Whilst this is a distinctly un-snappy title it’s a REALLY important piece of work!
I have been part of a team of Patient Safety Partners (PSPs) for around a year working so that this draft can be circulated and Patients views be incorporated. It’s essential that we get an understanding from ALL public and patients that safety is the basis of all treatment in the NHS from Acute hospitals through A&E, clinics and GP surgeries to dentists and pharmacies.
“Do No Harm” is part of the Hippocratic Oath signed up to by all medics and in future there will be a team or individual at all NHS sites within England to ensure that the Framework and Strategy are fully implemented. This covers everything from incorrect prescriptions to Operating Theatre mishaps – so there is a wide scope for discussion.
I’d be happy to talk with anyone about this and I’d ask if you’d distribute widely and encourage feedback.
You can read the whole document here :
And there is an online survey and overview here:
I Look forward to hearing your thoughts.
Neill
FabiaB says
Thank you for sharing this. I will post it out to the virtual members of Trinity Patient Group and also on the new Trinity Patient Group Facebook page. In addition, I will post it on an online group of people with specialised dermatology conditions who are, all to often, not included in their own care and are sent away from consultations with limited or insufficient instruction on how to use very potent topical steroids. I hope that some of them will respond to the survey. I have spent 27 years trying to persuade the people who contact me to ask more questions. There still remains the attitude of doctor knows best or fear of questioning consultants, who who can be daunting. Where professional ego outweighs patient care. Working with people who have specialised skin conditions for which no real training is given to GPs or to consultants, it is important that those people can feel comfortable about asking questions.
MarkR says
This certainly is an impressive document Neill. This piece of work also clearly links with the Patient Education suggestion we discussed at the last PPG Network meeting.
I have three observations (first one included in my online survey return).
1. It might be helpful to emphasise early on in the document that when things go wrong it doesn’t necessarily mean that someone has made a mistake – it may just be that an organisation’s process needs to be changed. Important to avoid a feeling of contributing to a ‘blame culture’.
2. I’m not clear whether or not there might be PSPs in Surgeries. The framework mentions primary care but does that include surgeries? If so, what would be the relationship with PPGs?
3. My cynical side says – will organisations that have to balance budgets ‘this year’ be willing to incur the full implementation time and financial costs ‘now’ in order to improve things in the longer term?
(I’ve added a similar post to yours on Preston Park Surgery’s PPG website).
NeillV says
Some of you may well have seen reported in the last few days the publication of the report on the Cumberlege Enquiry which concentrated on Primodos, Valproate and surgical mesh but also calls for the creation of a Patient Safety Commissioner. This would be a huge step forward but is likely to take some months/years.
The report is a huge read (270 odd pages) but goes hand-in-hand with the Patient Safety Strategy mentioned above. Things are starting to move but rather in the manner of a VLCC or oil tanker!