Norfolk’s community-based NHS Trust has pledged its support to a national campaign designed to improve patient safety by encouraging staff to raise any concerns about patient care without fear of repercussions.

Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust (NCH&C) has signed up to the Speak Out Safely (SOS) campaign, which is being run by the Nursing Times. It encourages NHS organisations and independent healthcare providers to develop a transparent culture where staff feel able to raise any issues and have confidence those concerns will be addressed.

As well as improving patient safety, the campaign aims to sends a clear message that staff who raise an issue will receive full support, while their concern will be fully investigated and action taken wherever appropriate.

The SOS message applies to all staff, including permanent employees, agency or temporary staff and volunteers. By signing up, NCH&C hopes to build on the good practice already in place across the Trust and further develop its culture of openness and transparency.

Anna Morgan, NCH&C’s Director of Nursing, Quality and Operations, said: “We are fully committed to delivering high quality services to people in and around Norfolk and, for us, ‘quality’ means delivering effective care while keeping our patients safe.

“We fully support our staff, as well as our patients and the public, in raising any concerns they may have, so we can act quickly. In enabling this to happen, we believe we can continue to learn and improve our services, bringing about even greater care for our patients.”

For more about NCH&C’s pledge, go to: www.norfolkcommunityhealthandcare.nhs.uk/About-us/Priorities-and-performance/speak-out-safely.htm

For more information about the SOS campaign, visit: www.nursingtimes.net/opinion/speak-out-safely

 

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