To support the NHS to further improve patient safety, all acute NHS Trusts have implemented the new Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF), which replaces the previous Serious Incidents (SI) Framework (2015).

From 1 April 2024, Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust began to respond to patient safety incidents according to PSIRF. The PSIRF is underpinned by modern patient safety science and supports the development and maintenance of an effective patient safety incident response system and will lead to more compassionate engagement and involvement for those affected by patient safety incidents and give staff space for reflection.

An important factor of PSIRF is to understand how incidents happen, and this allows us to learn and improve, in turn creating a safer care system for patient. The four key aims of PSIRF are:

  1. Compassionate engagement and involvement of those affected by patient safety incidents
  2. Application of a range of system-based approaches to learning from patient safety incidents
  3. Considered and proportionate responses to patient safety incidents
  4. Supportive oversight focused on strengthening response system functioning and improvement

Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust’s PSIRF policy and plan has been developed with stakeholder engagement, it supports to identify our most significant patient safety risks and focus on these risks to ensure they are reviewed, with learning and opportunities for improvement identified.

The video below explains PSIRF and how it differs from the SI Framework:

Learn more about PSIRF on the NHS England website.

You may be feeling anxious about being in hospital but keeping you safe and well is a priority for the staff looking after you. There are also some simple things you can do to help keep yourself safe during your hospital stay, such as asking for help when needed, protecting yourself from slips and falls and helping to prevent blood clots.

The ‘Simple steps to keep you safe during your hospital stay’ video and leaflet provides tips on things you can do to look after your safety during your stay.
 

Check out the 'Simple steps to keep you safe during your hospital stay' leaflet on the NHS England website here.