked for such conditions.

The findings have come from a report issued to Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCU) and also follow a major campaign called Ask About Clots which was launched with the aim of saving thousands of lives in Wales.

Speaking to the newspaper regarding the estimated 140 people affected, Professor Matt Makin, Medical Director at BCU, said: “It is likely this figure underestimates the problem,  with the real figure likely to be  much higher.

“Taking effective simple preventative measures, guided by an appropriate risk assessment, many of these are avoidable.  This is ‘preventable harm’.”

Expert Opinion

One of the core aspects of ensuring the safety of patients is a top priority is to guarantee that they are getting timely and thorough care from the outset. This means that checks need to be carried out to ensure no other issues arise during the course of care in hospitals. <br/> <br/>"Through our work, we have seen first-hand the consequences that hospital-acquired infections and conditions can have on people, as well as the knock-on effect that this has on their friends and family. <br/> <br/>"Providing quality healthcare to the best possible standard needs to be the key target for the NHS and checks for conditions such as thrombosis are a hugely important part of making that happen." Mandy Luckman - Partner