Leadership for patient safety during the COVID 19 pandemic

How are we ensuring that patient and staff safety is being prioritised during the pandemic?  

Presenters: Helen Hughes, Chief Executive, Patient Safety Learning, Dr Abdulelah Alhawsawi, Director General, Saudi Patient Safety Center, Professor Ted Baker, Chief Inspector of Hospitals, Care Quality Commission 

It can be argued that staff safety has not been prioritised as it should have been in recent years. The Covid-19 pandemic has reinforced this. It has exposed risks to staff physical and mental wellbeing, with inadequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), intensely difficult physical and psychological working conditions, and, tragically, it has resulted in deaths from exposure to Covid-19 as a result of inadequate infection control.

The importance of overarching leadership for patient safety in health and social care is a key concept. Ensuring that leaders embed staff safety into safety programmes is essential.

 Some of the core issues that the panel will be exploring:

• How are leaders ensuring patient and staff safety during the pandemic? Are we doing enough?
• How are we prioritising patient access to non Covid care and treatment?
• Are we doing enough to encourage just and learning cultures and staff speaking up for safety?
• How are we sharing learning and knowledge on safe treatment and care?
• How are system and professional regulators ensuring that patient safety is a priority?

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