title: Implementing the Safety Thermometer tool in one NHS trust.
abstract: To address measurement of patient safety, the NHS in England has introduced the NHS Safety Thermometer using the Commissioning for Quality and Innovation (CQUIN) scheme. The scheme offers a financial reward to all providers of NHS care measuring four common harms using the NHS Safety Thermometer on one day each month, with further incentives to achieve improvement goals in subsequent years of the scheme. This article discusses the background to the scheme and a rationale for the focus on pressure ulcers, falls in care, catheter use and urinary tract infection, and venous thromboembolism. The implementation process for this scheme in a large NHS foundation trust is detailed together with its effect within the authors' organisation on harm-free care for their patients.
authors.affiliation: Safety Thermometer Lead.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Buckley
authors.affiliation: Deputy Chief Nurse.
authors.forename: Katrina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cooney
authors.affiliation: Chief Nurse and Director of Patient Experience, Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust, London.
authors.forename: Eileen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sills
authors.affiliation: Previously Deputy Chief Nurse, Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust and is now Deputy Chief Nurse, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London.
authors.forename: Eamonn
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sullivan
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D015279:Organizational Culture; D061214:Patient Safety; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D013222:State Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006113:United Kingdom