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Patient Safety Managers - is there a defined role? Help for a newly appointed PSM

 I met at a recent conference a newly appointed Patient Safety Manager. She’d been working in a supporting role in another organisation and was delighted with her obviously well deserved promotion to a more senior role of patient safety manager in another Trust. But 6 days in, she’s had no induction, there is no patient safety strategy or plan in the Trust, there isn’t any guidance as how she should do her job other than just ‘get on with doing RCAs. ‘ She doesn’t know who she can turn to for advice or support either in her Trust or elsewhere. Are there networks of PSMs she can turn to? Surely there is a model framework for patient safety that is produced as a guide? How can we help her and other PSMs?

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1 hour ago, HelenH said:

 I met at a recent conference a newly appointed Patient Safety Manager. She’d been working in a supporting role in another organisation and was delighted with her obviously well deserved promotion to a more senior role of patient safety manager in another Trust. But 6 days in, she’s had no induction, there is no patient safety strategy or plan in the Trust, there isn’t any guidance as how she should do her job other than just ‘get on with doing RCAs. ‘ She doesn’t know who she can turn to for advice or support either in her Trust or elsewhere. Are there networks of PSMs she can turn to? Surely there is a model framework for patient safety that is produced as a guide? How can we help her and other PSMs?

I was wondering the same thing.  I would be interested in hearing from anyone with in patient safety team that would like to help us on this!

  • Author

Hi Claire, I think it would be helpful to capture good practice on the set up and operation of Safety, Risk and Quality teams - key roles, strategies and plans. I've just met with Moira Durbridge this morning, Director of Patient Safety and Risk at United Hospitals Leicester. They are doing amazing work and she's going to share a ton of resources that will be really valuable.

Let's set up a resource library on the hub for this.

A key part of professionalising patient safety as we outline in our Blueprint for Action https://www.patientsafetylearning.org/resources/blueprint

  • 2 weeks later...

I am new in post too but have had a an excellent induction but despite this still need more help in developing what has just happened before me

3 hours ago, Jayne Addison said:

I am new in post too but have had a an excellent induction but despite this still need more help in developing what has just happened before me

Hi Jayne,  That's great to hear that you have had a great induction.  Is there a team around you to support you in what has been implemented before?

  • Author

Hi Jayne, Great to hear. Any chance you could share an outline of your induction so that others could use this to design theirs? Happy to have it anonymised if that's an issue. Thanks Helen

On ‎08‎/‎07‎/‎2019 at 19:27, Claire Cox said:

Hi Jayne,  That's great to hear that you have had a great induction.  Is there a team around you to support you in what has been implemented before?

Hi Claire

Yes I sit in the Quality and Standards division and have 2 staff members, band 6 and 4 who know their roles inside out, and another colleague who has been covering my role since my predecessor left has showed me the basics, however, I have had to do a lot of searching of the shared folders and learning what to do by default. Induction was great in terms of meeting the right people and going to the right meetings, but actually now that I am in week 4, I need to know the practical stuff, could do with more SOPs on processes , eg how to report an serious incident. It is turning into a steep learning curve

On ‎11‎/‎07‎/‎2019 at 10:10, HelenH said:

Hi Jayne, Great to hear. Any chance you could share an outline of your induction so that others could use this to design theirs? Happy to have it anonymised if that's an issue. Thanks Helen

Hi Helen

I have nothing to share I'm afraid as I only received a paper copy and have now disposed of it. But as I mentioned to Claire above, I met all the right people and been to all the right meetings, provided with policies but need more practical information on how to do tasks now.

  • Author

Hi Jayne,

Great to hear that you've been welcomed and supported.

We agree that more 'how to resources' are needed. We are aiming to collate a repository for these and to contribute with our own ideas. Anyone out there that can help? Annie, I remember when we met last year that you showed me some fabulous governance frameworks, policies and resources that you'd developed at Barts. Can you share some? @Annie Hunningher

Also, I'm meeting with Neal Jones at Broadgreen and Liverpool Trust in a few weeks time to capture his insights and experience. They're doing amazing work there too..

Anyone else?

Helen

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