Patient safety briefing film launched

Patients at NHS hospitals across the country will soon benefit from ‘airline style’ safety advice about their stay in hospital in an attempt to reduce avoidable complications.

Based on the concept of safety advice given on aeroplanes before they take off, patients will be shown a film and provided with an information card to read to help them look after themselves during their hospital stay.

The safety advice looks at simple things patients can do while in hospital to make their stay safer. The advice focuses on a number of areas including fall and infection prevention, blood clots and pressure ulcer avoidance.

The launch is being supported by the Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, and the national Sign up to Safety campaign, which aims to improve patient safety in the NHS.

The film has been developed by Haelo, an innovation and improvement centre in Salford, in partnership with Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, and is based on a patient safety card developed by Guys’ and St Thomas’.

Sir David Dalton, Chief Executive, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Staff working within the NHS work extremely hard, day in day out, to ensure the safety and welfare of their patients. It is important for patients to know that they can also play their part and the Safety Briefings will provide patients with some important tips for keeping themselves safe whilst they are in hospital.”

NHS Trusts can currently show the film to patients in two of ways: it can be easily incorporated into Trust websites so patients can watch it before they come into hospital; and hospitals with the Hospedia patient media system could also be able to have the film uploaded free of charge to show patients once in hospital.

You can watch the video online here.