Patient Safety Act set to commence after World Patient Safety Day
Today, Tuesday September 17, marks World Patient Safety Day. This day is observed to raise global awareness about the importance of improving the safety of patients worldwide.
It specifically calls for ‘global solidarity and concerted action by all countries and international partners to improve patient safety’, according to WHO.
Earlier today, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly marked World Patient Safety Day 2024 by announcing that the Patient Safety Act will be commencing in the coming days.
Speaking about the important legislation, Minister Donnelly, explained, “I am delighted to be commencing this landmark piece of patient safety legislation in recognition of World Patient Safety Day”.
“The Patient Safety (Notifiable Incidents and Open Disclosure) Act 2023 provides a legislative framework for several important patient safety issues, including the mandatory open disclosure of a list of specified serious patient safety incidents that must be disclosed to the patient and/or their family”.
Donnelly added, “The Act also provides for the mandatory external notification of those same events to the appropriate regulatory body. This is another great stride forward in patient safety and putting the patients’ needs at the heart of the health service”.
The Patient Safety (Notifiable Incidents and Open Disclosure) Act 2023 was signed into law by the President last year, and a number of actions to set the Act in motion have now been completed.
These steps included the addition of a new module to the National Incident Management System to record notifications made under the Act, and the development of a new comprehensive training programme for all HSE staff.
