Case study: joint investigation by the police, Health and Safety Executive and the NHS
Police, Health and Safety Executive and the NHS
Serious untoward incidents involving patients that require the involvement of the police are few and far between, but on the rare occasions that they do occur they need to be investigated thoroughly. In 2003 the Department of Health commissioned Verita to project manage the development of a new national agreement to improve inter-agency liaison when things go wrong in the NHS.
Verita coordinated contributions from healthcare professionals, the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Health and Safety Executive and drafted a protocol document that was then the subject of national consultation. The protocol - The memorandum of understanding: investigating patient safety incidents involving unexpected death or serious untoward harm: a protocol for liaison and effective communications between the National Health Service, Association of Chief Police Officers and Health & Safety Executive - was published in 2006 along with guidelines for the NHS.
Verita has since worked with the lead agencies to develop and run a programme of multi-agency workshops designed to support the introduction of the joint protocol. Workshops were held in Bolton (NHS North West), Durham (NHS North East), Leicester (NHS East Midlands) and London (NHS South East Coast) during 2007 and 2008.