If you, or one of your loved ones, is involved in an incident on a ward, this will be looked into in a different way from autumn 2023.
The patient and those who care for them will be at the centre of all inquiries, and can help play a part in improving things in the care of future patients.
This new system is called PSIRF.
What does PSIRF mean?
PSIRF stands for the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework.
In practice, that means a new way of dealing with incidents that:
*Cause harm
*A incident that nearly caused harm
*A concern raised by a member of staff, patient or relative.
This could cover things like a slip or trip, a fall, suspected medication error or a delay to treatment.
We have worked with the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn to create videos and more information about the new system which is going to cover different areas of the NHS.
The hospital’s associate director of patient safety Heather Morrish explains more about PSIRF in the video below:
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What is PSIRF?
The new system has four key aims:
To ensure everyone affected by an incident is spoken to compassionately and feels involved.
Everyone involved learns from the incident.
Any response is considered and proportionate.
Any care systems are strengthened and improved in a supportive way.
Our team spent time with staff across wards and departments at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital to find out what this would mean for those working directly with patients.
Some of the key points they made are below. Click a picture to read more.
Some of the staff at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital talk more about PSIRF in the short documentary film below
