Patient safety a priority in Waikato

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.

Waikato District Health Board Serious & sentinel Events report 2007/08

Date: 23 February 2009

Contact:
Mary Anne Gill
Media and Communications Director
Waikato District Health Board
Ph: 07 834 3684
Fax: 07 834 3673
Mobile: 021 705 213
www.waikatodhb.govt.nz