From information to action: Improving implementation of patient safety guidance in the NHS.

Patient safety is a high priority for everyone working within healthcare (Vincent 2006, Walshe and Boaden 2006). However, while over the last decade or so there has been an outpouring of information to improve the safety of patient care, unfortunately, putting the recommended changes into practice has fallen short of their envisioned potential (Mulrow 1994, Berwick 2003, Elwyn et al. 2007). The project context was the NHS in England and Wales with the scope of the project limited to the acute care hospital setting in England and Wales. The project sought to identify how the NPSA could support improvement in implementation. It sought to explore the factors that help or hinder successful implementation, through a collective effort, using my personal experience and expertise, that of NPSA colleagues, external experts and the views of staff in acute care hospitals across England and Wales together with the literature.
The findings led to the design and development of an implementation toolkit, initially targeted at NPSA staff and other national bodies responsible for issuing guidance and safer practices. The project output therefore comprises a product in the form of an implementation toolkit supported by a critical commentary on the development of the product. These will provide an original contribution to my own knowledge and understanding, as well as that of my work place, the NPSA, my professional areas, nursing and patient safety, and the knowledge base of the Middlesex University. Post-doctoral activity will involve the promotion, use and evaluation of the toolkit in 2009.

A project submitted to Middlesex University in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Professional Studies.