Patient and Staff Safety
2008/2009 is our year of patient and staff safety.
The NOC’s Year of Patient and Staff Safety was launched on 17 June by Jim Easton, the Chief Executive of South Central Strategic Health Authority (pictured right).
Patients, visitors and staff have an integral part to play in developing safety initiatives. Fifteen ‘patient safety stations’ have been set up around the hospital to encourage patients and staff to log any issues – good or bad.
A new ‘traffic light’ reporting system will help monitor patient safety. Patients and visitors are being asked to complete colour-coded comment cards:
- green where patients think the hospital is doing well
- yellow for suggestions around areas for improvement
- red to highlight a potential safety issue that needs urgent attention.
Regular updates posted on noticeboards at the patient safety stations will include results of audits such as hand hygiene and important information on infection control.
The NOC’s Medical Director Dr Tony Berendt said: “We want our clinicians and patients to work together to prevent avoidable incidents. Our priority is to ensure the treatment we provide for patients is of the highest quality and in the safest environment.
“Our campaign emphasises that patient safety and clinical excellence are part of everyone’s role, and quality and risk issues are monitored at every level of the organisation.”
The aim of the initiative is to celebrate the good ongoing work at the Trust which helps to protect patients and staff from harm and to promote a culture where safety is foremost on everyone’s minds.
The Year of Patient and Staff Safety will focus on:
- Promotion of 'Patient Safety' across the organisation, in accordance with national standards (Standards for Better Health, Saving Lives, Code of Practice for the Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections-HCAI)
- A comprehensive programme of audit and surveillance, including hand hygiene, HCAIs, active participation in Patient Environment Action Team (PEAT) inspections across the Trust. This will include liaison with clinical teams on the development of local standards and audits that meet their needs.
- A comprehensive review of Trust policies and procedures to ensure clarity of links between them.
To find out more about the Year of Patient and Staff Safety contact the Safety, Quality and Standards Team on 01865 737523.