21.03.14
NHS issues patient safety alerts to increase error reporting
Two patient safety alerts to help healthcare providers increase incident reporting on medication errors and medical devices have been issued by NHS England and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
The alerts instruct providers to take specific steps that will improve data report quality; and will see the establishment of national networks to maximise learning and provide guidance on minimising harm relating to these two incident types.
Responding to a number of strategic drivers, including recommendations by Sir Robert Francis QC and Professor Don Berwick on patient safety and a review by Earl Howe into MHRA’s handling of the PIP breast implant fraud, the alerts are a “significant” step forward to improving patient safety, it has been claimed.
Dr Mike Durkin, NHS England director of patient safety, said: “Issuing these two alerts and the development of local support systems for safety issues surrounding medicines and devices signifies a step change in how we approach patient safety.
“Once the medicines safety officers and medical device safety officers have been identified by the organisations required to act on the alerts, these individuals and the newly formed networks will enormously increase our ability to improve safety by broadening our reach and establishing channels for sharing and feedback.”
The patient safety alerts call on large healthcare provider organisations across a range of healthcare sectors, along with healthcare commissioners, to identify named leaders in both medication and medical device safety roles. These leaders will be supported by two new national networks for medication and medical device safety. The networks will improve communication and feedback on reported safety issues, and enable safer practice to be discussed and shared through webinars, online forums, conferences and workshops.
It has also been recommended that smaller healthcare provider organisations should continue to report medication and device incidents, take action to improve medication and device safety locally and work with local safety champions.
John Wilkinson, director of medical devices, MHRA, added: “This is a significant step forward for both organisations showing our commitment to develop new ways to help improve patient safety. These joint patient safety alerts have been devised after considerable feedback from stakeholders highlighting the importance and the need for simplifying reporting and improving learning.”
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