NHS trusts accused of failing to act following alerts about patient safety

A study by Action Against Medical Accidents found 300 trusts in England, around three quarters of the total, had not complied with at least one patient safety alert out of 53 issued by the National Patient Safety Agency between 2004 and 2009.

They included one on injectable medicines which was issued after 25 deaths and 28 cases of serious harm were reported over 18 months.

University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust had not confirmed whether it had taken action on 37 alerts. The worst performer in Yorkshire was Barnsley Hospital which had failed to notify its compliance with 21 alerts, followed by the Scarborough and York hospital trusts with 19.

Campaign group chief executive Peter Walsh said the figures were shocking.

"It is putting lives at unnecessary risk and adds insult to injury for patients who have been harmed or lost loved ones as a result of NHS lapses in safety," he said.

A Department of Health spokeswoman said it was going to remind all NHS organisations of their obligations to record safety alerts and act on them.

Hospital chiefs in Barnsley said the trust would be looking at the methods used to compile the report and see what lessons could be learned.