Patient Safety Week – 1 to 7 November 2015

Next week is Patient Safety Week, with the purpose of highlighting to patients that the health sector strives to provide the best and safest care possible, every time. The theme of the week is ‘Let’s talk’, focusing on good communication with patients and their families. DHBs and other providers will be marking the week in different ways.

These may include:

• introducing an ‘airline-style’ card and video to give patients advice on ways they can stay safe in hospital.
• staff at many DHBs wearing ‘Hello’, ‘Kia ora’ or ‘Talofa lava, my name is’ stickers – these have been adapted from a campaign by terminally ill UK doctor Kate Granger, who noticed many clinicians who treated her did not introduce themselves.

Other resources include:

• an information sheet for staff on communicating well with patients
• a discharge sheet ‘Preparing to leave hospital’, which prompts patients to ask questions and note down any information they need to know to stay safe once they leave your care.

Open for better care website.