The Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF) sets out the NHS’s approach to developing and maintaining effective systems and processes for responding to patient safety incidents for the purpose of learning and improving patient safety.
A patient safety incident is an unintended or unexpected event (including omissions) in healthcare that could have or did harm one or more patients.
The PSIRF replaces the Serious Incident Framework (SIF) (2015).
UCLH introduced the PSIRF (Patient Safety Incident Response Framework) on 20 November 2023. It sets out how we will respond to patient safety incidents as well as ensuring compassionate engagement with those affected. It supports the principles of strengthening our patient safety system and our culture. It focuses on understanding how incidents happen, rather than apportioning blame, allowing for more effective learning, and ultimately safer care for our patients.
Our Patient safety incident response policy explains the way that patient safety incidents are responded to and how patient safety investigations are undertaken at UCLH.
Our Patient safety incident response plan supports us in identifying our most significant patient safety priorities, how we might investigate them in line with the standards laid out by Nation Health Service England (NHSE) and to ensure that there is new learning from any investigation.