Patient safety campaign needs you

Published: 03 September 2008

RCN members in England are being encouraged to get involved in a campaign to make patient safety a number one priority in health organisations across the country.

The Patient Safety First campaign for England, jointly sponsored by the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement, the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) and the Health Foundation, aims to eliminate all avoidable death and harm. 140 trusts and primary care trusts have already have signed up to the two year campaign

The campaign aims to influence royal colleges, professional organisations and regulatory bodies to improve patient safety and promotes five key interventions:

Leadership for safety – getting boards involved with patient safety with the aim of demonstrating it is the highest priority.
Care of deteriorating patients in an acute setting.
Critical care bundles (central lines, ventilator care).
Perioperative care, including prevention of surgical site infection and World Health Organisation’s safe surgery checklist.
Reduction of harm from high-risk medications, including anticoagulants, narcotics, insulin and sedatives.

A campaign website containing invaluable resources, learning events and ‘how-to’ guides will be launched in mid September 2008.