Cancer blog

Patient Safety Awareness Week 10-16 March 2024

As Patient Safety Awareness week approaches, Canopy Cancer Care is proud to highlight our ongoing commitment to patient safety and quality initiatives.

We prioritise patient safety through our robust quality improvement culture.  Our staff are encouraged to identify areas for improvement, implement changes, and monitor the impact of those changes on patient outcomes.

While it is important to ensure the physical and emotional well-being of patients throughout their healthcare experience, preventing medical errors, infections, falls, and other adverse events, are only a snapshot of the different ways we recognise and affect patient safety including:

1. Infection control: Implementing measures to prevent the spread of healthcare-associated infections, including hand hygiene, personal protective equipment, and proper sterilisation and disinfection techniques.
2. Medication safety: Ensuring the safe and effective use of medications, including proper prescribing, dispensing, administration, and monitoring of medications to prevent adverse drug events.
3. Quality and performance improvement: Monitoring our systems and processes via the DAA Accreditation process, and improving the quality of healthcare services through the use of data, evidence-based practices, and continuous quality improvement initiatives.
4. Emergency preparedness: Planning and training for emergencies and disasters to ensure the safety of patients, staff, and visitors in the event of an emergency.
5. Information security: Protecting confidential patient information and electronic health records from unauthorised access or breaches.
6. Environmental safety: Creating a safe and secure environment for patients, staff, and visitors, including maintaining physical safety, proper lighting, and emergency response systems.

We are proud to have a multidisciplinary team of experts, including doctors, nurses and pharmacists, who collaborate closely to develop individualised treatment plans for each patient. This team-based approach ensures that every aspect of a patient’s care is carefully considered, and that potential safety concerns are identified and addressed promptly.

During Patient Safety Awareness week, we encourage our staff, patients and whanau to be extra vigilant about patient safety and to speak up if they have any concerns. By working together we can continue to improve the quality of care we provide and create a safe environment for all of our patients.

At Canopy Cancer Care, patient safety is not just a priority – it is a core value that guides everything we do. We are committed to providing the highest standard of care, and we will continue to invest in quality initiatives to ensure the safety and well-being of our patients. Thank you for trusting us with your care, and know that your safety is our top priority.