The practice is committed to providing a high standard of care to patients and to comply with the National Patient Safety Agency’s advice to implement a being open policy.
This policy is designed to improve the experience of patients who are inadvertently harmed during their treatment and to promote better communication between staff and patients. It applies to all Rosehill team members, who are expected to familiarise themselves with the recommended procedures for being open.
Members of the practice are aware of the need for effective communication between patients and/or carers who may be involved in a safety incident and must develop the necessary skills needed for communicating with patients and/or their carers following a patient safety incident.
Our procedure for being open is as follows:
- Patients and/or carers will receive an apology as soon as possible after a safety incident has occurred
- A preliminary meeting will be arranged as soon after the incident as possible to explain what has gone wrong, what is being done in response and to suggest sources of support and counselling for the patient and/or carer. The meeting will be attended by the patient and/or their carer (and anyone else they would like to be present), a leading member of staff from the practice and at least one other member of staff from the practice
- A written, post-meeting follow-up will then be sent to all concerned
- A dialogue will be maintained with the patient and/or carer for as long as necessary after the incident to address any new concerns or share any new information.