Patient safety partner opportunities

• Bring the voice and needs of patients, families, carers and the public, in a way that provides appropriate challenge and fosters learning and change.
• Support Guy's and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust to embed the National Patient Safety Strategy. Ensure patients’ viewpoints are thought about and provide valuable insights on the risks to patients.
• Ensure the patient, carer and family perspective are at the centre of discussions and system changes.
• Champions a diversity of views.
• Participate as required in specific focused reviews identified through the Learning for Improvement Group or by a clinical group that aim to understand challenges and opportunities for improvement with the patient voice at the centre.
• Participate as required in quality reviews or visits.
• Interact with other PSPs and staff in a large multi-professional meeting format.
• Attend committees, meetings, and groups to help with improving how patient safety issues are addressed, e.g. review of patient safety incidents, formulation of safety improvement plans.
• Review information and reports, and where needed be a critical friend to the organisation by asking questions and making suggestions as to how we can improve our care so there is learning and improvement.
• Put forward ideas of how PSPs can support the further improvement of patient safety across the organisation.

• Attend an induction and training on the National Patient Safety Syllabus.
• Attend meetings as required, receive and read meeting papers prior to attending.
• Attend and participate in regular one to one support sessions.
• Take part in an annual shared learning session.
• Provide feedback on your role.
• To engage with this role fully and commit to being available for training and meetings.
• To follow Trust policies and procedures as covered in your training.
• To maintain the confidentiality of the organisation and patients in accordance with your knowledge of data protection and the Trust’s data protection policy.
• Tell us if something concerns you or if you need further support and information to carry out your role.
• A minimum term of 18 months in the role of Patient Safety Partner at which time you may be asked to re-apply to continue in this role.
• Uphold confidentiality to all Trust business and adhere to the non-disclosure agreement.
• Be over 18 years of age.
• Have a DBS check.
• Commit to several meetings every month plus time to prepare and de-brief, totalling approximately 10 hours per month. This commitment is for a minimum term of 18 months.
• Participate in the training relevant to your role and confidential discussion of any reasonable adjustments required to meet your needs.
• Live our values through your role.

Infection control

• Adhere to the principles of hand hygiene when entering and leaving clinical areas..
• Ensure that visitors and staff adhere to the principles of hand hygiene and direct them to hand washing facilities where necessary.

Equality and diversity

• Have an understanding of individual patients’ needs; consideration for cultural and religious requirements.
• Act in accordance with trust’s policy and procedures.

Health and safety

• Report any environmental factors that may contravene health and safety requirements.
• Attend induction and regular mandatory training.

We are looking for 4 individuals to represent the needs and interests of patients, and ultimately improve the quality of patient care. You will need to have an awareness of the range of experiences and perspectives that different people within our communities might have. For example, people that find it difficult to access health services because of socio-economic issues, existing health conditions, or accessibility needs.

The NHS Patient Safety Strategy (2019) recognises the importance of involving patients, their families, carers, and others in improving the safety of NHS care, as well as the role that patients and carers can have as partners in their own safety.

NHS England have created a framework for involving patients in patient safety. Part B of the framework ‘PSP involvement in organisational safety’ relates to the Patient Safety Partner role which could include the below activities:

• working with organisation boards to consider how to improve safety
• membership of safety and quality committees whose responsibilities include the review and analysis of safety data
• involvement in staff patient safety training
• participation in investigation oversight groups

• Ability to provide a patient, carer, or lay perspective and to put forward views on behalf of the wider community/groups of patients.
• Sound judgement and the ability to be objective.
• Empathy skills – the ability to see things from both organisational and patient perspectives.
• Excellent listening and observational ability.
• Ability to be curious and find solutions.

Induction and training

A full induction and training for your role will be provided including:

• confidentiality and data protection
• safeguarding
• equality and diversity
• information governance
• effective participation in governance meetings
• values and behaviours framework
• a named person who will meet you regularly one to one to discuss your experience and manage any concerns

Expenses

• Expenses for reasonable out of pocket expenses will be offered in accordance with our guidance for rewarding and recognising participation reimbursement policy. All expenses have a maximum cap for each item.
• Expenses cover a range of areas such as:
  • travel within London (Zone 1-9)
  • congestion charge
  • parking
  • childcare
  • carers

Remuneration

• An optional involvement payment to reward you for your time will be offered for specific meetings and committees which will be clearly highlighted within the PSP induction pack. The reward will match the London Living Wage in accordance with our guidance for rewarding and recognising participation reimbursement policy.
• Participants in receipt of universal credit and/or personal independence payments must be aware of and have the responsibility for ensuring their benefit conditions are not breached.

• Join a group of people committed to improving patient care.
• Learn new skills and develop existing skills via training.
• Be making an important contribution to your local community throughout your journey at the hospital and within the community.
• Increase your personal development and confidence.
• Attend annual refresher training.
• Be entitled to the NHS Discount scheme.

• You are required to sign a confidentiality agreement and make a commitment to maintain confidentiality and professional working boundaries in relation to information you may acquire whilst volunteering, particularly about individual patients.
• You are personally responsible for what you communicate on social media. You should not communicate anything that might be misconstrued in a way that could damage the reputation of the Trust. Any posts that relate to staff or other volunteers should not be posted without their written permission.
• The Trust will store personal data on volunteers only for the purposes related to their volunteering and will be kept securely in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation. Once a volunteer has ended their volunteer involvement their paper records will be kept for five years and then destroyed under secure conditions.