WIREDGOV

The NHS will be made safer than ever under ambitious new goals being brought in for the Scottish Patient Safety Programme.

The world-leading programme comes to the end of its first phase this year, and is making good progress towards its aims of reducing mortality by 15 per cent and adverse events by 30 per cent across Scotland’s acute hospitals.

Visiting the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley, Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon announced that the programme would be extended until 2015, with a focus on achieving harm free care in the NHS. A challenging aim to ensure that at least 95 per cent of people receiving care do not experience harm – such as infections, falls, blood clots and pressure sores – will be introduced.

The existing aim to reduce unexpected deaths in hospitals – known as the Hospital Standardised Mortality Ratio – will be extended from 15 per cent to 20 per cent.

Ms Sturgeon was visiting the Royal Alexandra Hospital to see how their Intensive Care Unit has reduced infections and improved early intervention of deteriorating patients since bringing in the patient safety programme, which aims to reduce mortality and adverse incidents.

Achievements made at the hospital’s ICU include:

• A record seven months between ventilator associated pneumonias (VAP) and currently 87 days since last VAP in intensive care

• A record two years between catheter related blood stream infections in intensive care and currently 259 days since the last catheter related blood stream infection

• A 1.1 day reduction in average length of stay in the ICU

• A record 13 months between MRSA and cases and currently six months since the last case.

Ms Sturgeon said: “We are absolutely committed to continually improving patient safety in our hospitals. The Patient Safety Programme has achieved some really impressive results, not just in improving the standard of care in our hospitals but in galvanising staff into action. The programme is something that the staff I have spoken to are excited by, and feel they are very much a part of.

“It’s because of this success that I have decided to extend the programme for another three years and to make its aims even more challenging. I know that there is some hard work ahead for NHS staff, but I am confident that they will welcome this challenge.

“Scotland is the first country in the world to implement a national patient safety programme across the whole healthcare system. Up and down the country there are examples of improvements being made. What’s being done here at the Royal Alexandra Hospital underlines the dedication, drive and professionalism of NHS staff to improve quality and safety.

“People are at the heart of our NHS and everyone in Scotland has the right to expect the highest quality care, where and when they need it. The Patient Safety Programme helps us achieve this.”

Dr Jennifer Armstrong, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Medical Director, said: 

“The introduction of the Scottish Patient Safety Programme has been extremely positive.

“We remain committed to the programme and recognise that there is still some way to go to achieve all our goals.”

The announcement comes ahead of the NHS conference, taking place on Thursday and Friday this week at the SECC.