BRADFORD health researchers are looking for the public to help them with yet another groundbreaking study into patient safety.

The new research project will see patients give direct feedback to health professionals to improve safety, with the experiences of people who have suffered clinical errors being used to teach trainee doctors across the region.

Bradford’s hospitals already boast an impressive safety record with the Foundation Trust having the second lowest mortality rate in the country, as reported by the leading national health research organisation, Dr Foster.

This new cutting-edge patient safety project is being led by Professor John Wright, of Bradford Institute of Health Research, the expert-research arm of Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Professor Wright said: “While staff in the NHS work hard to provide the safest possible care, mistakes still happen which can result in harm to patients.

“Initiatives to improve patient safety have so far focussed on ways in which healthcare is organised and delivered, and getting doctors and nurses to adopt safer working practices.

“There has been little involvement of patients in shaping safety improvement measures but our study will explore how best to achieve patient involvement and make the best use of the patient experience to improve safety and train the next generation of new doctors entering the NHS.”

Now, the BIHR team need four new panel members - to join the existing eight they have already recruited – in order to help them with their £500,000 study looking into how to revolutionise training for junior doctors on incidents which cause harm to patients.

“The main aim of the project is to help change the way junior doctors are taught about how to handle incidents where patients experience harm while in hospital and what better way to do that than by talking to people who have been most affected,“ said senior research fellow and project co-ordinator, Anna Winterbottom.

“We’d like to talk to people who have experienced some sort of 'safety incident' whilst being cared for by the NHS – for example, a prescribing error, wrong site surgery, etc

“Participants need to attend three teaching sessions where they will talk to groups of around 30 trainee doctors about their own personal experiences of their safety incident.

“The teaching will be held at a hospital site in either East or West Yorkshire and I’d like to reassure anyone interested that it will definitely not be at the Trust where the patient incident occurred.”

Training over three half days, support during the teaching sessions, a small fee and expenses will also be available to those who are successful.

“It’s important that those taking part are able to give constructive and positive feedback which aims to put in place better working practices that can be implemented in all NHS hospitals throughout the country,” added Anna.

Each year, incidents causing harm to patients are estimated to occur in ten per cent of all NHS hospital admissions

This grant, awarded by the National Institute for Health research, will enable health chiefs to develop ways to encourage patients to report mistakes or practises they believe could cause harm.

If you’d like an application form or an informal chat about these new opportunities, please contact Anna Winterbottom as soon as possible on telephone 01274 383694 or email anna.winterbottom@bradfordhospitals.nhs.uk