Safe by design: A Closer Look at the Clinical Safety Standard in Primary and Community Healthcare

The Primary and Community Healthcare Standards focus on people and describe the processes and structures required to provide safe and high-quality healthcare for primary and community healthcare services. There are three Primary and Community Healthcare Standards which are:

• Clinical Governance;
• Partnering with Consumers; and
• Clinical Safety.

The Clinical Governance Partnering with Consumers Standards form part of the overarching requirements for Clinical Safety.

This article focuses on the Clinical Safety Standard, which deals with handling common high-risk areas.

What is clinical safety in healthcare?

The Clinical Safety Standard is a fundamental component of ensuring high-quality care and minimising risks in primary and community healthcare settings. This standard addresses various safety and quality concerns commonly encountered in these environments, with a focus on preventing adverse events and promoting patient well-being. As part of the broader Primary and Community Healthcare Standards, these guidelines are applicable across various healthcare contexts.

It’s important to recognise that some actions in the standards might not apply universally to all service situations. In the pursuit of clinical safety, the implementation of the Clinical Governance and Partnering with Consumers standards is crucial. This approach enables healthcare services to create personalised systems and processes tailored to their unique needs and situations.

 

The Clinical Safety Standard criteria

The Clinical Safety Standard is made up of six criteria which contain specific items that are used to assess an organisation during the accreditation process and include:

• Clinical governance and quality improvement to support clinical safety
• Preventing and controlling infections
• Medication safety
• Comprehensive care
• Communicating for safety, and
• Recognising and responding to serious deterioration and minimising harm.

 

Clinical governance and quality improvement to support clinical safety

Actions 3.01 – 3.03

The integration of clinical governance and quality improvement systems is important in identifying and reducing clinical safety risks. This leads to consumers feeling confident and secure in their healthcare, knowing that healthcare providers recognise and effectively manage risks.

 

Preventing and controlling infections

Actions 3.04 – 3.14

Ensuring a clean and hygienic healthcare environment is essential to prevent and control infections, minimising the associated risks for patients. To prevent infection transmission and following standard precautions, this involves fundamental practices such as:

• Respiratory hygiene
• Cough etiquette; and
• Physical distancing measures.

Adhering to these precautions assumes the potential presence of infection and systematically curtails its spread through established control measures.

The implementation of evidence-based processes, swift identification of patients susceptible to infections, and the timely application of management and treatment protocols is essential. The consumer outcome is the evaluation and reduction of infection-related risks, promoting a safe healthcare setting.

 

Medication safety

Actions 3.15 – 3.18

Medication safety means putting systems in place to help people use medicines safely, correctly, and effectively. This reduces risks linked to medicine-related issues and enhances the safety and quality of medicine use. This standard specifically applies when medications are in use, otherwise it does not apply. The result for consumers is assessing and reducing risks from medicine-related events, along with help in understanding and making informed choices about medicines.

 

Comprehensive care

Actions 3.19 – 3.24

The Comprehensive Care Standard integrates patient care processes to identify patient needs and prevent harm. It includes actions related to falls, pressure injuries, nutrition, mental health, cognitive impairment and end-of-life care.

Comprehensive care involves:

• Conducting thorough screening and assessment
• Utilising the information-sharing systems established in the Partnering for Consumers Standard
• Focusing on the planning and delivery of appropriate care, and
• Addressing identified risks during screening.

The outcome for consumers shows that their healthcare is safe, high-quality, and personalised to their needs and preferences, highlighting the importance of tailored care.

 

Communicating for safety

Actions 3.25 – 3.30

Clear communication and documentation are crucial for safe and coordinated healthcare. Consumers benefit from healthcare providers communicating purposefully and promptly with each other and the patient, ensuring ongoing and safe well-coordinated care. This commitment guarantees that patients receive necessary treatment, highlighting the importance of clear communication for better outcomes.

 

Recognising and responding to serious deterioration and minimising harm

Actions 3.31 – 3.32

Healthcare services have systems in place to detect and address serious declines in patients’ health, ensuring they receive timely and appropriate care. Even though deterioration may be slower in primary and community settings than in an ICU, it’s still recognisable, enabling proactive steps to prevent harm. Consumers can trust that if their health worsens, they’ll get the right care promptly.

 

Support and Resources

Embracing the Clinical Safety Standard not only ensures the delivery of safe and high-quality care in primary and community healthcare, but also reinforces consumer confidence, champions individualised care, and fortifies healthcare systems against evolving challenges – making it an essential cornerstone for the future of healthcare excellence in Australia.

Undertaking accreditation for the first time can seem challenging, but comprehensive support is available. To find out more information on accreditation to the Primary and Community Healthcare Standards, view our standards page or contact our team.