Engaging Patients for Patient Safety: Patients are given new voices by NHS England
RCSEd Communications Team
This year's theme for the World Health Organization's World Patient Safety Day (17 September) is Engaging Patients For Patient Safety, in recognition of the crucial role patients, families and caregivers play in the safety of health care. Active patient involvement, both in their own personal care as well as at a strategic organisational level, is vital to help improve healthcare provision, and the RCSEd is delighted to support this year's WPSD theme.
The RCSEd Patient Safety Group have produced a number of blogs as part of a campaign to mark World Patient Safety Day. In this blog, Claire Morgan, Consultant in Restorative Dentistry, Dental Council Member and Dental Council representative on the College’s Patient Safety Group, highlights NHS England’s current initiatives on patient inclusion through PSIRF and LFPSE.
The National Patient Safety Strategy of 2019 is based on the 3Is: Insight, Involvement and Improvement. The involvement of patients in patient safety in a meaningful non-tokenistic way is seen as paramount. Subsequently our patients are to be given new voices with the launch of a number of initiatives by NHS England. We are pleased to share with our membership these in celebration of ‘elevating the voice of patients’ on International Patient Safety Day on 17 September.
Framework for Involving Patients in Safety
The 2021 framework is split into two parts:
Part A: ‘Involving patients in their own safety’.
There are a number of excellent resources on the NHS England website to support patients in being involved in their own safety including a video and patient information leaflets:
They can be accessed here.
Part B: ‘Patient safety partner (PSP) involvement in organisational safety’. PSPs will be provided with appropriate training and support by NHS organisations where roles will include:
- membership of safety and quality committees
- involvement in patient safety improvement projects
- working with organisation boards to consider how to improve safety
- involvement in staff patient safety training.
Click here to find out more.
PSIRF - Patient Safety Incident Response Framework
PSIRF will replace the Serious Incident Framework (2015) proposing a fresh new approach to the approach to patient safety events. This will come into effect this Autumn and there are a number of changes planned including putting patients are put at the heart of patient safety events. When involved in an incident whether harm has occurred or not ‘compassionate engagement’ with patients and carers is seen as key. Patients will have the opportunity to input into investigations if they wish to do so. PSPs will also be seen as key to the roll out of PSIRF across NHS organisations.
2015 → 2023
Click here to learn more.
LFPSE - Learning from Patient Safety Events
Another way patients are to be given a voice is the new process for reporting of incidents again coming into effect this Autumn. There is a new portal on the NHS England webpage where patients and carers can report directly about safety incidents they have experienced or witnessed in healthcare without going through the provider. Trusts and primary care will also input into LFPSE, providing a more comprehensive database than currently exists. Patient safety data will now be more accessible to provide wider learning for the NHS as a whole, from patient safety events. The aim to develop improved national learning and a reduction in avoidable harm.
Click here to read more.
