The National Health Service Litigation Authority and DNV are working together to improve the safety of NHS patients and staff.
The National Health Service Litigation Authority (NHSLA), which is responsible for handling negligence claims made against NHS bodies in England, aims to improve the safety of NHS patients and staff. To meet this goal, a dedicated team of DNV’s UK-based healthcare experts will be providing the NHSLA with integrated risk management services over the next five years.
“We look upon this as a partnership which we’re confident will improve both patient and staff safety and help the NHS to better manage its risks,” says Alison Bartholomew, Risk Management Director at the NHSLA.
Even though more than one million patients are treated safely by the NHS every day, health care is far more risky than most industries. To illustrate this point, statistics reveal that in the western world, 10% of all patient care is marked by error, of which 5% are fatal. Studies also indicate that in Britain there are 40,000 deaths annually caused by errors – it is estimated that up to half are preventable.
In 2005/06 the NHSLA paid some GBP 560 million on clinical negligence claims. Whilst surgery gives rise to the largest number of clinical negligence claims managed by the NHSLA, obstetrics accounts for a third of the value. The majority of non clinical claims handled by the NHSLA comprise injuries to NHS employees and in 2005/06 the NHSLA paid more than GBP 30 million to settle these claims. As Ms Bartholomew observes, “Whilst the safety of NHS staff is important in itself, it is also a factor in ensuring patient safety.”
Risky by nature
Acknowledging the risky nature of the healthcare industry, Ms Bartholomew is also quick to point out that important steps have already been taken to improve patient safety in the NHS but says more work needs to be done to build on improvements.
Since the NHSLA was established in 1995 it has had a statutory duty to encourage good risk management practices in the NHS with the aim of reducing the number and cost of claims. The NHSLA has mainly achieved this objective through an evolving programme of standards, based on the identified causes of claims, and assessments supported by education.
“In a report on patient safety published in November 2005, 26% of NHS chief executives ranked the NHSLA standards and assessments as the key driver for their boards to improve patient safety,” points out Ms Bartholomew and adds, “And, as one of the leaders in advocating patient safety, the NHSLA is increasingly working with other agencies on this important issue.”
Cooperation with DNV
In an effort to further develop its risk management programme, NHSLA has awarded DNV a contract to deliver risk assessment, standards development and maintenance, and training services to the 400 NHS trusts and 150 NHS maternity services in England.
Mark Boult, DNV’s healthcare market leader in the UK says that the scope of work focuses on improving the safety of NHS patients and staff and thereby reducing the potential for claims. He explains, “An important aim of the NHSLA is to contribute to a reduction in the number of negligent, or preventable, incidents occurring within the NHS. To meet this challenge the NHSLA needs a partner to deliver the services effectively, in essence to provide a robust framework to support the risk management activities of NHS bodies, and reduce the number and severity of adverse events.”
Given DNV’s core competence in managing risk, Ms Bartholomew believes DNV is well placed to ensure the continued development and delivery of the NHSLA risk management programme and hopes “that a strong relationship will be established between the two organisations which will facilitate the delivery of an effective, efficient and enhanced service which will make a positive contribution to the national agenda for the NHS.”