The Report is linked to the action plan contained in Safety First: A Framework for Sustainable Improvement in the HPS, (March 2006) which undertakes to produce regular reports in order to promote learning from serious adverse incidents to improve service user and staff safety.
Chief Medical Officer for Northern Ireland, Dr Michael McBride said: “We need to set this report in the context of the large scale and complex activity which takes place in our health and social care services. In the course of one year, 700,000 people attend A&E, 500,000 inpatient and day cases are treated, 29million prescription items are dispensed and 1.5million people attend an outpatient appointment.
“It is inevitable therefore that errors can and sometimes do occur. These errors are not necessarily related to individual human error, but are often linked to systems faults, work environments, technological failures or may be due to the complex nature of the individual patient’s or client’s condition or circumstances.
“Timely and accurate reporting of adverse incident leads to a greater understanding of what went wrong and an assessment of potential future risk of reoccurrence within the organisation. Most significantly, it helps other Health and Social Care (HSC) organisations and staff learn important lessons. That is why the Supporting Safer Services Report can be such a potential catalyst for change.
“The experience from adverse incidents has helped HSC organisations to make changes designed to ensure that the risk of similar incidents occurring is minimised. Adverse incidents occur in all healthcare systems and there is now worldwide recognition that capturing information on such incidents is important so it can be used as a source of learning and preventative action in the future.”
Notes to Editors:
1 The learning contained in the ‘Supporting Safer Services’ report has been discussed at an HSC staff workshop.
2. This is the second report of serious adverse incidents (SAIs), which were reported to the DHSSPS by HSC organisations, between January 2006 and March 2007. HSC organisations and family practitioners services are required to report serious adverse incidents (including near misses) to the Department where the incident was likely to:
- be serious enough to warrant regional action to improve safety or care within the broader HPSS;
- be of major public concern; and/or
- require an independent review.
3. To obtain a copy of the ‘Supporting Safer Services’ report please contact 028 9052 8561.
4. Press enquiries to the DHSSPS Press Office on 028 9052 0575 or out of hours, please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 076 9971 5440 and your call will be returned.
