Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust welcomed three new Patient Safety Partners (PSPs) last week as part of their work to support and enhance patient safety and experience.
The brand-new role, which has been developed in line with NHS England and the Patient Safety Framework, will offer support to staff, patients, families and carers to influence and improve safety across the Trust’s full range of services.
The PSPs – Ben Heal, Rane Comley and Jacqui Pendlebury - visited the Trust on Monday, as they met with Sarah Cullen, Chief Nursing Officer, and Catherine Gregory, Deputy Director of Nursing, Midwifery and AHPs.
All three have experience in working in the public services, and Rane Comley said: “I’ve only ever worked in the NHS – 45 years – and I didn’t want to stop being a part of the family. It becomes a way of life. It’s who you are, where your friends are and what you do.
“Lancashire Teaching Hospitals is on the front foot with this, there is a statutory requirement to put these roles in place, and it’s really good news the Trust has embraced this and set up the process by which patient voices can be heard in the development and improvement of safety culture across the NHS. Our hope is we will be able to, in some small way, contribute to that improvement.”
John Howles, Associate Director of Patient Experience and Engagement with the Trust, added: “The role of the PSP will be vital in enhancing safety across the organisation and support the development of pathways of improvement, which ultimately will have a positive impact on patient experience for the Trust.”
The PSPs will communicate rational and objective feedback focused on ensuring patient safety is maintained, improved and remains a priority - this may include attendance at governance meetings reviewing patient safety, participation in investigation oversight groups, review and analysis of safety-related information and contributing to documentation, including policies, investigations, and reports.
Upon being appointed to the role, Jacqui Pendlebury noted: “The NHS is ultimately about all our families, and I just wanted to be able to help this wonderful service in any way I can.”
The Patient Safety Partners’ role has been driven by the NHS Patient Safety Strategy (2019), the framework for involving patients in patient safety, recognising the importance of involving patients, their families and carers in improving the safety of NHS care, as well as the role that patients can have as partners in their own safety.
As the role evolves, PSPs may participate in staff and patient safety training, assist in the implementation of patient safety improvement initiatives, and develop patient safety resources which will be underpinned by training and support specific to this new role.
