Clinical Excellence Commission

Two members of our Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) team recently conducted specialised training at the Griffith, and Wagga Wagga Base Hospitals within Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD).   Kathy Dempsey and Steph Wilcox conducted High Consequence Infectious Disease personal protective equipment (PPE) training incorporating pandemic preparedness where participants practiced donning and doffing of HCID PPE. This training supports local health districts towards implementation and compliance to policy directive Early Response to High Consequence Infectious Disease (PD2024_005).   The training complements the release of two instructional videos by the CEC, developed by a panel of experts in consultation with relevant stakeholders after reviewing national and international guidelines.     Visit our website to view these videos and discover more resources https://lnkd.in/dvMdxgeB All NSW Health health workers required to wear HCID PPE must undergo training in donning and doffing and be deemed competent by a recognised trainer.

Aboriginal people are distinct and diverse groups with unique cultural practices. This Patient Safety Awareness Week, we’re sharing how a culturally sensitive approach to open disclosure improves patient, staff and community confidence in how the system responds to real patient safety incidents. The following case study is based on a fictitious experience of an Aboriginal patient during the open disclosure process. An Aboriginal man underwent a major surgery at an NSW hospital. Following the surgery, unfortunately an unexpected complication resulted in the man’s deterioration, and he required additional support and care following discharge. The healthcare team followed the open disclosure process, ensuring transparency and honesty in their communication. However, the family had recently lost an Elder in their community and were engaged in Sorry Business at the time. Due to Sorry Business, the family could not attend the open disclosure meeting at the scheduled time. Acknowledging the cultural significance of Sorry Business, the healthcare team, guided by NSW Health guidelines, took a flexible approach by rescheduling the discussion to accommodate the family’s mourning period. The dedicated family contact facilitated the meeting in partnership with an Aboriginal Health Worker in a culturally respectful manner. Together, they used Clinical Yarning to ensure that the patient and his family had the time and space to ask questions, express concerns, and fully understand the details of the complication. As a result, the patient and his family felt heard, respected, and supported throughout the open disclosure process. The healthcare team’s understanding of cultural obligations and the flexibility in accommodating Sorry Business helped build trust and rapport. This approach improved the patient’s family’s engagement in his care and helped address the historical mistrust that may have been present due to past experiences of discrimination. The culturally sensitive and adaptive approach strengthened the relationship between the family and healthcare providers, fostering a deeper sense of partnership and understanding moving forward. Learn more about open disclosure: https://lnkd.in/gJb3Fjj2 Read more about Aboriginal cultural engagement during the open disclosure process: https://lnkd.in/gA9bPyHK Explore the NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation resources: Finding Your Way shared decision-making model https://lnkd.in/gH3ac8yE Gadji Gadji rehabilitation toolkit https://lnkd.in/gd8CS3QS IHI #PSAW #patientsafety #healthcare #publichealth

This Patient Safety Awareness Week we’re highlighting how we support NSW Health’s commitment to learning and improving when serious clinical incidents occur. The CEC has developed an educational program to build capability within NSW Health services when completing Serious Adverse Event Reviews (SAER). The program’s learning pathway features both eLearning and virtual workshop options. This includes a Fundamentals workshop outlining key concepts to consider for all serious incident reviews along with methodology specific workshops and one targeted for those leading SAER teams. The program, available for public health services in NSW, enforces the importance of supporting not only the patient and their families when serious incidents occur but supporting all those who are affected. It draws from the Healthcare Safety Culture Framework, emphasising a restorative approach aimed at repairing trust and building relationships that may have been damaged when serious incidents occur. It enforces the need to treat individuals fairly and not blame individuals for failures of the system. “I found this workshop to be so restorative.…Thank you for providing this workshop in such a kind and compassionate way,” a recent workshop participant reflected. “I found this very valuable and great to collaborate with like minds in other settings.” In 2024, the CEC delivered 11 half day Fundamentals workshops, 9 half day methodology workshops and 3 full day team leader workshops. Over 380 participants attended these workshops. Participants were invited to complete pre and post workshop questionnaires with the majority indicating an increased knowledge in the key learning objectives. Overall, 97% of participants who completed the post knowledge questionnaire indicated they were likely or extremely likely to recommend the workshops to others. Visit the CEC’s website for further information and resources: https://lnkd.in/gReWKW7c IHI #PSAW #patientsafety #healthcare #publichealth

We’ve partnered with Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD) to co-design the next iteration of our reflective practice workshop to include unconscious bias training, which has been instrumental in building a deeper understanding of our bias and how it impacts patient safety. This Patient Safety Awareness Week, we're highlighting how reflective practice contributes to safer healthcare for patients across NSW, and the work we're doing to share this practice with colleagues across the state's public health system. Murrumbidgee's First Nations Mental Health and Patient Safety Workforce teams consulted on local needs when developing the reflective practice resources and workshops. This includes the integration of unconscious bias, its relevance to patient safety work and the use of reflective practice to mitigate biases. "My highlight was adding unconscious bias – really deepens assumption-making. It has a core place in the content," said a workshop participant. "The workshop was highly beneficial, and I appreciate the thoughtful design and facilitation that made it such a rewarding experience." Over 125 NSW Health staff across local health districts, pillar agencies and speciality health networks have attended workshops. They've reported a heightened state of self-awareness, making the unconscious conscious through reflective practices that actively question assumptions, scrutinises interpretations we make in healthcare, and seek alternative perspectives that mitigate our biases and enhance patient safety. This is essential for healthcare professionals as it fosters a reflective practice that transcends the limitations of unconscious biases. Read more about reflective practice https://lnkd.in/gQ2i8DdS Register your interest to attend a Reflective Practice Workshop https://lnkd.in/gnSAqWcm IHI #PSAW #patientsafety #healthcare #publichealth

This Patient Safety Awareness Week, we’re sharing a pilot project we’ve been working on with NSW Health to develop and implement a near real-time capture and reporting of patient experience feedback.  After discharge, patients automatically receive a text message with a survey. When patients complete the survey via mobile phone, patient survey responses are available to staff within 24 to 72 hours.  Early insights suggest patient experience may be influenced by whether the hospital stay is planned or unplanned and by how long the patient stays in the hospital. Survey response rates and results differ depending on the patient’s age and preferred language. “As health care providers, the most important thing we can do is to listen to those we care for,” said Professor Jonathan Morris AM, CEC Associate Director Medical Patient Safety. “The Rapid Patient Experience Survey (RPES) empowers patients and families to share timely feedback about their hospital stay including care, treatment, communication and overall experience. This, in turn, allows hospital staff to act to respond to feedback and make any improvements”. The ongoing pilot project commenced in July 2024 and has been rolled out in 23 wards across Central Coast Local Health District, Hunter New England Local Health District, Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD) and Southern NSW Local Health District. Patients and their families have submitted more than 2,500 survey responses since the pilot project rollout, allowing clinicians, managers and executives to hear feedback about how the communicate with and provide care to patients. IHI #PSAW #patientsafety #healthcare #publichealth 

Our Patient Safety Improvement Program promotes a culture of safety, ongoing learning, and improvement in healthcare. It does this by coordinating NSW Leaders Safety and Quality Forums, where leaders in maternity, neonatal, paediatric, and older persons care work together to cultivate and enhance safety and quality leadership across NSW Health services. This Patient Safety Awareness Week, we're spotlighting how focusing on accountable leadership and culture ensures that people leaders across the NSW Health hospitals and health centres are well-equipped to guide their teams toward safer practices and better patient outcomes. Overall, the program's approach of fostering collaboration, enhancing leadership, and promoting continuous learning plays a crucial role in advancing patient safety and quality across NSW's healthcare services. A participant at one of the forums reflected that "Being able to meet other leaders from across the state. It can feel isolating working in a regional/rural setting, so it's nice to know that we have other leaders we can reach out too." The forums have been evaluated positively over time. Leaders find them relevant, engaging, and a valuable use of their time. They believe the forums help strengthen their roles in safety and quality by applying what they learn to their services. Examples of this include using co-leadership models, implementing safety activities, building resilience, and reviewing safety systems and clinical data. Leaders say the most valuable aspect is networking and sharing knowledge with others. IHI #PSAW #patientsafety #healthcare #publichealth

Each year, we recognise our staff’s dedication, leadership, and innovation at our Staff Awards. The awards are an opportunity to celebrate individuals and teams who go above and beyond to create safer healthcare systems for NSW. Adj Prof Michael Nicholl, CEC Chief Executive, shared: “As an organisation, we seek to make a positive difference to public health patients, staff, and their communities. “That starts with our people, who share a common vision to positively impact clinical practice and make healthcare and hospitals safer for the people of New South Wales. “The recipients of this year’s awards demonstrate leadership and innovation and are making a meaningful difference in ensuring safer care for people across the state, as well as contributing to our workplace culture.” This year, we recognised staff across six categories, and we are delighted to announce the 2025 award recipients: CORE values and behaviours award – Julianne Jones and Wahid Rahman for consistently demonstrating the NSW Health CORE values of Collaboration, Openness, Respect, and Empowerment. Compassionate leadership award – Maria Jessing for leading with empathy, kindness, and support in her everyday work. Patient safety award (individual) – Jo Davis for her commitment to developing original and effective solutions that improve patient and system safety. Patient safety award (team) – Healthcare Associated Infections team for their collaborative efforts in implementing effective safety initiatives. Resilience award (individual) – Dr Susan Jain for her ability to adapt and persevere through challenges while maintaining a high standard of work. Resilience award (team) – Medication Safety team for their outstanding teamwork and resilience in navigating challenges while upholding excellence. Wahid Rahman, Program Support Officer in the Medication Safety (Formulary) team, reflected on the recognition. “I feel incredibly proud but, first and foremost, super humbled and grateful for this award,” he said. “As someone with a non-clinical background, it means a lot to be part of a team where my ideas are embraced, my contributions are valued, and respect is at the heart of everything we do. “The culture at CEC ensures that every voice is heard, and together, we are making a real impact on patient safety and care.” A huge congratulations to all our winners and nominees!

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, personal protective equipment (PPE) was barely known outside of medical circles.  Now the PPE acronym has become a part of discourse across the nation.   While the threats from the pandemic have eased, medical staff are always alert to diseases which may be a threat.   Sessions are being held across the state, organised by our Healthcare Associated Infections and Infection Prevention and Control team and led by Kathy Dempsey, the NSW Chief Infection Prevention and Control Practitioner.  

Our hospitals are committed to providing safe, inclusive, and high-quality healthcare for all.

I'm so humbled and grateful to have received the CEC CORE Values and Behaviours Award at the 2025 CEC All Staff Forum. This really means a lot to me! The award recognizes consistent demonstration of the NSW Health CORE values—Collaboration, Openness, Respect, and Empowerment. It celebrates individuals who contribute to a positive workplace culture by living these values. A big shout out to my amazing team—this became possible only because of you. Your support and patience inspire me every day. Thank you for creating such a positive and empowering workplace where we can all grow together. Carly Wills, Christine Coorey, Chantelle Smith, Mollie Churton,Mridula Viswanathan, Danica Furtula, Lydia Thai, Kate Donaldson, Chai Yong (Danielle) Koh, Lucy Nair, Dr Harvey Lander