Safety management systems: an introduction for healthcare
Published
NHS staff
Patient safety themes
Patient and family
Safety management systems are an organised approach to managing safety which are widely used in different industries. This national learning report looks at what could be achieved by further adopting this approach in healthcare.
2 recommendations
1 observation
2 of 2 responded
Safety Recommendations (2)
NHS England
R/2023/001
HSSIB recommends that NHS England explores, and if appropriate, supports the development and implementation of safety management systems (SMSs) through an SMS co-ordination group. This should be in collaboration with regulators, relevant arm’s length bodies and national organisations, academics, patient representatives and safety leaders from other safety-critical industries.
NHS England has established a national SMS co-ordination group with experts and stakeholders to discuss and advise on national SMS activity, supporting the exploration of SMS applicability in healthcare.
We have created a national SMS co-ordination group that brings together experts and key stakeholders to discuss and provide advice on any future national SMS activity. Members include regulators, arm's length bodies (including HSSIB), academics, patient safety partners and safety leaders from all levels across the NHS as well as other safety critical industries. This group is supporting NHS England’s exploration of the applicability of SMS to healthcare. Response received on 12 December 2024.
CQC
R/2023/002
HSSIB recommends that the Care Quality Commission is responsible for ensuring that its regulatory assessment approach effectively assesses safety management activities.
The CQC will contribute to the NHS England SMS coordination group and is using its new Single Assessment Framework, which already incorporates safety management activities, to assess them, with plans for future updates.
We welcome the opportunity to both contribute to the SMS coordination group, and to consider how our regulatory approach can assess safety management activities. We will do this via our new Single Assessment Framework, the first iteration of which has been written to reflect key safety management activities – for example in the quality statements for “Safe systems, pathways and transitions” and “Learning culture”. Our framework will be updated and iterated as the understanding as to if and how these activities can be integrated into a safety management system approach develops through the SMS coordination group. CCQ hold a unique role across both health and social care and will need to consider how any safety management system approach can apply to all types of regulated providers. Actions planned to deliver safety recommendation: Publish the Single Assessment Framework, which is now complete. Publish first iteration of guidance to support the quality statements, which is now complete. Review and iterate guidance, which is now complete. Contribute to the NHS England SMS coordination group, ongoing – first meeting was held in November 2023. Response received on 4 January 2024.
Safety Observations (1)
The oversight of safety management can be improved if relevant bodies, such as providers, commissioners and regulators, adopt a multi-level safety accountability framework.