title: The effect of organisational culture on patient safety.
abstract: This article explores the links between organisational culture and patient safety. The key elements associated with a safety culture, most notably effective leadership, good teamwork, a culture of learning and fairness, and fostering patient-centred care, are discussed. The broader aspects of a systems approach to promoting quality and safety, with specific reference to clinical governance, human factors, and ergonomics principles and methods, are also briefly explored, particularly in light of the report of the public inquiry into care failings at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University of York, York, UK. gerri.kaufman@york.ac.uk
authors.forename: Gerri
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kaufman
authors.forename: Dorothy
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: McCaughan
mesh_terms: D006779:Hospitals, Public / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007857:Leadership; D015279:Organizational Culture; D061214:Patient Safety / Q000592:standards*; D018802:Patient-Centered Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D017751:Safety Management / Q000379:methods*; D013222:State Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006113:United Kingdom