The Safer Patients Initiative: the UK experience of attempting to improve  safe clinical care

Shirley, Peter J

doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.2008.tb02101.x

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To the Editor: The study by Nichols and colleagues1 and the associated editorial by Hughes2 struck a chord of familiarity for me, as patient safety issues are currently high on the political agenda in the United Kingdom.

Royal London Hospital, London, UK.

Correspondence: Peter.Shirley@bartsandthelondon.nhs.uk

1. Nichols P, Copeland T-S, Craib IA, et al. Learning from error: identifying contributory causes of medication errors in an Australian hospital. Med J Aust 2008; 188: 276-279. <MJA full text>
2. Hughes CF. Medication errors in hospitals: what can be done [editorial]? Med J Aust 2008; 188: 267-268. <MJA full text>
3. Institute for Healthcare Improvement. The Health Foundation’s Safer Patients Initiative. http://www.ihi.org/IHI/Programs/StrategicInitiatives/SaferPatientsInitiative.htm (accessed Aug 2008).
4. Grayson ML, Jarvie LJ, Martin R, et al. Significant reductions in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia and clinical isolates associated with a multisite, hand hygiene culture-change program and subsequent successful statewide roll-out. Med J Aust 2008; 188: 633-640. <MJA full text>
5. Pronovost P, Needham D, Berenholtz S, et al. An intervention to decrease catheter-related bloodstream infections in the ICU. N Engl J Med 2006; 355: 2725-2732.

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