Last year, the CQC issued a comprehensive report that detailed the requirement for modernisation by healthcare providers with regards to their approach towards patient safety. By adopting the changes recommended by the CQC, healthcare providers would not only ensure patient safety has the priority it deserves, but also help tackle avoidable harm within their hospitals often resulting in a more successful CQC inspection.
This report should serve as a wake-up call to hospitals and care providers that patient safety is a key issue towards achieving Care 4 Quality.. A successful CQC inspection will almost always include positive feedback for that service’s approach towards patient safety. However, achieving the high standards required is a difficult task and one that organisations continue to struggle with.
This blog analyses the ongoing issues within healthcare that are preventing patient safety standards being achieved and ways in which organisations can help drive change.
Frontline staff are doing all they can
The CQC report provides insight into the continued hard work that the frontline NHS staff are carrying out to ensure their patients receive the very best care. Unfortunately, there are still incidents that occur on a daily basis in hospitals throughout the country that could otherwise be avoided. This is often the result of organisations that need to do more to support their staff and help promote a positive culture focused on patient safety.
Co-operation is crucial for a successful CQC Inspection
The report also recognises that the current patient safety system that exists within healthcare is complex and antiquated, and further negates the ongoing efforts of frontline staff. Healthcare providers will often receive patient safety guidance from many different external bodies, leading to confusion and a lack of clarity. The ever-increasing patient demand and staff shortages all point towards a system that needs to work closer together and with increased transparency to effectively implement safety guidance.
A culture change is required for a successful CQC Inspection
One of the key recommendations from the CQC report is that a complete culture change is required to help meet the patient safety challenge.
Speaking upon release of the report, Professor Ted Baker, CQC Chief Inspector of Hospitals said:
“Everyone can play a part in making patient safety a top priority. But there is a wider challenge for us all to affect the cultural change that we need, to have the humility to accept that we all can make errors – so we must plan everything we do with this in mind.”
Care 4 Quality. can help your care service achieve a successful CQC rating with our training, auditing and mock inspection service. Contact us to find out more.
