Patient Safety Conference 25/6 October 2013 Armidale NSW Australia

Big Hits & Near Misses: Developing Patient Safety & Culture

A shout out for my rural health & law friend and colleague – Donella Piper. Donella is a terrific advocate for quality and safety in health settings – a topic that I think is extremely important for rural communities.

The School of Health at University of New England, Armidale, NSW Australia, is hosting a symposium to address patient safety. Symposium Convener Dr Donella Piper has drawn together some leaders in quality and safety for health care in Australia. Quality and safety issues are critical issues for rural and regional health practitioners to consider carefully. Rural and regional health care consumers in Australia should expect to encounter high levels of quality and safety when they, or people they love, need to access health care in their local rural communities.

Quality and safety in regard to rural mental health care is a particularly important aspect in my view…. rural people tend to be grateful for lower levels of health care provision, and have lower expectations of service provision than their urban counterparts….  a trend that should see some change! People (regardless of locations) should anticipate quality and safety as a minimum standard of care…. and health care organisations and practitioners of all descriptions should strive to improve and develop the standards of care. Our rural people and practitioners should anticipate best practice, evidence-based health care all the time – a continuous changing dynamic.

I think it is exciting that we rural health practitioners have the opportunity to attend and discuss these issues in a rural and regional location and to advocate for the continuing development of patient safety in our own rural settings. Check this link – and try to attend, or send it on to someone who should!!!