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The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) are collaborating on a pilot project to produce guidance on cost-effective interventions to prevent or mitigate patient harm in the NHS. This follows recommendations made in Safety First, the CMO’s 2006 report, which reaffirmed the place of patient safety at the heart of healthcare agenda.
The pilot project, which will be carried out between April and November 2007, will assess evidence on clinical and cost-effectiveness and produce recommendations for the NHS of the following interventions:
- Systems-based and IT-based interventions in medicines reconciliation.
- The prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).
Safety guidance is expected to be issued to the NHS in November 2007.
Andrew Dillon, Chief Executive of NICE said: “This is a very exciting oppportunity for NICE. Our extensive experience will stand us in good stead for developing guidance on new safety solutions for the NHS.”
