World Patient Safety Day 2023

World Patient Safety Day 2023 takes place on 17 September under the theme ‘Engaging patients for patient safety’, in recognition of the crucial role patients, service users, families and caregivers play in the safety of health care.

Evidence shows that when our patients and service users are treated as partners in their care, significant gains are made in safety, patient satisfaction, and health outcomes. By becoming active members of the health care team, patients can contribute to the safety of their care and that of the health care system as a whole.

At Mersey Care, our main priority is the safety of our patients and service users. On the 1 July 2023 we implemented the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF).

PSIRF aims to ensure that patients and service users are involved in policy formulation, represented in governance structures, are engaged in co-designing safety strategies, and are active partners in their own care.

We need to consider the right platforms which will enable their voices to be heard and share their experiences; to ensure that they are engaged and empowered, and their insights are used as a vital source of learning and improvement.

We have recently welcomed Gillian Lancaster and Louise Taylor our patient safety partners. They will work alongside our staff, patients, and local communities to influence and improve safety across our services.

We hope that we can learn from the ambition, excitement, and opportunity that the patient safety partner role brings to our organisation. As we develop, we’re keen to share our journey and collaborate with colleagues.