IT failures causing patient deaths, says NHS safety body
Urgent action is needed to address NHS computer failings which are causing harm to patients, the patient safety watchdog has told BBC News.
The government called the reports "concerning" and said it would work with NHS England to take necessary action to protect patients.
The Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) says IT failures are among the most serious issues facing hospitals in England.
"We have seen evidence of patient deaths as a result of IT systems not working," said interim head, Dr Rosie Benneyworth.
Dr Benneyworth cited the example of a patient who was found unresponsive and then wrongly identified by healthcare staff as not wishing to be resuscitated.
Staff were unable to access information on the patient quickly through their IT system, which would have shown a mistake had been made, said the watchdog.
An NHS England spokesperson said £900m had been invested to help hospital trusts upgrade electronic patient record systems, to quicken doctors' access to information.
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