Patient safety
Delivering the SAFE OR Programme
AfPP Trustee, Lisa Tierney is set to travel to Sri Lanka as part of the SAFE OR Programme, a training initiative that is designed to enhance surgical safety through effective teamwork and communication.
In September, Lisa Tierney, Non-elected Trustee and Consultant for the Association for Perioperative Practice (AfPP), will travel to Jaffna, Sri Lanka as part of the internationally recognised SAFE OR (Safe Operating Room) Programme.
A seasoned perioperative practitioner with
over four decades of experience, Lisa Tierney has dedicated much of her professional life to improving patient care and safety, both in the UK and internationally. This upcoming trip will mark another milestone in her long-standing commitment to sharing knowledge, promoting standards, and supporting surgical teams in resource-limited countries. Lisa Tierney has been a key figure in the
SAFE OR Programme for many years and now serves as Chair of the initiative. The programme, which brings together organisations including the Royal College of Surgeons of England, the Association of Anaesthetists, AfPP, Lifebox Foundation, the Royal College of Obstetricians
and Gynaecologists, and the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists, is a multidisciplinary training course designed to enhance surgical safety through effective teamwork and communication. “SAFE OR is about more than education,”
Lisa Tierney explains. “It’s about empowering professionals to work better as a team, to understand each other’s roles, and ultimately to give patients the best possible care, even in the most challenging environments.”
A lifelong career dedicated to patient safety Lisa Tierney began her career in theatres in 1980, primarily working as a scrub practitioner. Over the years, she progressed into senior leadership roles, including Theatre Matron at The Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals Trust, and later Theatre Matron and Manager at Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital. After 38 years in the NHS, she transitioned into the independent
Lisa Tierney is delivering the SAFE OR Programme overseas.
sector, working for over five years as Head of Nursing at The Private Clinic of Harley Street. Her passion for patient safety and quality
improvement has remained at the heart of everything she does. She currently provides consultancy services in regulatory compliance and healthcare governance, supporting organisations to meet Care Quality Commission (CQC) standards. Since 2015, she has also worked as a Specialist Advisor for the CQC, participating in inspections across both the NHS and the independent sector. Lisa Tierney’s career also includes 18 years
of service in the Army Reserves, where she achieved the rank of Major and completed three operational tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Her military experience has strengthened her ability to lead under pressure and adapt to unpredictable situations; skills that serve her well in the varied and sometimes difficult conditions faced during SAFE OR missions.
A global mission to share best practice She has helped deliver SAFE OR training in Ethiopia, Uganda, India, Bangladesh, and the UK. In Sri Lanka, she will be part of a multidisciplinary faculty of eight delivering the course to an expected 30 to 40 healthcare professionals. As always, the work is entirely
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www.clinicalservicesjournal.com I July 2025
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