The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) is pleased to announce that the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) has awarded it the contract to deliver the first ever national Mortality Case Record Review Programme for the next 3 years.
This pioneering programme aims to develop and implement a standardised way of reviewing the case records of adults who have died in acute hospitals across England and Scotland. Its main aim is to improve understanding and learning about problems in care that may have contributed to a patient’s death.
In addition, the programme will identify common themes, work with healthcare colleagues to rectify and address any deficiencies in patient care and, through continuous quality improvement, share best practice.
The RCP will deliver the programme in partnership with researchers at the Improvement Academy of Yorkshire and Humber Academic Health Science Network (AHSN) who have already developed, tested and implemented a qualitative methodology for mortality review in 12 trusts in Yorkshire. To ensure this work supports existing clinical governance processes in NHS trusts, the RCP has partnered with Datix UK.
Dr Kevin Stewart, clinical director of the RCP’s Clinical Effectiveness and Evaluation Unit (CEEU), said:
The RCP is delighted to be awarded this contract to deliver such a pivotal programme. Patients and their families have a right to expect complete openness and transparency when things go wrong and for healthcare professionals to address and correct any deficiencies in patient care. This work can help promote a culture of transparency, ensure continuous quality improvement in patient care and the RCP is proud to be leading it.
Dr Mike Durkin, NHS England director of patient safety, said:
The RCP is ideally placed to lead on this work and help play a key role in supporting organisations to understand more about how to deliver safer care for our patients. The national Mortality Case Record Review Programme is being commissioned as just one element of a wide ranging programme of work by the Patient Safety Team in NHS England to support NHS organisations to reduce deaths due to problems in care.
Dr Brian Robson, executive clinical director of Healthcare Improvement Scotland
Healthcare Improvement Scotland is the national healthcare improvement organisation for Scotland and we are delighted that we will be working with the RCP in advancing Scotland’s work in studying deaths to improve care. Scotland has a long history of studying deaths led by local clinical teams and Royal Colleges. Our work in the Scottish Patient Safety Programme has been underpinned by case note review and we look forward to evolving this with the HQIP developments.
The RCP is working in collaboration with patient and professional organisations to deliver this work including: the Yorkshire and Humber AHSN, Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA), the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE), Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management (FMLM), the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC), the Royal College of Nurses (RCN), Healthcare Improvement Scotland, and Datix UK, as well as aligning with the medical examiner’s office.
For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact Jessica Smith, communications adviser, RCP Care Quality Improvement Department, on 020 3075 1399 or Jessica.smith@rcplondon.ac.uk
To find out further information on the programme email: mortality@rcplondon.ac.uk
The Clinical Effectiveness and Evaluation Unit (CEEU) delivers an ambitious programme of work that supports the RCP’s strategic aim to improve care for patients via its national clinical audit, healthcare quality improvement and patient safety.
About HQIP
This work has been commissioned by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) on behalf of the NHS in England and Scotland. HQIP is a consortium of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, the Royal College of Nursing and National Voices. Its aim is to promote quality improvement in healthcare and it holds contracts to manage and develop quality improvement work that cover care provided to people across the UK with a wide range of medical, surgical and mental health conditions.