National Patient Safety Agency

This Agency has been set up to improve both the safety and the quality of care in the NHS. The Agency monitor through reporting and analysing incidents and accidents as well as what is termed as “near misses” – where things could have gone seriously wrong.

This is a pro active organisation which aims to discover why things go wrong or incidents happen and plan and implement strategies to prevent the same incident happening again.

This information is collated from all areas such as healthcare professionals, individual patients, patient groups, coroners and clinical experts. Other organisations are also involved from UK and abroad.

In February 2006, the NPSA endorsed the new NHS launch of the Please Ask campaign which went Live in March 2006. This is a first-rate campaign which actively encourages everyone to ask the healthcare team to explain more about what is happening with all aspects of treatment. In the past I think people have felt: “well the doctor/ nurse/ healthcare professional knows best” and haven’t felt able to ask as many questions as we might have liked to. Well that’s all changed now, now you are being encouraged to ask – so what are you waiting for Ask. You should find in your GP’s surgery a new magazine with celebrities in who are illustrating the benefits of asking more about health and treatments

The NPSA- are encouraging people to get in contact with them regarding incidents or accidents which may have occurred. It is stressed though that they are unable to investigate individual cases it is more of a reporting system.

Patients for Patients Safety – is another initiative from the NPSA it began in the spring and is aimed at awareness and creating opportunities for patient safety

http://www.npsa.nhs.uk/pleaseask  - please look here for further more detailed information.

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