What is PSIRF?
To support the NHS to further improve patient safety, all trusts are introducing the new Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF).
It is a key part of the NHS Patient Safety Strategy which was published in July 2019 and aims to; help the NHS to improve its understanding of safety by drawing insight from patient safety incidents and outlines how NHS trusts should respond following the occurrence of a patient safety incident.
PSIRF was developed nationally to respond more effectively to patient safety incidents and further improve the quality and safety of the care we provide through learning from patient safety incidents.
Later this year, PSIRF will replace the current Serious Incident Framework and will support the development and maintenance of an effective patient safety incident response system that integrates four key aims:
Compassionate engagement and involvement of those affected by patient safety incidents
Application of a range of system-based approached to learning from patient safety incidents
Considered and proportionate responses to patient safety incidents
Supportive oversight focused on strengthening response system functioning and improvement
The benefits
This framework will see the trust move away from the Serious Incident Framework to a new approach to incident management which focuses on the learning and improvement of processes and systems, rather than focusing on individual blame.
The introduction of PSIRF will ensure that everyone (our staff, patients and their families) are included and supported in the process and treated fairly.
Our clinical governance teams are currently working to make sure that we are ready to implement the new framework in Autumn.
For more information, please visit the NHS England PSIRF website.