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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Learning international lessons in quality improvement
Jason Leitch was a Quality Improvement Fellow in the USA in 2005. He is now helping lead the Scottish Patient Safety Alliance in overseeing Scotland’s first national patient safety programme.
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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.
Publications
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Patient safety update
This update explains the Health Foundation's continuing work around patient safety, what we've learnt so far and our key priorities for the future.
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Making our hospitals safer
Inspiring stories from participants on the Safer Patients Initiative show how it helped their hospitals to prioritise patient safety.
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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.
Featured data
Current activities
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Safer Clinical Systems
Safer Clinical Systems launched in October 2008. The programme will test and demonstrate ways to improve healthcare systems or processes to systematically improve patient safety.
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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.
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Safer Patients Network
Launched in June 2009, the Health Foundation’s Safer Patients Network will test, develop and export ways to make healthcare safer for patients and build improvement skills in their systems of care.
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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SPI site awarded Small Trust of the Year
Dr Foster has named Airedale NHS Trust Small Trust of the Year, recognising their excellent contribution to quality care in the NHS. Airedale General Hospital is one of 20 sites involved in phase 2 of the Health Foundation’s Safer Patients Initiative.
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NHS urged to prioritise safety
The Health Foundation's response to the Health Committee’s inquiry into patient safety urges the NHS to make patient safety its top priority.
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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.