A major reform of the way that NHS hospitals pay for legal liability insurance has led to improvements in patient safety, according to research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. Offering discounts on insurance premiums to hospitals that meet certain targets has led to decreases in MRSA infection rates.
A team of academics from Nottingham, Oxford and Surrey universities looked at how the NHS Litigation Authority (NHSLA), which was set up in 1995, had changed the way that hospitals paid into the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts (CNST), which funds the cost of clinical negligence claims, and whether these changes had improved patient safety.
Since 2002 the NHSLA has funded the scheme through "pay-as-you-go" contributions from hospitals based on a biannual assessment of hospitals' risk management standards based on three levels.
Hospitals that pass their assessment receive a discount on their contribution to the CNST for the next two years, rising from 10 percent for Level 1, to 20 percent for Level 2 and 30 percent for Level 3. Given that the average CNST contribution by a hospital trust is £1.7m, compliance with the highest standards can deliver significant financial savings.
The researchers looked at the relationship between hospitals' risk management standards and levels of MRSA infection. They found that compliance with high-level risk management standards led to lower rates of MRSA infections.
Professor Paul Fenn, of Nottingham University Business School, who led the research, said the story of the last decade had been one of a gradual shift away from the reliance by the NHSLA on risk-sharing toward a "constructive use" of financial incentives to implement good risk management practice. "The results reported in this paper are indeed consistent with the implementation of improved risk management procedures having a positive effect on patient safety in terms of a reduction in the number of infections," he says. "They show that negligence liability can be a powerful force for improvements in patient safety, even when they are filtered through liability insurance arrangements."
Fenn says the findings will be directly relevant to evaluating the implementation and operation of the NHS Redress Scheme that aims to provide a speedier way to resolve negligence claims below £20,000 but whose details have still to be published. "Once these are known and the nature of its funding is clarified, the issues explored in this study should be of direct relevance to monitoring and evaluating its operation," he says.
The findings have been presented to policymakers at HM Treasury, the Department of Health, the NHLSA, the Healthcare Commission and the National Patient Safety Agency.
Dear Helpdesk: Working in a Toxic Health Care Environment
March 28th 2024Dear Helpdesk is your steadfast companion, offering life coaching and workplace advice from 2 seasoned IPs for some of your most challenging real-life situations. Let us help you navigate the intersection between work and life, guiding you to navigate the dynamic world of infection prevention with confidence and grace. This article is on handling a toxic health care environment.
Product Locator: Spring and Early Mother's Day Gift Guide for Infection Prevention Personnel
March 27th 2024Whether it's a spring holiday, birthdays, or no reason at all, infection prevention personnel love to give and receive gifts that help at the end of a stressful day. Infection Control Today® offers some gift ideas for infection prevention personnel and their families.
Catching Up With Vangie Dennis, AORN 2022-2023 President at AORN 2024
March 26th 2024Infection Control Today (ICT) had the privilege of catching up with Vangie Dennis, MSN, RN, CNOR, CMLSO, at the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses' (AORN’s) International Surgical Conference & Expo 2024. As the former president of AORN and an esteemed figure in perioperative services, Vangie Dennis shared insights into her recent endeavors and the exciting new chapter she's embarked upon.
How To Optimize Your Time Management Strategies for the Busy Infection Preventionist
March 25th 2024Is your calendar resembling a chaotic masterpiece of overlapping tasks? Join the club of infection preventionists striving to balance responsibilities. Dive into proven strategies from a fellow infection preventionist to reclaim control of your time, streamline tasks, and boost productivity effectively. This is an IP Lifeline article.
Dear Helpdesk: Working in a Toxic Health Care Environment
March 28th 2024Dear Helpdesk is your steadfast companion, offering life coaching and workplace advice from 2 seasoned IPs for some of your most challenging real-life situations. Let us help you navigate the intersection between work and life, guiding you to navigate the dynamic world of infection prevention with confidence and grace. This article is on handling a toxic health care environment.
Product Locator: Spring and Early Mother's Day Gift Guide for Infection Prevention Personnel
March 27th 2024Whether it's a spring holiday, birthdays, or no reason at all, infection prevention personnel love to give and receive gifts that help at the end of a stressful day. Infection Control Today® offers some gift ideas for infection prevention personnel and their families.
Catching Up With Vangie Dennis, AORN 2022-2023 President at AORN 2024
March 26th 2024Infection Control Today (ICT) had the privilege of catching up with Vangie Dennis, MSN, RN, CNOR, CMLSO, at the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses' (AORN’s) International Surgical Conference & Expo 2024. As the former president of AORN and an esteemed figure in perioperative services, Vangie Dennis shared insights into her recent endeavors and the exciting new chapter she's embarked upon.
How To Optimize Your Time Management Strategies for the Busy Infection Preventionist
March 25th 2024Is your calendar resembling a chaotic masterpiece of overlapping tasks? Join the club of infection preventionists striving to balance responsibilities. Dive into proven strategies from a fellow infection preventionist to reclaim control of your time, streamline tasks, and boost productivity effectively. This is an IP Lifeline article.
2 Commerce Drive
Cranbury, NJ 08512