A leading expert in the field of clinical quality improvement from the University of Dundee has advised that the NHS in Scotland must adopt a radically different approach if it wishes to learn from medical mistakes and improve the standards of care provided in Scottish hospitals.
Professor Peter Davey, Lead for Clinical Quality Improvement at the University, referred to a pilot study in Tayside that offers potential for trainee doctors and medical students to report errors positively to drive change in the NHS and to improve the quality of patient care nationally.
Professor Davey said: "What we are talking about here is a radically different method of improving the quality of patient care. Traditionally, clinical advice has been cascaded from senior consultants down to trainee doctors and medical students and the culture within the profession and the NHS has not encouraged the open reporting of mistakes. This model turns this on its head and is about the tremendous positive potential for trainee-led, or bottom up, quality improvement.
"Currently it is estimated that about 85-90% of medical mistakes are unreported. As a result of our work in Tayside we achieved a 17-fold increase in the open reporting of adverse incidents by Foundation doctors over a six year period. This has presented a significantly increased opportunity for us to learn from these mistakes and to reduce the likelihood of them recurring."
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