Guidance to support the NHS in implementing the NHS Safety Thermometer published
The Department of Health has published guidance to support the NHS in implementing the NHS Safety Thermometer.
The Department of Health has published guidance to support the NHS in implementing the NHS Safety Thermometer.
The NHS Safety Thermometer gives nurses a template to check basic levels of care, identify where things are going wrong and take action. It is being used by frontline healthcare workers to measure and track the proportion of patients in their care with pressure ulcers, urinary tract infections, venous thromboembolisms and falls.
During a pilot across 160 NHS organisations last year, the national data showed an overall reduction in blood clots by 72%, pressure ulcers by 42% and urinary infections in patients with catheters by 33%.
NHS organisations are being encouraged to use the NHS Safety Thermometer in 2012/13 using a CQUIN incentive payment that rewards them if they collect data on the safety of the care they provide.
The NHS Safety Thermometer, is a tool developed by the QIPP (Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention) Safe Care team, the Health and Social Care Information Centre, and other partners.
Read the guidance Delivering the NHS safety thermometer CQUIN 2012/13: A preliminary guide to measuring ‘harm free’ care