Spreadsheet Error

[scotia]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-53893101
Headline - "Spreadsheet error led to Edinburgh hospital opening delay"
following description - "This looks to be, based on our review, human error in copying across the four-bedded room generic ventilation criteria into the critical care room detail"
And If the incorrectly chosen detail had simply been copied onto a piece of paper would we be blaming the paper?
But I'm sure there will be a lot of shaking of heads with wise words as to how dangerous these computers can be. Back to the Abacus!

[UncleEbenezer]

Could that be the Paradox of Quality?

When Quality Assurance trumps Common Sense, and Adhering to Process trumps Getting it Right, things like this happen.

[swill453]

But I'm sure there will be a lot of shaking of heads with wise words as to how dangerous these computers can be. Back to the Abacus!

These mutant algorithms get everywhere.

Scott.

[stevensfo]

The crux of the Sick Kids saga is that the hospital's critical care rooms need 10 air changes per hour to comply with ventilation guidelines designed to control infections.
Complying with these guidelines was in the project contract but the critical care rooms were completed with a ventilation system that only did four air changes per hour.

I worked for many years in labs that had accredited procedures for everything, temperature control, humidity monitoring and pressure/air flow controls.

It's absolute hell, and I feel sorry for the person who feels guilty for the error. Those ventilation systems break down easily. When a door is opened, the airflow changes. You may need negative or positive pressure. There have to be procedures for everything and if the air change goes down from 10x to 4x changes per hour, who decides what to do, how and why? Not just the air flow, but the filters used on the inlet and outlet (if any!). We were dealing with forensic DNA testing which is far more sensitive than viral/bacterial contamination. I would suggest that stringent hygiene procedures make the rate of air change pale into insignificance.

Though bringing back the traditional ward Sister would probably work just as well.

Steve

[scotia]

Though bringing back the traditional ward Sister would probably work just as well.

My father told tales (of 70 years ago) of ward Sisters that made regimental sergeant majors seem lenient.

[UncleEbenezer]

Though bringing back the traditional ward Sister would probably work just as well.

My father told tales (of 70 years ago) of ward Sisters that made regimental sergeant majors seem lenient.

He knew Hattie Jacques!

[AleisterCrowley]

'To err is human, to really foul things up requires a spreadsheet' to paraphrase slightly..
I work with the damn things all the time. So easy for small errors to have big effects
If you have a column of figures and enter one wrong you may and up a bit out. If you have a spreadsheet with, say, a conversion factor in a cell and multiple results derived from it, entering it slightly wrong can cause all hell to break loose
I always include lots of sanity checks/overflow flags /prayers to the Gods of Excel

[didds]

According to this ward sisters still exist.
https://www.uhs.nhs.uk/PatientsAndVisit ... eward.aspx


Matrons still exist also - albeit probably named Clinical leads. my wife is one (typically band 7 though may be band 6 acting unpaid.)

[stevensfo]

Though bringing back the traditional ward Sister would probably work just as well.

My father told tales (of 70 years ago) of ward Sisters that made regimental sergeant majors seem lenient.

He knew Hattie Jacques!

She was brilliant, wasn't she?

There's a nice scene in Ian McEwan's 'Atonement' during WWII where a nurse is removing shrapnel from a soldier's leg. He screams in agony, utters a swear word and is promptly made to feel 5 years old by the Matron and has to apologise to the nurse.

I wonder what she'd have done if he'd asked for an anaesthetic!

Steve

[Rhyd6]

My Aunt was a Matron of the Sgt. Major variety. Even when she retired she still ruled the roost in her neighbourhood. She was the only one with a telephone in the house so all the neighbours would call and ask to use the phone to call the doctor, they always asked her to take a look at the "patient" and if she said that the doc wasn't required then the doc didn't get called out. She dealt with all minor cuts and bruises and children would always go and see her before going home if they'd been in a scrape. Her own Doctor had trained at the hospital where she was Matron and he said she was the kindest person going, could always be relied on the fight for her staff and woe detide any patient who was rude to a nurse or doctor. I spent many a happy hour in the hospital and was always placed in the care of the ward cleaners who instructed me in the art of washing down everything in sight, I loved it.

R6