The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 280 No 7493 p300
15 March 2008

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Patient safety campaign will kick off in July

A patient safety campaign to reduce harm and save lives in the NHS in England is to be launched in July 2008. The campaign is being developed and led by a team of NHS staff, and is supported by the National Patient Safety Agency, The Health Foundation and the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement.

Steve Brown, director of pharmacy at United Bristol Healthcare NHS Trust, is part of the core campaign team, which includes clinicians, managers and patient safety representatives. He told The Journal that the campaign’s aims will be published soon but would seek to change the culture of patient safety and encourage everyone to participate.

The campaign will promote the use of a number of evidence-based interventions, which will be considered at awareness events being held around England next month. Mr Brown encouraged pharmacists to attend these events.

The campaign is being directed by Stephen Ramsden, chief executive of Luton and Dunstable NHS Foundation Trust, which was the first site in England to take part in the Safer Patients Initiative (PJ, 28 July 2007, p95).

Sir Liam Donaldson, England’s chief medical officer, said: “The NHS campaign will be a key component of a national patient safety strategy to prioritise patient safety and embed it into the fabric of everyday practice. It is a unique and timely opportunity to intensify efforts to implement interventions that continuously reduce risks to patients.”

The campaign will be voluntary and will initially focus on NHS acute trusts since this is where there is the most evidence for achieving significant improvements in patient safety. A series of workshops will be held around England from 1–9 April 2008 where NHS staff can find out more about the campaign and be involved in shaping it.

Staff can register for the April events

Scotland has already set up a similar campaign — the Scottish Patient Safety Alliance — which was launched last year (PJ, 17 March 2007, p300). Initiatives are also being developed in Wales and Northern Ireland.