In total, 92% of acute Trusts in England are signed up to Patient Safety First, among a total of 270 Trusts that includes Primary Care, Ambulance and Mental Health Trusts and other key organisations.

Patient Safety First promotes the role of leadership in improving patient safety as well as four clinical changes in practice [see notes for details].

These positively encourage a small step approach to change through testing changes within their chosen areas with the aim of reducing unintended harm and improving the reliability of the systems within which they work.

A vision of an NHS with no avoidable death and no avoidable harm lies at the heart of Patient Safety First. With a cause of making patient safety everyones highest priority and led by NHS staff for the NHS, Patient Safety First aims to make positive and sustainable changes to attitudes towards quality and patient safety.

Marie Burnham, Chief Executive of East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust says; We are committed to patient safety. We have made it the priority in our Trust and I have personally pledged to help our dedicated teams continue to make changes to practice that will improve the experiences of fellow staff and patients alike.

Trusts in the region have taken action to ensure that the patient safety message is communicated throughout all levels of an organisation.

Andrew Foster, Chief Executive at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust commented, One of the elements in our Patients Safety First programme is our Ward-to-Board reports that measure the compliance of patient care under eight separate criteria. For example, one of the criteria is patient observations which look at appropriate use and documentation of Modified Early Warning Scores (MEWS). Our Ward-to-Board reports are monitored monthly by the Trust Board and shared with the public on ward displays to provide open transparency on the quality of care we provide.

Maxine Power, Director, North West Improvement Alliance and Improvement Advisor for Patient Safety First says; 100% sign up demonstrates significant commitment to putting patient safety at the top of NHS priorities. We should celebrate our Chief Executive commitment in the North West. This is a vital lever in our shared mission to deliver a demonstrably safer healthcare system for every patient every time. However, it is possible for the cynic to argue that sign up alone, whilst vital, is insufficient and we agree.

We need to push further with understanding what sign up means.

As Director of the NHS North West Improvement Alliance, I have witnessed first hand evidence of a sustained and growing programme of activity within organisations which makes me believe that there is substantial support behind the pledges of our Chief Executives. These are not empty promises. I believe that 100% sign up will result in a radical shift in the systems in which we work and will provide momentum which is greater than the sum of the parts. Putting Patient Safety First is not easy, however we can be re-assured that this priority is now at the centre of our daily improvement business.