Around 10 per cent of patients admitted to NHS hospitals experience a patient safety incident that puts their health or life at risk. Research has shown that up to half of these incidents could have been prevented. The Health Foundation is working with hospitals throughout the UK to explore ways of making hospitals safer for patients.
Case studies
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Using leadership to improve patient safety
Patient safety is literally at the top of the agenda at NHS Tayside. Rather than finance or performance management, safety is the first issue discussed at the executive team’s weekly meeting.
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International patient safety lessons
The Health Foundation's Quality Improvement Fellowships aim to develop leaders to promote quality improvement nationally. Dr Noeleen Devaney worked on a research project in the US that looked at how to get doctors involved in improving quality and is now back in the UK working with other hospitals to help them to improve patient safety.
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Making care safer in Down Lisburn
Through its Safer Patients Initiative, The Health Foundation is working with hospitals in the UK and experts from the US, to explore the best ways of making hospitals safer for patients. Down Lisburn Health and Social Services Trust joined the scheme in 2005, because patient safety was an area they wanted to prioritise.
Publications
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Safe from harm
This briefing shows how The Health Foundation’s Safer Patients Initiative is reducing medical incidents in 24 hospitals and making healthcare safer for patients.
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Better team working for a safer hospital
One in ten patients admitted to hospitals in developed countries suffer harm as a result of medical errors. This briefing looks at how The Health Foundation’s Safer Patients Initiative has improved patient safety using the concept of shared leadership.
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Making healthcare safer for patients
Through its Safer Patients Initiative, The Health Foundation is working with hospitals in the UK and experts from the US-based Institute for Healthcare Improvement to explore the best ways of making hospitals safer for patients. This briefing provides an update on what has been achieved so far and explains the next steps the Foundation is taking to help improve patient safety in the UK.
Featured data
Current activities
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Patient Safety First web seminars September 2008
The Patient Safety First Campaign is holding a series of interactive web seminars during September. You can download a flyer and sign up here.
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Safer Patients Initiative
Around one in ten patients in hospital experience an incident which puts their safety at risk, and about half of these could have been prevented. This initiative was set up address this problem and find ways of making hospitals safer for patients.
Features
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Tackling patient safety through team working
Torbay hospital is one of 20 hospitals selected to join the Safer Patients Initiative. The hospitals are working in pairs with five teams covering leadership, critical care, perioperative care, medicines management and the general wards.
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Stopping needless deaths in hospital
Every year, thousands of NHS patients suffer unintended harm from their treatment in hospital. Luton and Dunstable hospital is using an Early Warning Scorecard and critical care outreach to reduce their number of adverse events.
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Safety is the key for change
Hugh Ross is at the helm of one of the largest NHS trusts in the UK, with responsibility for over 13 500 staff and a turnover of £625 million. His experience in Bristol has made him a tireless advocate for patient safety.
Latest news
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Safer Clinical Systems initiative launched
The Health Foundation has launched a programme to test and demonstrate ways to improve healthcare systems and processes to systematically improve patient safety.
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Risk and Patient Safety Conference 2008
Clinical risk and patient safety are the subject of a conference being held in November. The 9th annual Risk and Patient Safety conference will examine their effective management in every day practice.
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Developing the annual health check in 2008/09
The Health Foundation has used learning from our Safer Patients Initiative to advise on methodology that could be used when assessing whether acute trusts are complying with the Hygiene Code.