Closing the Gap in Patient Safety A programme that supported teams to implement and evaluate tested, evidence-based patient safety interventions at scale in health and social care
- Fourth and final round of our Closing the Gap improvement programme.
- Nine project teams were funded to implement and evaluate tested, evidence-based patient safety interventions at scale in health and social care, from 2014 to 2017.
- The types of projects included approaches to build skills in improving patient safety; interventions to improve the reliability of clinical care; and creating the conditions for the delivery of safer care.
Closing the Gap in Patient Safety was the fourth and final round of our Closing the Gap improvement programme, which supported front-line teams to tackle the gap between best practice and the routine delivery of care.
Aims
The projects represented a wide range of organisations and health care settings and aimed to demonstrate an impact on an identified patient safety hazard or problem. The project interventions had already been tested on a small scale and were evidence based with a logical rationale for why they were used to address the identified patient safety problem/hazard for that project.
Projects
Due to the range of skills and experience required (such as quality improvement, evaluation and clinical/service expertise), the projects were delivered by a group of organisations working together. Each project included at least one organisation with the ability to influence wider practice and opinion.
The types of project funded included:
- approaches to build skills in improving patient safety
- interventions to improve the reliability of clinical care
- creating the conditions for the delivery of safer care.
Further reading
Blog
Learning from teams who are closing the gap in patient safety
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Global problem, local action
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Reducing hazards associated with the transition of young people with long-term conditions into adult services
Led by the Advancing Quality Alliance (AQuA), this project aimed to reduce the harm associated with transition from children’s to adult services for young people living with long-term conditions.
PROSPER: Promoting safer provision of care for elderly residents
This project aimed to improve safety and reduce harm for vulnerable care home residents, who are at particular risk of admission to hospital or significant deterioration in their health and quality of...
Scottish patient safety programme: Pharmacy in primary care
This project aimed to improve patient safety by strengthening the contribution of pharmacists in primary care and improving communication within a more integrated primary care team.
Safer care pathways in mental health services
This project aimed to improve patient safety in mental health care by addressing teamwork and communication issues that can affect the safety and effectiveness of care, and patient experience.
REsTRAIN YOURSELF: Reducing physical restraint within mental health inpatient settings
Led by the University of Central Lancashire, this project aimed to improve patient safety by reducing the level of restraint.
S.A.F.E: Situation Awareness For Everyone
This project aimed to improve outcomes for acutely unwell children on paediatric wards, and reduce variation in service delivery quality.
Putting the patient at the heart of patient safety
This project assessed the effectiveness of using a patient measure of safety to determine factors that contribute to safety, in partnership with hospital volunteers.
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