Patient Safety Syllabus training

Summary

The National patient safety syllabus outlines a new approach to patient safety, emphasising a proactive approach to identifying risks to safe care while also including systems thinking and human factors and applies to all NHS employees. This page provides access to learning materials (via the E-Learning for Health platform) for staff relating to Level one – Essentials for patient safety and Level two – Access to practice of the training associated with this.

Content

The Health Education England (HEE) National patient safety syllabus has five training levels. This page provides access to the first two levels of training.

Level 1 - Essentials for patient safety

This is the starting point for all NHS staff, and includes sections on:

• Listening to patients and raising concerns
• The systems approach to safety, where instead of focusing on the performance of individual members of staff, we try to improve the way we work
• Avoiding inappropriate blame when things don’t go well
• Creating a just culture that prioritises safety and is open to learning about risk and safety

Level one also provides an additional session for senior leaders: Essentials of patient safety for boards and senior leadership teams, which includes sections on:

• The human, organisational and financial costs of patient safety
• The benefits of a framework for governance in patient safety
• Understanding the need for proactive safety management and a focus on risk in addition to past harm
• Key factors in leadership for patient safety
• The harmful effects of safety incidents on staff at all levels

Level 2 - Access to practice

This is intended for those who have an interest in understanding more about patient safety or who want to go on to access the higher levels of training. There are two sessions. The first introduces systems thinking (how the way we work can be used to reduce error and improve safety) and risk expertise (how we can identify and manage risk to keep patients safe). The second session looks at human factors (the science of work and of working together in safely designed systems) and safety culture (the significance of a true learning culture, free of inappropriate blame).

Levels 3 and 4

Levels 3 and 4 are delivered through a blended-learning approach, with a number of modules delivered through online learning and followed up with an in-person event. Levels 3 and 4 explore topics such as:

• Unpacking system issues.
• Managing patient safety risks.
• Understanding cultural, legal, and regulatory factors.
• Designing solutions.

Level 5

Level 5 builds on the skills developed through levels 3 and 4. Level 5 comprises four modules designed for patient safety experts who will be innovators and leaders in this area, and to recognise that this goes beyond the application of existing methodologies. On completing Level 5 participants will have the ability to: provide expert advice on support, evaluate, and communicate the degree of safety, develop a holistic view of safety, use key risk management and governance systems, ensure human factors and ergonomics are integrated through their organisation and foster a patient safety culture.