Induction Workshop for Patient Safety Champions, May 2008
Patients, their carers or patient advocates met together on day one of the Workshop to share their personal stories and experience of what happens when things go wrong in the care provided by the NHS. Common themes emerged around errors in treatment, diagnosis and care, and many people expressed dismay at the culture of denial which persists among healthcare professionals in the aftermath of a serious incident. Much discussion featured on the failures in policy and process to address the issues and prevent similar incidents and accidents from recurring. In future, through this initiative, Patient Safety Champions will be supported to provide the patients' perspective in improving patient safety at all levels; locally, regionally and nationally, throughout England and Wales.
On day two eleven healthcare professionals and policy makers joined the group representing the ten Strategic Health Authorities in England together with one representative for Wales.
The positive energy and enthusiasm coupled with the commitment to openness and partnership by those who attended the Workshop ensured its success. People felt that even those who have been speaking on behalf of others already in the area of patient safety now had a "title and a framework in which to operate."
All 22 of the patients/patient representatives have become Patients for Patient Safety Champions and some of the healthcare professionals also expressed an interest in joining the global community committed to improving patient safety. One participant commented "The use of patients' personal experience to promote improvements in patient safety is a very powerful tool."
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