title: Apprenticeships enhance patient safety and care.
abstract: Poor standards of numeracy and literacy pose a danger to patient safety. Recruiting staff through the modern apprenticeship programme can address this. Staff are tested for numeracy and literacy when they enter and complete the programme, and problems they may experience during their apprenticeship can be immediately addressed. Training days and regular feedback from senior nurses to ward staff about audits of clinical care can also contribute to building a culture of safety at a trust.
authors.affiliation: North Tees and Hartlepool Foundation Trust.
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D006801:Humans; D019300:Medical Errors / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012449:Safety; D013192:Staff Development; D006113:United Kingdom