SMHC is rolling out the new NHSE & I’s Patient Safety Incident Reporting Framework (PSIRF) as part of our strategy to deliver our vision to be an outstanding care provider that delivers consistently safe care to all our service users.
PSIRF, the incident reporting system, has prevention at its core so we can better understand what can be done clinically to prevent harm occurring at our settings. It also is more holistic with less of a ‘tick-box’ approach and allows a proportionate response to incidents while incorporating increased flexibility on how an incident can be responded to, with an investigation being just one learning response option.
Hayley Crosbie, Safeguarding and Patient Safety Lead, explains more:
“The current way of responding to incidents, called the Serious Incident Framework (SIF) has thresholds which determine whether an incident will be investigated further, and these thresholds are based on levels of harm, or potential levels of harm. However, sometimes it may not be the most effective or efficient way of responding to an incident.
The new system replacing SIF has more flexibility with improvement and learning built into it. There is less focus on apportioning blame and more focus on looking at the whole system around the incident and importantly, involving all stakeholders in the process, while concentrating on improvement and effectiveness.
Also, the system will provide more data to help us improve while also creating an environment where stakeholders feel able to raise concerns or to speak up freely knowing that they will be listened to in a fair, compassionate way where the focus is on ‘how can we improve how we do things, so it doesn’t happen again’ rather than a counterproductive blame culture.”
We are excited to rolling out PSIRF this Autumn and we welcome the opportunities it will bring to learn and improve patient safety.
So do watch this space.