Outdated hospital oxygen systems a ‘risk to patients’, review warns
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Outdated hospital oxygen systems a ‘risk to patients’, review warns
Outdated hospital oxygen systems a ‘risk to patients’,
review warns
Life-saving oxygen is SLOT XO at risk of not getting to patients in hospital because
of problems with how it is piped around wards, a safety watchdog is warning.
A Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) review said a number of hospitals
in England faced difficulties during the winter Covid wave.
It said outdated systems used to pump oxygen around wards could not always cope
with the surges in demand.
This is the case even if there is excess supply on site.
Investigators said it was vital that hospitals made adjustments to cope with future
outbreaks.
HSIB director of investigations, Dr Stephen Drage, said the supply of oxygen was
clearly a "critical" issue, adding: "If it fails the impact is significant."
The problem particularly affects hospitals that use an older piping system, known
as a radial system, which just pumps the oxygen one way.
Newer systems pump oxygen into the piping system at both ends - but the majority
of hospitals are thought to use a radial system.
The HSIB was set up to investigate safety issues in the NHS in England. It carried
out an in-depth investigation into problems reported at one hospital where a major
incident was declared when the oxygen supply to wards, including the high
dependency unit, dropped.
The trust ended up diverting patients to nearby hospitals and cancelling
non-emergency surgery. |
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