The Westminster Health Forum Policy Conference recently debated the ‘Next steps for patient safety in the NHS’. High on the agenda was a focus on whole system learning, opportunities for regulation and the need for patient involvement. Louise Frampton reports
As the pandemic continues to increase pressures on the NHS and staff feel the strain, the timing of the Westminster Health Forum Policy Conference on patient safety could not have been more welcome. We know, from past incidents, that patient safety can become compromised when services are over-stretched, and staff are at breaking point. It is against this backdrop that speakers from the Health and Social Care Select Committee, NHS Resolution, Care Quality Commission and the Patients Association, gathered to discuss the next steps for patient safety in these challenging times.
Putting patients first
Leading the debate as conference chair, Rosie Cooper – an MP and member of the Health & Social Care Select Committee – described patient safety as “the elephant in the room” when discussing the NHS. Despite talk of staffing budgets, targets, regulation and reorganisation, it is “patient outcomes and safety of patients that are the key measures of success” she asserted.
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