HEALTHCARE DELIVERY


Putting patient safety first


Nuffield Health has achieved the highest level of recognition for healthcare safety from the NHS Litigation Authority. ANDREW BRISTER speaks to medical director, Dr Andy Jones, about the charity’s work and looks at how the organisation is striving to continuously improve the quality of care.


A not-for-profit healthcare charity, Nuffield Health has achieved NHS Litigation Authority (NHSLA) level three – the highest level – for risk management after volunteering to be assessed against the standards. The accolade – awarded only to healthcare organisations who meet the highest standards of clinical, patient and organisational safety when assessed against the NHSLA standards – sees Nuffield Health hospitals join a select group of 30 NHS Trusts in the acute sector who hold the award. Specifically developed to reduce the


number of negligent and preventable incidents taking place in hospitals, the standards provide assurance of safe practice. Over two days of rigorous testing, Nuffield Hospitals had to demonstrate that it was monitoring its own implemented processes for managing 50 key risks covering governance, workforce, safe environment, clinical care


‘We have a culture that ensures that anybody within the organisation can report an incident if they have concerns. Our philosophy means that everybody has a voice.’


and learning from experience in all of its hospital facilities across the UK. The NHSLA tracks 50 key areas that


are most likely to lead to a safety incident or a claim. Level three assessment ensures that Nuffield has vigorous procedures in place for tracking incidents, ensuring that any incidents are reported and a cycle of improvement is embedded throughout the organisation. “Organisations that provide the safest


care are organisations that manage their risk processes very carefully,” commented Dr Andy Jones, medical director at Nuffield Health. “They monitor internal


data and evaluate themselves against that data very vigorously.” He pointed out that a crucial aspect of


delivering better care is ensuring that the organisation’s management and clinical leaders are focused on safety and risk is crucial to delivering better care. Also vital is ensuring a culture of openness and transparency. “We have a culture that ensures that


anybody within the organisation can report an incident if they have concerns,” said Dr Jones. “It is logged into a system that allows us to collate information, with a view to evaluating the bigger picture.


50


THE CLINICAL SERVICES JOURNAL


MARCH 2012


© Browns Photography.


© Browns Photography.


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