HSSIB: Strategy and Investigation Criteria (18 December 2024)

Summary

As the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) came into operation on 1 October 2023 one of the key priorities was to develop a new strategy, outlining HSSIB's long-term goals and themes that underpin our objectives. They also reviewed their investigation criteria.

This consultation asked for views from stakeholders, patients, and the public on HSSIB’s new strategy. HSSIB consulted on the strategy’s mission, vision statement and themes.

To inform HSSIB’s thinking about how the strategy should develop, a series of pre-consultation engagement activities were undertaken. This included a structured survey, as well as independently facilitated focus groups. This was conducted during February 2024.

In addition, HSSIB asked for your views on HSSIB's investigation criteria. The criteria is designed to allow assessment across the available evidence, extent of risk and potential for improving care provision. It sets out the criteria and principles for HSSIB investigations.

Content

Five strategic themes:

Strategic theme one: Deliver high-quality, impactful independent safety investigations.

To achieve this, HSSIB will:

• Be experts in healthcare safety investigations and ensure our safety recommendations make a positive impact across healthcare.
• Partner with experts and safety leaders to ensure our safety recommendations address risks effectively.
• Develop new and innovative ways of investigating to address urgent and emerging risks, with capability for rapid action.
• Strive to address and reduce health inequalities through our investigations.

Strategic theme two: Place people at the core of our work.

To achieve this HSSIB will:

• Ensure the voice and experience of all people affected by a patient safety incident are embedded in all we do.
• Support healthcare systems to create a safe, inclusive and secure environment which listens to and acts on peoples concerns.
• Recognise that the wellbeing and safety of the entire healthcare workforce is critical to safe care.
• Champion an inclusive just learning culture with a supportive and safe approach for all those involved in the investigation process.

Strategic theme three: Be a strong, inclusive voice for patient safety across healthcare.

To achieve this HSSIB will:

• Optimise our influence to shape perspectives on safety, ensuring that our safety recommendations make a tangible impact through effective implementation.
• Use the latest developments in safety science to inform our investigation methods.
• Work closely with partners, patients and the public to share insights that advocate for improvements in patient safety.
• Apply and develop pioneering investigation models.

Strategic theme four: Promote and professionalise healthcare investigations.

To achieve this HSSIB will:

• Establish principles for system safety investigations that drive actionable outcomes and measures.
• Develop and deliver a collaborative healthcare safety investigation education programme.
• Define key attributes and competencies for professional healthcare safety investigators.
• Advancing healthcare safety investigation as an evidence-based discipline and profession on a global scale.

Strategic theme five: Embed a compassionate, inclusive culture across our organisation.

To achieve this HSSIB will:

• Ensure effective leadership through strong governance and policies across all teams, promoting and reinforcing our strategic aims.
• Be sustainable, environmentally and operationally.
• Support team wellbeing through listening and reflection and opportunities for development and peer support.
• Create a workplace culture which is inclusive, respectful, and collaborative for all.