08.02.12
Clinical systems project to improve safety
Eight NHS healthcare teams are taking the Health Foundation’s Safer Clinical Systems project forward into the second phase. This will involve trusts looking at entire systems of care, testing and demonstrating ways to increase reliability and reduce the number of failures to patient safety.
Launched in 2008 as a five year programme, Safer Clinical Systems aims to map the clinical pathway and understand how it is influenced by the wider system, as well as assessing potential risks and implementing solutions.
The second phase will focus on two key areas: clinical handovers and prescribing, and will run until September 2013.
Jane Jones, assistant director at the Health Foundation said: “The Safer Clinical Systems programme is at the heart of the Health Foundation’s work to improve patient safety. We believe that by addressing the current variation in healthcare processes and by developing safer systems, culture and ways of working, we can reduce avoidable harm.
“We need to make healthcare systems more reliable and safe. People need to be sure they will receive the same high standard of care and safety wherever and whenever they access healthcare services. Improving patient safety should always be a priority for the UK health services.”
The full list of phase 2 projects is:
Safe and reliable handover of clinical information
Birmingham Children’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust – developing a whole-of-hospital system for handing over care between day and night staff.
Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – the handover process for children with complex illnesses.
East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust – transfer of care processes for patients who are elderly and frail, admitted to hospital via the unscheduled care pathway.
Southmead Hospital, North Bristol NHS Trust – handover and communication processes for patients with end stage renal failure.
Safe and reliable prescribing
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust – achieving better prescribing processes for patients admitted for medical reasons
NHS Dumfries & Galloway – reducing prescribing errors in all acute medical admissions to the hospital.
Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Trust – creating a safe and reliable system for providing medication for patients with Parkinson’s disease.
Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust – developing a reliable system that enables safe electronic prescribing.
For more information, visit: www.health.org.uk/areas-of-work/programmes/safer-clinical-systems/