Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Patient Safety a Priority in Waikato
Media Release
Date: 23 February 2009
Waikato DHB's commitment to quality improvement in its hospitals and health services is reflected in the release today of the serious and sentinel events for the 2007/2008 year.
The number of serious and sentinel events at Waikato DHB is up from 24 the previous year to 36, including 10 sentinel. (see attached breakdown and definitions)
An 0800 line (0800 100 178) is set up at Waikato DHB so any person who wishes to discuss their actual or possible involvement in any of the 36 cases, can do so in confidence. They should leave their name, daytime contact number. Someone will make contact within two working days.
The serious and sentinel events represented less than .01 per cent of all people seen at Waikato DHB's hospital and health services provider arm, Health Waikato.
In the 2007/2008 year, Health Waikato
had:
* 67,566 inpatients; and
* 316,830 outpatients
including
o allied health 37,109
o chemotherapy
9750
o emergency department 77,652
o nurse clinics
9328
o outpatient first specialist attendances
49,055
o outpatient follow ups 110,635
Chief operating officer Jan Adams said the focus throughout the organisation was on robust incident reporting.
"We rely on our clinical staff to report incidents and near misses. It's not about fault; it's about learning from our mistakes and encouraging a culture of safety and openness. That ensures we can investigate and remedy things so they do not happen again.
"Patient falls and medication errors feature in our incidents and we're looking to reduce the number of preventable errors and resultant patient harm."
Mrs Adams said she, Director of Nursing and Midwifery Sue Hayward and Chief Medical Advisor Dr Tom Watson launched a Patient Safety First campaign today. Its major focus is on improving the quality and safety of Health Waikato's services.
The
six priorities in the report are:
* reduce medication
errors
* reduce patient falls
* ensure that clinical
audit is carried out in every clinical unit
* set up the
Health Waikato mortality committee to reduce avoidable
mortality
* improve hand hygiene practices
* implement
a safe patient care programme.
"We are all very keen to see vast improvements. We all know that many errors are preventable, and caused by system issues so are very keen to focus on making this a safer place for everyone - staff and patients.
Waikato DHB is a pilot or lead site for three National Quality Improvement Programme initiatives:
* the
national incident management reporting system
development
* optimising the patient journey programme in
our operating theatres at Waikato Hospital
* a hand
hygiene campaign.
ENDS
Waikato District Health Board
Healthy People. Excellent Care
Waikato District Health Board (DHB) employs over 6500 people and plans, funds and provides hospital and health services to more than 391,770 people in a region covering eight per cent of New Zealand.
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