What we do
We work to identify and reduce risks to patients receiving NHS care. We also lead on national initiatives to improve patient safety.
Learning from reports of patient safety incidents
When a patient safety incident happens, NHS staff in England and Wales can make confidential online reports via their local reporting systems. All staff are encouraged to report all incidents, whether they result in harm to patients or not.
Their reports are then fed into our database, the National Reporting and Learning System. Clinicians and safety experts analyse the reports to identify common risks and opportunities to improve patient safety. We then provide healthcare organisations with feedback and guidance to improve patient safety.
These include:
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Resources, including alerts to address specific safety risks and tools to build a strong safety culture.
- National campaigns on specific topics such as hand hygiene.
- Collaborating with international organisations on global campaigns and initiatives.
Research
In addition to evidence-based research, we also collaborate on research projects with UK patient safety organisations.
