National Patient Safety Agency Advice
Between February 2006 and January 2007, the NPSA received over 24,000 reports of patients being wrongly identified and mismatched with their care.
Reducing and, where possible, eliminating these errors is central to improving patient safety. Many of these errors result in little or no harm but can be distressing for patients and for staff. Some result in serious, lasting harm, such as chronic pain, undiagnosed cancers, blindness and even death.
The NPSA has a programme of work on safer patient ID and matching patients correctly with samples, specimens, records and treatment.
Publications are:
Identification of neonates
- Identification of neonates: (Download PDF)
Flowcharts showing the steps to take to help ensure correct and safe identification of babies and mothers at antenatal and post-natal stages.
Right patient – right care (December 2004)
- Right patient – right care (December 2004): (Download PDF)
- Order hard copy now
This summarises research on manual checking and the use of technologies for patient identification.
Correct site surgery (March 2005)
Patient Safety Alert on ways to minimise the risk of surgery on the wrong part of the body.
Wristbands for hospital inpatients improves patient safety (November 2005)
Safer Practice Notice on ensuring acute hospital inpatients wear wristbands.
Right patient – right blood (November 2006)
Safer Practice Notice recommending both high and low-tech solutions to making blood sampling and transfusions safer.
Standardising wristbands improves patient safety (July 2007)
Safer Practice Notice recommending standardisation of wristband design, patient identifiers, colour coding, printing and processes for producing, applying and checking wristbands.
