title: Clinical incident reporting: wrong time, wrong place.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this paper is to generate a debate regarding the value of incident reporting in the UK.
  
  
  METHODS
  This paper critiques the dominant approach to patients in the UK.
  
  
  RESULTS
  It is suggested that the reliability of health care processes would need to substantially improve before an incident reporting system can have a meaningful impact on patient safety.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Greater benefits in patient safety will be accrued by focusing resources on designing reliable processes rather than the extension of incident reporting.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This paper offers a local perspective on a potentially flawed national strategy.
authors.affiliation: Brighton & Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust, Brighton, UK. mark.renshaw@bsuh.nhs.uk
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Renshaw
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vaughan
authors.forename: Mel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ottewill
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ireland
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carmody
mesh_terms: D004282:Documentation; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D019300:Medical Errors; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000379:methods; D017751:Safety Management / Q000379:methods; D013222:State Medicine; D006113:United Kingdom