Patient Safety
Welcome to our collection of resources to help you improve patient safety. Have a suggestion for a new resource or want to share some feedback? Let us know here.
Highlighted resources
Investigation into electronic prescribing and medicines administration systems and safe discharge
HSIB has identified a significant safety risk posed by the communication and transfer of information between secondary care, primary care and community pharmacy relating to medicines at the time of hospital discharge.
Primary Care patient safety resources
This page provides links to several QI resources especially relevant in primary care. These include educational information on a number of QI methods, safety checklists relevant to primary care and report forms to help you complete QI reports. The frameworks used in the peer review of QI projects are also included.
Standing up for patient and public safety
This report describes the lack of clear roles, responsibilities and accountability for workforce planning and supply in England. The RCN is clear, it is no longer the time to be discussing whether legislation is needed, instead, we should also be focussed on how we go about securing these necessary changes in law.
Highlighted Patient Safety Videos
If patient safety experts find it difficult to speak up for themselves or family members when they see the potential for harm, what is it like for everyone else? The Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s Derek Feeley talks about one of the reasons why it’s hard for health care to truly listen to the patient voice.
The accreditation scheme in Gateshead provides wards with a set of quality and safety standards, which are assessed at annual assessment days. The assessment panel reviews the ward of department based on an assurance framework, which was developed through the Trust’s Nursing and Midwifery Strategy.
Blog posts
We need to rethink our approach to patient safety
Dr Suzette Woodward describes in her latest book a more positive approach to patient safety that seeks to learn how things normally happen in order to understand why they failed in that instance.
What Worries Safety Leaders Around the Globe
IHI’s Derek Feeley believes the biggest threat to patient safety posed by the current economic climate is the diversion of health care leaders’ attention. He shares the three things leaders across the globe find most challenging, asserting that they are the keys to staying focused on workforce and patient safety during turbulent times.
Latest news and research
- Successful quality improvement project to increase hydroxyurea prescriptions for children with sickle cell anaemia
- Error disclosure in neonatal intensive care: a multicentre, prospective, observational study
- Visual identifiers for people with dementia in hospitals: a qualitative study to unravel mechanisms of action for improving quality of care
- Types and effects of feedback for emergency ambulance staff: a systematic mixed studies review and meta-analysis
- Moving the needle: using quality improvement to address gaps in sickle cell care
The development and maintenance of this patient safety content is made possible by an award from The Health Foundation. BMJ retains full editorial control over content, peer review, editing, and publication.