Central London Patient Safety Research Collaboration

Patient safety is a priority for all healthcare systems.

Put simply, in a safe system, patients would be saved from avoidable harm, both from their own conditions, and from the care and treatments provided to them.

International estimates suggest that of 421 million hospitalisations worldwide annually, there are 42.7 million adverse events or unsafe experiences, making avoidable harm the 14th leading cause of death and serious illness.

Amongst the highest risk clinical settings are Surgical, Perioperative, Acute and Critical carE services (SPACE), treating >25 million NHS patients annually.

Patient safety risks are particularly likely in these environments, both because of what clinicians are required to do (the trauma of surgery and anaesthesia, the need for rapid recognition and decision-making in acute illness) and the patient's condition (because acute illness and surgery compound the risks from long-term conditions such as diabetes and heart disease).

Further risks arise at the transitions of care between SPACE services and other parts of the health and social care system.

For example, acutely unwell patients may first see their GP or call an ambulance: the speed and accuracy with which acute and/or severe illness is recognised before patients reach hospital determines how quickly the right treatments can be provided and further harm avoided.

Patients discharged from hospital, particularly after acute or critical care admissions, or major surgery, are at risk of relapse or complications, which may cause further harm and lead to readmission.

The Central London Patient Safety Research Collaboration will deliver world-class research into improving the safety of SPACE services, including at the transitions of care with the community. We have four themes of work within two clusters of activity.

Our LEARNING CLUSTER will used mixed methods approaches to evaluate the safety of new approaches to care (Safer Services theme).

We will also learn from current/recent episodes of care, in order to identify and spread good practice and avoid future harm (Safer Organisations). Our INNOVATION CLUSTER will create new approaches to safety.

We will develop and evaluate the effectiveness of new approaches to predicting clinical deterioration and other adverse outcomes from clinical care (Safer Scoring).

We will develop and evaluate new patient safety interventions, and introduce and evaluate innovative, digitally-based approaches to improving the science underpinning what we do (Safer evidence).

The two clusters will work synergistically to ensure that our own innovations are evaluated both formatively and during/after implementation.

Our team includes frontline clinicians and policy makers and academics from scientific disciplines ranging from computer science and engineering to psychology and anthropology. We have a strong voice from patients and public, representing the full diversity of our population.

We will create an Academy to support the next generation of patient safety researchers throughout their careers, from PhD students through to professors.

UCL/UCLH has a uniquely rich research environment, and we want to expand our already collaborative approach, to work with clinicians and patients nationally, to deliver research which is of the highest quality, relevance and impact for the whole population which the NHS serves.