NHS Devon s staff are supporting national Patient Safety First Week to ensure hospitals, health centres and services make quality care the top priority.

NHS Devon's staff are supporting national Patient Safety First Week to ensure hospitals, health centres and services make quality care the top priority.

The trust will use the week to reinforce its commitment to patient safety, ensure all staff have the campaign's aims at the heart of all they do and impress on Board members to lead by example. The week's goal is "to make the safety of patients the highest priority", with the aim of "no avoidable death and no avoidable harm".

For example, Patient Safety First week means staff working with colleagues to take time to look at work practices. By doing this they can make a real difference to the safety of patients in our care.

Jenny Winslade, assistant director of patient safety and quality, said: "The Patient Safety First campaign is the driving force behind the NHS putting patient safety the highest priority at every level. NHS Devon has committed to the Patient Safety First campaign and will work in line with the expectations of the campaign in developing a culture at all levels, especially at Board level.

"This will promote quality and patient safety within the services we commission and support health care providers where continuous improvement in harm reduction becomes routine throughout."

As a commissioning organisation it is essential the NHS Devon Board is 'on board' with this campaign by actively demonstrating leadership through a commitment to all staff that patient safety and quality care is given the highest priority. That commitment will be based on seven components which will:

* Bring clarity to quality

* Measure quality

* Publish quality performance

* Recognise and reward quality

* Raise standards

* Safeguard quality and

* Ensure we stay ahead

NHS Devon will support all provider organisations in keeping their systems safe. This is essential as technologies and treatments become more complex. The Trust recognises that any improvements in safety and quality must be actively led from the highest level and delivered by teams of health professionals working together within a whole system approach.

Patient Safety First week will involve a wide range of activity to raise awareness and celebrate the successes of more than 280 NHS Trusts in England who are now actively engaged in work to create measurable reductions in avoidable harm and death for patients. They commit to monitoring their impact and sharing data during the two-year campaign period.

To find out more about this special week and local events, go to the dedicated website at www.patientsafetyfirst.nhs.uk.