Scottish Patient Safety Programme

Summary

The Scottish Patient Safety Programme (SPSP) is a national quality improvement programme that aims to improve the safety and reliability of care and reduce harm. 

Since the launch of SPSP in 2008, the programme has expanded to support improvements in safety across a wide range of care settings including Acute and Primary Care, Mental Health, Maternity, Neonatal, Paediatric services and medicines safety.

Underpinned by the robust application of quality improvement methodology SPSP has brought about significant change in outcomes for people across Scotland. 

Content

The SPSP has three core components, as follows: 

1. The Essentials of Safe Care: a practical package of evidence based guidance and support that enables Scotland’s health and social care system to deliver safe care for every person, within every setting, every time.

• Person centred care
• Safe communications
• Leadership and culture
• Safe clinical and care processes

2. The SPSP Programmes of Work:

• SPSP Acute Adult
• SPSP Primary Care
• SPSP Maternity and Children Quality Improvement Collaborative (MCQIC)
• SPSP Medicines
• SPSP Mental Health

3. Scottish Patient Safety Programme Learning System: aims to accelerate the sharing of learning and improvement work across all care services and underpins all our activities. Through collaborative working, sharing good practice and signposting to training resources, it encourages continuous learning at all levels, in every care setting.

4. Scottish Patient Safety Programme resources

• Pressure Ulcers
• Acute Prescribing Quick Guide
• Improving Observation Practice
• Medicines Sick Day Rules Card
• Falls
• Deteriorating Patient
• Learning from cardiac arrests