As World Patient Safety Day once again takes place we look at the way we work with patients to improve their safety.
Patient safety is always a priority. And to celebrate World Patient Safety Day on Sunday, September 17, we are highlighting the ways in which we work with patients to improve their safety.
World Patient Safety Day is led by the World Health Organisation, and this year’s focus is on ‘Engaging patients for patient safety’, recognition of the crucial role that patients, families, and carers play in the safety of healthcare.
The NHS has made involving patients, families and carers in improving their safety of care a key priority, as outlined in the Patient Safety Strategy.
Last year we appointed two Patient Safety Partners, Meg and Justin, to support our work in improving patient safety across Hertfordshire and west Essex. They play a vital role in elevating patients’ voices, identifying areas for improvement as well as recognising the positive steps being taken to help patients feel safe.
Meg said: “We bring a powerful and wide-ranging patient perspective to the table and try to ensure patient safety remains central to decision making.
“We share what we hear is going well for patients and not so well. We work with the health service to build on good practice, address poor practice and promote a strong patient centred agenda.”
Some of the key areas of patient safety that we will be highlighting this week are:
- Simple steps to help you keep safe in hospital video.
- The importance of patients and their loves ones engaging at all stages of their healthcare.
- Empowering them to ask their healthcare professional questions about their treatment or care, and openly discuss their options.
- Highlighting the role of our Patient Safety Partners.
- Increasing awareness of our Patient Safety Incident Response Framework