The Yorkshire Post says: Costly NHS errors. Figures highlight staff shortage

THE revelations that as many as 237 million medication errors occur in the NHS in England each year are indeed shocking.
How can the NHS be improved?How can the NHS be improved?
How can the NHS be improved?

So, too, are claims that avoidable adverse drug reactions (ADRs) cause more than 700 deaths and could be a contributory factor in as many as 22,000 every year.

These alarming figures, emanating from a study carried out by researchers from the Universities of York, Sheffield and Manchester, reveal that mistakes are costing at 
least £98.5m a year – which the country can ill-afford given the parlous state of NHS finances.

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The sheer scale of these avoidable errors ought to focus the minds of health chiefs and their political paymasters to establish the reasons behind the avalanche of mistakes so they can be drastically reduced in the future.

Communication between the different branches of the health service has to be improved if this wasteful drain on resources is to be effectively plugged.

However, it is surely no coincidence that the majority of mistakes occur in primary care with many GPs and pharmacies struggling to cope amid the rising tide of demand on their services.

If our health service had sufficient frontline staff, then this wouldn’t be such 
a widespread problem.

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As such, it is imperative that the Government ensures this country’s most cherished institution is fit for purpose. Equally, we must not forget the Herculean task performed by health care workers, often under increasing pressure and with limited resources that are being stretched close to breaking point. They deserve our gratitude and support.