Patient safety awareness: our pledge

Patient safety is at the heart of St John & St Elizabeth Hospital’s DNA. It is a constant. It is integral in everything we do and everything we aspire to achieve in our quest to deliver high-quality care to all our patients.

Patient safety has never been more important than during this last, tough year and our staff, across every department and covering every facet of hospital life, make it a central part of their daily duties. The Hospital’s outstanding efforts have been recognised by BUPA which awarded it COVID-19 Green Zone status for complying with UK guidance on infection control and patient safety standards.

More than 80% of staff have been vaccinated to ensure safety through the pandemic and our high-tech operating theatres enforce the World Health Organisation surgery checklist before every procedure to minimise the chance of errors. We regularly share learning from audits, risk assessments and incidents to ensure patient safety does not deviate from our high standards. Staff training and education is a continuous practice.

The hard work and efforts of all staff are central to the Hospital’s high ratings and we empower them to speak up if they notice anything that can be improved.

We also provide mental health first aiders and freedom to speak up champions to support our staff so they can do their jobs without distraction and ensure patient safety.

Our staff value every patient and their safety. Here’s what it means to them:

Mr Michael Elvey, Specialist Orthopaedic Consultant

“For me, patient safety is about promoting confidence in the practices and procedures we implement so that patients can be entirely focused on what really counts – getting better.

This has never been more relevant than during the recent pandemic where we have needed to adapt to a new way of working. We do not stint on safety. Consultants, staff and patients undergo stringent testing regimes with access to both antibody and antigen tests.

The ward and clinic rooms, as well as our operating theatres, are thoroughly disinfected between patient encounters and we work hard to direct the flow of patients around the Hospital in such a way as to minimise person to person contact.

With these measures in place, in addition to our regular governance practices that ensure our staff are fully trained and up to date, we can assure patients that we are offering the highest standards of safe care.”

Mary Moore, St Elizabeth’s Ward Manager

“Patient safety is fundamental to the delivery of all high-quality health services.

It is a healthcare discipline that prevents and reduces risks, errors and harm that can occur on a patient’s healthcare journey. It is something we value highly and strive to improve every day. On St Elizabeth Ward, our aim is to be effective, safe and people-centred at all times, following the clear policies and guidelines set by St John and St Elizabeth Hospital and through external regulating bodies.

Safety is important to staff too. We have to ensure all health workers enjoy good, safe and clean working conditions so that they can devote their time and efforts to their patients without any concerns. We are constantly learning and looking at ways to improve procedures via reporting systems. This helps us keep patients informed and at ease and we focus on having clear communication, which is paramount to nursing care, as it reduces patient anxiety and stress.

Patient safety is at the forefront of our practice on St Elizabeth Ward, which is to look after those who have been placed in our care.”

Yasir Khan, Governance Administrator

“Patient Safety is a core component for all staff working at the Hospital, as we are in the service of providing care and making sure patients leave better than they arrived. Therefore, we must ensure that all care is provided in a safe environment ensuring patients are protected to the best of our abilities.

Can we provide a 100% safe environment? Well, we must because our patients deserve the best care possible and we are proud to deliver that. We have robust procedures and practices to ensure the safety of our patients. The Governance Team are here to help work with all clinical and non-clinical staff to ensure they are aware of all the regulations, procedures and practices. The Hospital has regular detailed reviews and important information is communicated clearly across all departments.  We work with all staff to ensure patient safety is our number one priority.

Patient safety is a collective responsibility and we thrive on working together to make a safer environment for all of our patients, always.”

Orna Walsh, St Joseph’s Ward Deputy Ward Manager

From a ward perspective, we risk assess our patients using various tools to ensure their safety. We apply a name band to correctly identify our patient and complete a theatre checklist to ensure safety measures are met. The patient is always at the centre of these checks.Post operatively, we continue risk assessing our patient, ensuring they have met the discharge criteria in order to be discharged safely to their home.

We use various processes and systems to measure and maintain the patient’s safety throughout their stay in Hospital.During the pandemic, our attention to safety and infection control played a vital role in protecting our patients and we have a culture of safety built around strong systems and processes.”

Patient safety is an essential part of healthcare and a fundamental of creating a safe environment for our patients. This is a 24/7, 365 days a year commitment.