Staff surveys, hazardous substances and global views of safety

The topic of patient safety is a vast one encompassing many issues. This is not surprising, given the complex nature of health care and the various contexts surrounding it. Publications in the patient safety field reflect this diverse nature. We can see broad policy reports on patient safety strategy at national and global levels and more focused ones on specific clinical areas and issues.

Not all will be applicable, and a detailed appraisal is needed. We then need to translate them into effective practice. To drill down from the general to the specific, from translating the theory into effective practice in the ward or clinic. This column will look at patient safety reports spanning several areas and illustrating the diverse nature of patient safety study and its complexity.

There is a need for all organisations to take time to reflect on critical matters. Staff surveys are important to all organisations, there is a need to ‘take the temperature’ of the organisation, to conduct a baseline check on its core operating component, its staff. A discontented staff points to an organisation in decline. Workforce survey findings can also show how the organisation can better meet the needs of the customers that it serves, and identify gaps in service provision.