The Scottish Patient Safety Programme (SPSP) is national initiative to improve the reliability of healthcare and reduce the different types of harm that can be associated. The programme is co-ordinated by Healthcare Improvement Scotland and is the first example of a country introducing a national patient safety programme across the whole healthcare system. From an initial focus on acute hospitals, the SPSP now includes safety improvement programmes including SPSP Primary care, SPSP Medicines, Maternity and Children Quality Improvement Collaborative (MCQIC) and Mental Health.
Acute hospitals
The programme was launched in January 2008. The first stage had a focus on activities in acute hospitals in Scotland to reduce mortality and adverse events by the end of 2012. Shortly after the programme began, there were improvements reported in several areas of care. This included reductions in the number of cases of bloodstream infections associated with central lines, ventilator-acquired pneumonia and the length of time patients were staying in intensive care. As the end of the first phase of the programme was reached in 2012, it was clear that good progress had been made towards the overall aim of reducing mortality by 15 per cent and adverse events by 30 per cent. By March 2015, the programme was running in GP surgeries, hospitals, mental health and maternity services.
Mental health
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is pioneering the mental health arm of the Scottish Patient Safety Programme. The SPSP Mental Health is working with Scottish Government and Partners to deliver the "Mental Health Strategy: 2017- 2027".
Maternity and Children Quality Improvement Collaborative (MCQIC)
The Maternity and Children Quality Improvement Collaborative brings together SPSP's Maternity, Neonatal and Paediatric care communities.
Primary care
In community settings there was a focus on three main workstreams: leadership and culture; safer use of medicines; safe and effective patient care across the interface. £450,000 of funding was put towards work to reduce prescribing errors, through better communication between general practitioners and community pharmacists.
References
- Gillett, Karrie (18 March 2013). "Scotland 'leading world' with patient safety plan". The Scotsman. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
- "Scottish Patient Safety Programme (SPSP)". iHub. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
- Freeman, Tom (5 February 2014). "Special report: leading on safety". Holyrood. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
- "Hospital patient safety improving". BBC News. 9 September 2009.
- "Crosshouse Hospital reports 18% drop in mortality rates". BBC News. 28 February 2011.
- ^ Mackintosh, Katie (25 March 2013). "Talking Point: Patient Safety. Scotland's family of patient safety programmes is expanding". Holyrood. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
- "Glasgow develops world's only patient safety programme specifically for mental health". The Herald. 23 March 2015. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
- "Mental Health". iHub. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
- "Maternity and Children Quality Improvement Collaborative (MCQIC)". iHub. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
- "Professional development: Nursing practice issues: Patient safety and human factors: UK wide resources: Scotland". Royal College of Nursing. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
- "Patient safety scheme being piloted in Scotland". Nursing Times. 22 April 2014. Retrieved 13 July 2015.