Room for improvement ? The Care Quality Commission (CQC) introduced a new approach to inspecting and rating health and social care providers starting in 2013. The change was triggered by numerous prominent failures of care that raised questions about the CQC’s aptitude and skill to identify and act on poor performance. The new approach appears more in-depth and carried out by specialist, expert teams and produces ratings and an inspection report for each provider. The new approach was extended to other parts of the health and social care system in 2015 and continues to progress. The CQC’s am ..read more

Gold Standard Practice A health or social care setting where the entire team follows current standards and guidance underpins patient safety and is the goal for all care providers. With both the organisation and health and social care teams committed to providing 'Gold Standard' practice and safe care. Reducing preventable errors and avoidable complications may seem straightforward, this is not always the case when we are unsure of why errors,ommissions and non-compliance happen. Implementing standards are beneficial Much effort has gone into developing and sharing of evidence-based practic ..read more

 Staffing challenges in the care sector have undoubtedly contributed to COVID-19 infections amongst care and nursing home residents. Recent ONS data on deaths involving COVID-19 in the adult social care sector and the results of the COVID-19 surveillance study in care and nursing homes has illustrated the fragility of the social care sector before and during the pandemic – particularly in terms of staffing shortages.  This is likely to have contributed to the scale of the impact we have seen, particularly in care and nursing homes. Findings from the study confirm that those care and ..read more

A comprehensive overview of patient safety trends, challenges, and areas for improvement. The "Global State of Patient Safety 2023" report, published by Imperial College London, presents an in-depth analysis of the current landscape of patient safety across various countries. This significant study dives into the complexities and nuances of healthcare systems, offering a clear picture of where nations stand in terms of patient safety and healthcare quality. It benchmarks countries, identifies trends and variations, and pinpoints both improvements and areas of concern in patient safety. The i ..read more

7 Step Blueprint for Improving Care Quality Quality care is the cornerstone of a robust healthcare system. The journey towards excellence is continuous, with each step building upon the last. The Health Foundation's adaptation of a Healthcare Quality Framework presents a seven-step path to not only maintain but elevate the quality of care. These steps provide a blueprint for healthcare professionals, organisations, and stakeholders to work collectively towards a shared goal, closing the care and quality gap. This blog post delves into these seven pivotal steps that can set a new standard for ..read more

COVID-19 has meant an extraordinary year for us all.   First U.K Cases This weekend marks exactly 12 months since clinicians were called to deal with to what became the first confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the UK. On 31 January, they were taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle - where it was confirmed they had tested positive for coronavirus. Fast forward two months  on 11th March 2020 the World Health Organisation declared a global pandemic, changing the way we live our lives dramatically. First U.K Death This weekend also marks the 1 year anniversary of the first ..read more

Benefits of an effective supervision framework SUPPORTING MANAGERS IN SUPERVISION ‘Supervision is an accountable, two-way process, which supports, motivates and enables the development of good practice for individual care workers. As a result, this improves the quality of service provided by the organisation. Supervision is a vital part of individual performance management.’ ( Social Care Wales ) Supervision falls under Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014: Regulation 18 Staffing and although the CQC cannot prosecute for the breach of this regulation resea ..read more

Risks & Challenges of TTT Programs There is a scenario where employees might prefer learning from their peers rather than an unbiased external trainer, although this isn't always the case. Sometimes, the introduction of external expertise can enhance respect, attention, and the retention of information. Therefore it's crucial to implement the 'Train the Trainer' model selectively, focusing on team members who are already genuinely respected experts and with skills that can be managed and competency assessed well. This approach relies on a well-defined learning and development strategy ..read more

Medication administration is a critical aspect of healthcare that requires meticulous attention to detail and a thorough understanding of safety protocols. To ensure patient well-being and prevent medication errors, healthcare professionals follow a set of guiding principles known as the "10 Rights of Medication Administration." In this blog, we will explore each of these rights and highlight their significance in the process of safe and effective drug delivery. The 10 Rights of Medication Administration form the cornerstone of safe and effective medicine  delivery in health and s ..read more

 Mutation, Strain or Variant ? What does it all mean... This last month has led to a lot of panic about new variants of Covid-19 that we are seeing. It is important to remember that viruses mutate regularly. Everything that replicates as quickly as a virus will have the ability to change, and this is why monitoring the genetic codes of the virus is so important. One of the main concerns is that there are indications that they may be more infectious or cause more severe disease.  This means that we need to take even more care to prevent infection. More than ever, hand-washing, social ..read more