The new national reporting system will ask for a ‘minimum data set’ from local incident systems. Organisations can use the following checklist to calculate, at an early stage, how ready they are. Score 4.5 points for each “Yes”.
- Does your system record what happened?
a. Event/near miss description?
b. Severity of actual or potential harm?
c. People and equipment involved? - Does your system record where the incident happened?
a. Location?
b. Speciality? - Does your system record when the incident happened?
a. Date?
b. Time? - Does your system record how it happened, i.e. immediate cause?
- Does your system record, at least for more serious incidents, why it happened, i.e. underlying/root cause?4 Does your system record how it happened, i.e. immediate cause?
- Does your system record what action was taken or proposed?
a. Immediate (<1 month)? b. Medium Term (1 – 6 months)? c. Long Term (>6 months)? - Does your system record information on the impact of the incident?
a. Harm to the patient?
b. Complaint?
c. Litigation?
d. Direct financial loss?
e. Opportunity cost?
f. Independent investigation/inquiry?
g. Effect on involved staff (e.g., absence, performance, behaviour)?
h. Media coverage?
i. Reputation? - Does your system record factors that could have minimised or did minimise the impact of the incident? If you score:
If you score:
90 – 100: congratulations;
70 – 89: nearly there;
50 – 69: time to take stock;
Below 50: time for action.
Your score represents how ready your organisation is to participate in the national system. The important thing here is that you aim to improve your score over the remainder of the year. We expect that 60% of NHS Trusts will be in apposition to report to the NPSA.