Incident reporting policy - Homerton University Hospital

contractor, or visitor during the course of their work and/or whilst on Trust premises and/or receivingservices from the Trust (See Appendix 7 for overview of SUI process).The responsibility for reporting serious untoward incidents in line with this policy applies to all Trust staff.Related and supporting Trust Policies include:Risk Management Policy and StrategyRaising Concerns at Work (Whistle-blowing) Policy and ProcedureMedia PolicyProcedure for the Establishment and Running of a Patient Information HotlineBeing open policyAlso See Guide for Reporting Incidents ElectronicallyThe Trust promotes an open and fair culture across all of its services in order for staff to feel able to reportincidents. The emphasis of the Trust is on learning lessons from system failures and reducing the risk ofrecurrence of a similar incident.This procedure is in line with the National Patient Safety Agency guidance on root cause analysis 2008and is in line with the expectations of the Primary Care Trust and the Strategic Health authority.22.3 Definition of a serious untoward incident (SUI)For the purpose of declaring an SUI the definition of a serious untoward incident is:“An accident or incident when a person to whom the organisation owes a duty of care 4 suffers (orprobably has suffered) a serious injury, major permanent harm or unexpected death 5 in hospital, otherhealth service premises or other premises where NHS care is provided”and/ orAn accident or incident that is in itself sufficiently serious and could in normal circumstances lead to death,serious injury or major permanent harm even if in the case considered it did not.and/orAccidents or incidents (or series of them that accumulate or build up to form a more serious problem),which are likely to cause significant concern to staff, the public or may produce significant legal or mediainterest.22.4 Types of incidents that may be declaredSerious (or potentially serious) injury or unexpected death involving patients, a member of staff, visitor,contractor or another person to whom the organisation owes a duty of care; As a guide this will include:• Where it is suspected that a person has died, been seriously injured or put at serious risk as a result of;o faulty procedures or instructionso lack of proper procedures or a failure to follow proper procedures or instructionso faulty equipmento drugs or unsafe environmento self harm, attempted or actual suicide whilst in the Trust care4 patient, member of staff (including those working in the community), or member of the public.5 an event which has resulted in an unanticipated death or harm not related to the natural cause of the patient illness/underlyingcondition/pregnancy/childbirth. To be declared as SUI an incident, as well as the actual harm, must have occurred. A causal link betweenincident and outcome does not need to be demonstrated (e.g. by post-mortem) but must be plausible or suspected.Page 19 of 47