title: National Patient Safety Agency: improving patient safety across all critical care areas.
abstract: The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) reviews patient safety incidents throughout the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom and aims to initiate preventative measures. Recent alerts include injectable medication, oral syringes for enternal administration, preventing hyponatraemia in children and anticoagulation. This article gives an insight into the rationale and steps currently being undertaken to respond to these recommendations.
authors.affiliation: Women and Children's Services, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK. simon.keady@uclh.nhs.uk
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Keady
authors.forename: Meera
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thacker
mesh_terms: D016907:Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting Systems; D003422:Critical Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D004750:Enteral Nutrition / Q000009:adverse effects; D005440:Fluid Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D007010:Hyponatremia / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D007267:Injections / Q000009:adverse effects; D019300:Medical Errors / Q000379:methods / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015279:Organizational Culture; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017751:Safety Management / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013222:State Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration; D013597:Systems Analysis; D017749:Total Quality Management / Q000458:organization & administration; D006113:United Kingdom