Customer: Safer Salford
Challenge
The Safer Salford programme is a system-wide, quality improvement focused initiative that began in 2016 in the wake of the Francis and Berwick reports (2013), and Salford’s involvement in The Health Foundation’s Safety Measurement programmes (2014a, 2014b).
This learning provided the impetus for a partnership of health and social care system leaders¹ collaborating as partner organisations to inspire safe high-quality care across the city-region; strengthening links and sharing best practice between the converging health and care sectors.
At its inception, Safer Salford’s approach to work on safety at a system rather than organisational level was deemed progressive. The challenges of safety work across a system that is itself changing – for example with the incorporation of Salford’s Integrated Care Organisation into the programme in 2016 – cannot be understated.
The challenge for aqua was to collaborate with the partners to reduce unnecessary patient harm, improve treatment outcomes and reduce waste; in both clinician time and erroneous or superfluous medication prescription.
At the time the programme launched primary, secondary and community care records were disconnected, and a clear record of care did not move with patients between services. Salford’s care homes were performing very poorly, with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) ranking them at 150 out of 151 in the national standings.
Public health outcomes in the city-region were also below the national average. This was in part due to a lack of engagement with health and care services. There was also a failure to take undertake healthy behaviours which could have a positive impact.
