NHS hospitals to employ safety experts to tackle thousands of avoidable mistakes

Hospitals will be required to employ patient safety specialists from next April as part of efforts by the health service to reduce thousands of avoidable errors every year.

NHS trusts will be told to identify staff who will be designated as the safety specialist for each organisation. These workers, who will get specific training and work as part of a network across the country, will help to tackle a fragmentation in the way safety issues are dealt with in the NHS and ensure nationwide action on key safety risks is coordinated.

The proposals are part of a national patient safety strategy which is aiming to save 928 lives and £98.5m across the NHS, as well as reducing negligence claims by £750m by 2025.

The specialists will be identified from existing staff, with part of the role focused on embedding a so-called “just culture” approach to safety. This means reducing blame, supporting staff who make honest errors and tackling systemic causes of mistakes.

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Source: The Independent, 26 December 2019

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