Patient Safety Week

Problem Statement

Patient Safety Week is an awareness raising campaign facilitated by the Health Quality and Safety Commission. In 2018, the week was held from the 4 to 10 November.

The theme for Patient Safety Week 2018 was infection prevention and control, with a focus on good hand hygiene. There was also a focus on minimising antimicrobial resistance, as the following week was World Antibiotic Awareness Week.

What are we trying to achieve?

The aim of Patient Safety Week 2018 was to encourage consumers to understand why hand hygiene is important for their health and the health of others; and to encourage health professionals to practise good hand hygiene for consumers. Other aims included reducing infections through good hand hygiene and lessening the need for antibiotics to treat infection, as well as reducing the opportunity for micro-organisms that cause infections to develop resistance to antibiotics.

What have we done?

The target group for the week was expanded in 2018 to include general practices, as well as CM Health onsite and off-site facilities.

Resources

The following resources were developed:

• paanui slider and tile
• screensaver
• pop-up banners
• t-shirts
• Facebook banner information sheet, with word find (six versions), for adults and children
• multi-language posters
• infection prevention and control, and antibiotic-awareness themed crossword for staff
• two information videos
• information cards for GPs and pharmacies.

Competitions

A number of competitions were held during the week:

• ward display competition
• crossword
• a battle between wards 10 and 11 to see which ward achieved the best hand hygiene compliance rates following one week of additional improvement initiatives and training
• national poster and colouring in competitions (run by the Health Quality and Safety Commission).

Grand round

A grand round was held on 8 November 2018, with three presentations focusing on hand hygiene and antibiotics:

• End of an Era
• Caught in the Act
• A Show of Hands.

A competition was also held with attendees and included a stethoscope prize sponsored by the Medical Association Society.

Leadership walk round

The leadership walk round held on Ward 5 on 8 November 2018 also included questions to patients and staff on hand hygiene and antibiotic awareness.

Frontline Focus Friday

A presentation on Patient Safety Week themes was delivered at Frontline Focus on Friday 16 November 2018. This was attended by a large number of nurses from across CM Health. The presentation was followed by prize-giving for the competitions.