NHS England: Applying the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework outside of NHS trusts (last updated 31 July 2024)

Summary

Application of the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF) principles is mandatory for all health services contracted under the NHS Standard Contract. This includes all aspects of NHS-funded healthcare provided by organisations that are not NHS trusts or foundation trusts, including some services delivered by primary care and NHS funded care delivered by independent organisations.

Healthcare delivery across the NHS in England is very complex, and the nature of a service in terms of its risk profile, cost, size, geography, and complexity, for example, will have a bearing on the way PSIRF is applied and operationalised.

NHS England has provided FAQs based on the questions that have been asked about applying PSIRF in non-NHS trust organisations. They should be read in conjunction with the wider PSIRF guidance and help clarify how PSIRF principles can be applied proportionately across the variety of services and commissioning structures within the NHS.

Further PSIRF resources on the hub:

• Top picks: PSIRF tools, templates and examples
• Top picks: PSIRF insights and opinions
• Patient Safety Incident Response Plan (PSIRP) finder