New targets could lead to ‘bad practice’, warn clinicians

A new one-hour target for sepsis, set out in NHS England’s standards review this month, could encourage “bad clinical practice to beat the clock”, a senior clinical leader has cautioned.

The warning comes amid concerns from senior NHS managers that the new targets proposals are, at least in part, an effort to divert attention away from the NHS’ poor performance and are being forced through by NHSE without proper consultation.

The Society of Acute Medicine’s president warned sepsis patients, among others, could be shunted out of the emergency department and into less well-resourced acute medical units while other very sick patients are forced to wait longer than clinically optimal under the proposals.

Full Story: HSJ, 20th March 2019