1. Safety Climate Surveys – Experience from SPI 2
March 18th 2008
Safety Climate Surveys – Experience from SPI 2
Presenter: Mike Spencer M.Pharm
Leadership and Safety Climate

2. Safety Climate Survey Why is it important? How did we do it?
What did we learn?
How are we using it?
Leadership and Safety Climate

3. Why is it important? Provides a baseline measurement
Allows early engagement with the organisation
Demonstrates senior sign up and engagement
Leadership and Safety Climate

4. How did we do it? Aimed to cover all clinical staff at UHW
medical, nursing and unqualified staff
Allied Health Professionals and pharmacists
Phlebotomists and other clinical support staff
Leadership and Safety Climate

5. How did we do it? Direct mail to consultants
Direct mail to junior medical staff
Ward staff through directorates and ward managers
Allied Health Professions and others through directorates
Leadership and Safety Climate

6. How did we do it? All forms numbered and destination known
e.g. consultants by Service Group
Ward staff by ward
Other staff by directorate
All forms returned to central point by post
Confidentiality assured
Leadership and Safety Climate

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10. Practical Lessons Lots of paper! Good record keeping needed
Response rate influenced by
Post versus face to face
During meetings>hand delivery>post
Leadership at ward/directorate level
Enthusiasm and engagement
Leadership and Safety Climate

11. Safety Climate Survey Results
4177 Sent out
1523 returned (36.5%)
Reasonable spread with some exceptions
19 questions, 7 used as the basis for a “safety climate” measure
Can identify wards with highest (most positive) scores
Can identify staff groups/wards with lowest scores
Leadership and Safety Climate

12. Q1 The culture of this organisation makes it easy to learn from
the mistakes of others
Q2 Medical Errors are handled appropriately here
Q3 The leaders in my hospital listen to me and my concerns
Q8 I am encouraged by my colleagues to report any
safety concerns I may have
Q9 I know the proper channels to which I should direct
questions regarding patient safety
Q10 I receive appropriate feedback about my performance
Q11 I would feel safe being treated as a patient in this hospital
Leadership and Safety Climate

13. Staff Groups (n=1523)
Leadership and Safety Climate

14. Safety Climate Scores
Leadership and Safety Climate

15. Staff Experience in Position
Leadership and Safety Climate

16. Experience in Position – Mean Scores
Leadership and Safety Climate

17. Frontline Areas
Leadership and Safety Climate

18. Frontline Ward versus Similar Wards
Leadership and Safety Climate

19. Staff Group A
Leadership and Safety Climate

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21. How have we used the results?
Presented to frontline teams
Presented to Executives and Management Board
Shared with couplet
To be presented to Clinical Governance meetings
To be included in newsletter
Leadership and Safety Climate

22. Conclusions We have a baseline
Repeat survey at the end of September 2008
Areas for focus
Leaders listening to concerns
Giving appropriate feedback
Culture and ease of learning from mistakes
Occurrence of safety briefings
Key measures:
Culture re learning (Q1) 3.32 to 4
Occurrence of safety briefings (Q13) 3.23 to 4
Organisation doing more than 1 year ago (Q15) 3.44 to 4
I would feel safe as a patient (Q to 4
Leadership and Safety Climate