by Katie Lamborn

Kent's health trusts have "ignored" between one and 13 patient safety alerts issued since April last year.

That's according to a new study by Action Against Medical Accidents.

The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) on behalf of the NHS has issued 108 alerts in the last 10 months. When a trend or problem is spotted nationally, an alert is issued so it can be tackled and solved on a local level.

~ Read the Action Against Medical Accidents full report >>>

Medway NHS Foundation Trust and Eastern and Coastal Kent Primary Care Trust failed to meet four alerts.

While Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust failed to meet 13.

One example of an alert that hasn't been completed by some Kent health trusts is the standardisation of hospital wristbands.

Health trusts are quick to point out that alerts weren't "ignored", but that deadlines weren't met.

"The safety of patients is absolutely fundamental to us," said Phil Edbrooke, associate director of quality and performance for Eastern and Coastal Kent Community Services.

"I want to highlight that the reason that these four alerts were missed was not to do with patient safety, but more to do with technical reasons.

"Only now, we have the technology to print the hospital wristbands - that's one of the reasons why we didn't reach the deadline for that alert. But, that's being rectified and by the end of March all bands will be printed in our hospitals in east Kent."

In a statement, Medway NHS Foundation Trust said: "We now use individual NHS numbers on patient documentation such as notes and appointment letters wherever possible to ensure the correct documentation is used for the correct patient."

This was an alert the study claims Medway failed to comply with.

"Some of these alerts require complex and detailed work," said a spokesperson for West Kent PCT, which failed to complete six alerts.

"For example, in one case an upgraded IT system was required. This has meant that in a small number of cases we have not been able to do all the work in the time requested by the NPSA."

Louise Dinely, head of patient safety for the East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust, which the report said failed to comply with nine alerts, said: "The contents of this report are somewhat misleading.

"The Trust has a strong system for reviewing and actioning safety alerts and action has already been taken against all those listed in the report.

“However, we are waiting for confirmation of action having been taken by other organisations where this may be outside the immediate remit of East Kent Hospitals."

We have not received a comment from Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust.

The number of alerts not implemented, according to Action Against Medical Accidents:

• 13 - Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust
• 9 - East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust
• 6 - West Kent Primary Care Trust
• 4 - Eastern and Coastal Kent Primary Care Trust
• 4 - Medway NHS Foundation Trust
• 2 - Kent Ambulance NHS Trust
• 1 - Dartford and Gravesend NHS Trust
• 1 - Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust