Safety News
Latest news
- National Early Warning Score (NEWS) Statement - CEM welcomes the recommended introduction of the
NEWS as the single standardised national tool for
improving safety, though it is not yet validated for use in the emergency department and further work on its utility there is needed. - download the full statement
http://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/resources/national-early-warning-score-news - Safer Care Newsletter - Winter 2013 - The lastest newsletter from the CEM Safer Care Committee discusses current workstreams and future projects.
- IFEM Framework for Quality and Safety in the ED (2012) - IFEM has developed a framework for quality and safety that is applicable across the globe. The framework:
- Summarises what patients should expect from an ED.
- Examines how the ED differs from other healthcare settings.
- Presents a theoretical framework for the domains of quality and safety.
- Identifies the enablers and barriers to quality care in the ED.
- Suggests areas where the measurement of indicators may prove valuable
- Safer Care Review of Work 2009 to 2012 - The Safer Care Committee has completed a three year review summarising our activities from 2009 to 2012. This document highlights our key achievements and measures how our aims have been met. It also lays out our work plan for the coming year, 2012 to 2013 and shares future objectives with our stakeholders.
- Safer Care Newsletter - August 2012
- Updated never events policy framework and data published - The never events policy framework has been reviewed and updated in order to address areas of uncertainty and provide greater clarity about never events and the recommended response to them following feedback from stakeholders. It offers a useful reference for boards, clinicians, other staff and patients.
The document also contains data on the number and types of never event reported in 2011/12 and 2010/11, revealing 326 never events were reported to strategic health authorities in 2011/12.
It is recommended that all NHS boards consider this refreshed framework and that medical and nursing directors ensure that work is taken forward to improve patient safety and eradicate these never events from health care. http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/10/never-events/ - Ambulatory emergency care statement (Oct 2012) - The College recommends local piloting of any new ambulatory care pathway and appropriate monitoring of outcomes before permanent changes are made to systems - download the full statement
- Safer Care Newsletter - Summer 2012
- Patient Safety Delphi - The College is undertaking a delphi to identify contributiry factors to adverse events and what triggers incident reporting. Analysis of the final phase is almost complete and we hope to report the findings in autumn 2012.
- Essentials of Patient Safety - Written by Prof Charles Vincent, a short verion is available to download for free. The topics addressed include the evolution of patient safety; the research that underpins the area, understanding how things go wrong, and the practical action needed to reduce error and harm and, when harm does occur, to help those involved. The main book covers these topics in more depth and a number of additional topics such as measurement, safety culture, design, safety campaigns and safe organisations. http://www1.imperial.ac.uk/medicine/about/institutes/patientsafetyservicequality/cpssq_publications/
- Raising and acting on concerns about patient safety (8 Mar 2012) - New guidance from the GMC makes clear that doctors have a duty to act when they believe patient safety is at risk, or when a patient’s care or dignity is being compromised. The guidance explains when doctors need to raise concerns and advises on the help and support available to them, including how to tackle any barriers that they may face. http://www.gmc-uk.org/guidance/ethical_guidance/raising_concerns.asp
- New CEM Patient Safety Award - The College of Emergency Medicine wishes to celebrate and publicise those initiatives within the Emergency medicine community that have made a significant contribution to patient safety.
The CEM Patient Safety Award will be awarded annually to an individual or hospital team that can demonstrate evidence of improved patient safety as a direct result of an innovation within their emergency department. The College anticipates that relevant projects might include the introduction of a clinical intervention, development of a new role (clinical or non-clinical) or a change to a pathway or process. However any project will be considered provided the safety benefits can be demonstrated.
Shortlisted teams will be invited to present their work at a patient safety session held at the autumn CEM conference, starting in 2013. Submissions should describe how the initiative has demonstrably enhanced patient safety.
Submissions will be invited at the time of requesting abstracts for the autumn conference in 2013.
If you or your team is interested in for the CEM Patient Safety Award please email Ben Walker ,(ben.walker@collemergencymed.ac.uk) notifying of your intentions to apply and you will be included in all email updates regarding this award.
Safer Care Committee
Safer Care Newsletters
- Issue 1 - June 2011
- Issue 2 - December 2011
- Issue 3 - July 2012
- Issue 4 - October 2012
- Issue 5 - January 2013
Safety Alerts
NPSA Signals
Other sections on safety:
- Safer Care Introduction - introduction to safety and the College's role
- Safety Alerts - latest reports from the National Patient Safety Agency and Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
- Safety Resources - find commonly used safety terms, organisations, tools and resources
- Safety in your ED - CEM resources for developing patient safety in your ED
- Safety Events - find events where you can learn more