The value of incident reporting to improve patient safety

As trusted healthcare professionals, all registrants have a responsibility to ensure patients in their care are treated safely. 

Chiropractors must use their professional judgement to recognise and work within the limits of their own knowledge, skills and competence in order to safeguard patients. This is outlined in the GCC Code. But it also important that registrants put arrangements in place to identify potential risks within their practice that could impact on patient outcomes.

The GCC registrant survey provides insights into the steps some practices take to deliver safe patient care. According to the findings, over a half of registrants (58%) working in clinical practice report that their workplace has a patient safety incident reporting system in place. Almost a quarter (23%) stated that their practice does not have a reporting system. A further 12% of respondents did not know and 7% preferred not to say.

Systems range from a profession-based system such as the Chiropractic Patient Incident Reporting and Learning System (CPiRLS) through the Royal College of Chiropractors, to clinical systems, accident and incident books, and patient complaint procedures. The value of the GCC’s fitness to practise reports is also highlighted.

When asked about how this information is used, many registrants work with colleagues to review and talk through incidents that may impact on patient safety to identify key learnings that can be implemented in the practice.  

Read more about the importance of patient safety incident reporting in our latest blog by Elisabeth Angier