Experiences of serious incidents in healthcare: An interview study.

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Experiences of serious incidents in healthcare: An interview study with patients, families, healthcare staff and investigators.

• IRAS ID

  279096

• Contact name

  Jane K O'Hara

• Contact email

  jane.o'hara@bthft.nhs.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

• Duration of Study in the UK

  1 years, 0 months, 1 days

• Research summary

  Reported serious incidents (severe harm or death) are estimated to be 10,000 annually, with enormous, ever increasing costs associated with litigation. There is a need to improve the process of learning from serious incidents to reduce incidence, and the financial burden of litigation. The reasons why claims are pursued are complex and, as yet, unclear. NHS Resolution posit that involving patients and families earlier in investigations will reduce costs of administering claims, as well as divert claims pursued for explanation. Other policy and regulatory organisations have proposed greater involvement of patients and families in serious incident investigations, to support better learning. However, there is currently no UK-based evidence to guide organisations to involve patients and families meaningfully in serious incident investigations, to support learning, or reduce the likelihood of litigation.

  In this interview study we will interview patients, families, investigators and healthcare staff (n=60) to explore individual experiences of whether and how patients and their families are involved in the investigation of serious incidents, and whether this has any impact on subsequent decisions to litigate. Data from this study will be used guide the co-design of guidance to support patient and family involvement in serious incident investigations, which is the next major stage of this project.

• REC name

  East of England - Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  20/EE/0133

• Date of REC Opinion

  14 Jul 2020

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion