The new system builds on the alerting systems used previously by the former National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA), whose responsibilities have now been transferred to NHS England.
A three stage alerting approach will be employed and the following process is likely to be followed when a potential risk to patient safety is identified:
Stage One Alert: Warning
This stage ‘warns’ organisations of emerging risk. It can be issued very quickly once a new risk has been identified to allow rapid dissemination of information. Providers may also be asked to share examples of any existing or newly implemented procedures and resources that have proved to be successful at a local level in preventing the risk.
Stage Two Alert: Resource
This will follow if a stage one alert requires further action and will contain more in-depth information and advice. Stage Two alerts will include examples of good practice to mitigate the risk that have been shared by providers following a Stage One alert; as well as access to resources to help introduce new measures to reduce risks; and access to relevant training programmes.
Stage Three Alert: Directive
When this stage of alert is issued, organisations will be required to confirm they have implemented specific solutions or actions to mitigate the risk. A checklist will be issued of required actions to be signed-off in a set timeframe. These actions will be tailored to the patient safety issue.
Other points to note:
• The new system will ensure no identified risk or potential risk to patient safety gets held up in a long process of consultation and discussion before being highlighted to those at the frontline in healthcare who will need to take action.
• The new system will also make NHS providers more accountable for implementing and complying with the required actions of each alert issued.
• As with previous patient safety alerting systems, NPSAS alerts will be issued via the Central Alerting System (CAS), allowing NHS England to quickly cascade alerts to every single healthcare setting either directly, or in the case of primary care, via the NHS England Area Teams.