How a Different Perspective Can Benefit The System

The Health and Care Act 2022 established the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB), as a fully independent arm’s-length body from October 2023. We investigate patient safety concerns across the NHS in England and in independent healthcare settings where safety learning could also help to improve NHS care.

Our investigations aim to reduce patient harm by:
Supporting the involvement of patients, families and carers in healthcare.
Supporting healthcare staff to carry out their roles and care for patients safely.
Creating safer healthcare environments and processes.
Making healthcare services more efficient.
Sharing best practice and innovations in patient care.

With the diversity and experience embedded in our team from both within the NHS and from other safety critical industries, a unique mix of clinical and non-clinical input to every investigation which allows new perspectives to be generated.

Our investigations spanned from Insertion of Wrong prothesis to Healthcare provision in prisons and from Decontamination of surgical instruments to Design of the paediatric ward.

Investigations can be daunting to many as the feel this is inspecting and questioning their specific role or actions they have taken. However, there is nothing to fear. The benefit of taking a no blame approach and apportioning no liability allows learning to be shared in a positive manner.
This presentation aims to share how HSSIB undertake investigations, what our approach is, how you could be involved, how patients and families are involved. We will be using our recent investigations to highlight how we interact with everyone involved.