Systems safety

Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF)

PSIRF sets out a new approach for organisations delivering NHS services to respond to patient safety incidents. The frame work is underpinned by four key principles:

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

PSIRF removes the requirement that all/only incidents meeting the criteria of a ‘serious incident’ are investigated, allowing for other incidents, previously considered as being of low or no harm, to be investigated and for the learning response resource to focus on areas with the greatest potential for patient safety learning and improvement to benefit the patient, the system and those who work within it.