Snapshot: Safer Clinical Systems

This snapshot looks at how the Health Foundation’s Safer Clinical Systems programme is testing and demonstrating improvements to healthcare systems to make care safer.

When something goes wrong with the care of a patient, it is tempting to look for an individual to blame. However, the fault rarely lies with just one person.

More often than not it is the system that is flawed. Human error has to be understood in the context of a wide range of system factors such as available technology, human errors, staffing levels, hours of work and workplace distractions.

The Safer Clinical Systems programme is at the heart of our safety work. Launched in October 2008, the programme is testing and demonstrating ways to increase reliability in systems of care and reduce the number of failures  in clinical systems. This will provide vital evidence and learning which can be shared across the wider health service.

The snapshot shares the learning from the first phase of the programme, including a short summary of the work of the Safer Clinical Systems teams.

It also highlights the key priority areas organisations need to focus on to improve the safety of their clinical systems.