title: Developing patient safety in dentistry.
abstract: Patient safety has always been important and is a source of public concern. Recent high profile scandals and subsequent reports, such as the Francis report into the failings at Mid Staffordshire, have raised those concerns even higher. Mortality and significant morbidity associated with the practice of medicine has led to many strategies to help improve patient safety, however, with its lack of associated mortality and lower associated morbidity, dentistry has been slower at systematically considering how patient safety can be improved. Recently, several organisations, researchers and clinicians have discussed the need for a patient safety culture in dentistry. Strategies are available to help improve patient safety in healthcare and deserve further consideration in dentistry.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Head of Division, University Dental Hospital of Manchester, Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Higher Cambridge Street, Manchester, M15 6FH.
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Pemberton
mesh_terms: D003813:Dentistry; D006801:Humans; D061214:Patient Safety; D013222:State Medicine; D006113:United Kingdom