A positive safety culture is defined in the NHS Patient Safety Strategy as one where the environment is collaboratively crafted, created, and nurtured so that everybody (individual staff, teams, patients, service users, families, and carers) can flourish to ensure brilliant, safe care. This is achieved through continuous learning and improvement of safety risks; supportive, psychologically safe teamwork; enabling and empowering speaking up by all.
Cultural change must be considered an institutional endeavour and therefore must include everyone from the board to frontline and support service staff. This category recognises organisations where cultural change has driven clear acceptance and belief that patient safety is the responsibility of all staff. Judges are looking for organisations implementing a supportive culture where errors can be voiced, and staff feel free to speak up and raise concerns without fear.
Eligibility
Entries are open to all NHS, independent healthcare providers and public sector organisations where cultural change has had a significant effect on safety.