Open | Patient Safety Week a hit once again
Thanks to everyone who helped to make Patient Safety Week such a big success. The Health Quality & Safety Commission, in partnership with ACC, promoted the week.
We are grateful for the enthusiasm shown by district health boards (DHBs) and primary health organisations (PHOs). We distributed a huge number of resources – the most for any Patient Safety Week to-date!
Resources developed for the week included:
- an ‘airline-style’ safety card and video to give patients advice on ways they can stay safe in hospital
- ‘Hello’, ‘Kia ora’ or ‘Talofa lava, my name is’ stickers – these were adapted from a campaign by terminally ill UK doctor Kate Granger, who noticed many clinicians treating her did not introduce themselves
- an information sheet for staff on communicating well with patients
- ‘Know what to ask: Questions to get the most out of your healthcare’ brochure from ACC
- existing ACC resources including pressure injury brochures, charts and posters
- 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 hospital care.
The Commission released the first Open4Results report to kick off the week, highlighting areas of value saved and harm prevented in areas where the Commission has a focus, including reducing harm from falls, surgical site infections and the safety of children and young people.
DHBs and PHOs were on board in extraordinary fashion, and here are some of our highlights:
Taranaki DHB wrangled the New Zealand Navy ship HMNZS Endeavour to help promote the week locally. Throughout the week the DHB ran displays and activities at Taranaki Base and Hawera Hospitals, as well as a number of community health providers and aged care facilities. These include Patient Safety Week information displays, a falls prevention display, patient safety videos, an Instagram selfie competition, a ‘spot the difference’ competition, a pop up tea ‘shop’, and speech bubbles with messages from staff about patient safety.
Hauora Tairāwhiti hosted a visit from Dr Cordelia Thomas, associate health and disability commissioner for investigations, who outlined her experience with complaints and investigations, providing valuable lessons for staff.
Waikato DHB ran a competition for staff, with teams required to disassemble and reassemble a hospital bed, while racing against the clock. Congratulations to Sleep Talkers, who put together their bed in 13 minutes and 48 seconds to win by just under five minutes!
Waikato DHB had their Safetysaurus mascot travel the wards and spread patient safety messages. For their efforts, they won the Commission’s mascot competition; along with Dunedin Hospital’s Carlee Thoracic and Arty Choke mascots. Both will receive a $150 voucher for their team as thanks for their commitment to patient safety!
A limerick competition was also run, with Anna White at Canterbury DHB taking first place, Stephanie Phillips from North Harbour Hospital taking second and South Canterbury DHB’s Penny Dewar placing third. They will receive a $150, $100 and $50 Prezzy Card respectively.
Patient Safety Week 2017 will take place from 5–11 November.
