Patient safety at Rowcroft Hospice
World Patient Safety Day shines a spotlight on the importance of safe, high-quality care for everyone living with a health condition. This year’s theme, ‘Safe care for noncommunicable diseases’, recognises that people with long-term illnesses often receive care across many different settings and services throughout their lives.
At Rowcroft Hospice, patient safety is at the heart of everything we do. Many of the people we care for are living with complex, life-limiting illnesses, often requiring support from multiple healthcare professionals. Ensuring their care is safe, coordinated and centred around their individual needs is essential.
Safety is about more than preventing harm
When people hear the term ‘patient safety’, they often think of preventing accidents, infections or medication errors. While these are important, safety in hospice care is also about ensuring people receive the right care, at the right time, in the right place.
For someone approaching the end of life, that might mean managing pain and symptoms effectively, avoiding unnecessary hospital admissions, reviewing medications carefully, and helping people make informed decisions about their care.
“Patient safety is fundamental to the care we provide,” says Katie Cook, Quality and Patient Safety Lead at Rowcroft Hospice. “It means making sure people receive the best possible care, feel listened to and involved in decisions, and have confidence in the support they’re receiving. Safe care and expert care go hand-in-hand. We also value the conversations when something doesn’t go to plan, and it’s important that people feel able to tell us when something is worrying them, so we can work with them to make a positive change.”
Working together for safer care
Providing safe care requires strong teamwork and communication.
At Rowcroft, our doctors, nurses, therapists, counsellors and support teams work closely together, as well as with GPs, hospitals, pharmacists and community healthcare teams across South Devon. This joined-up approach helps ensure people receive consistent, high-quality care throughout their journey.
“Many of the people we support have complex needs and may be receiving care from several different services,” says Katie. “Good communication and partnership working are vital to ensuring care is safe, coordinated and centred around what matters most to each individual.”
Listening and learning
A key message of World Patient Safety Day is the importance of involving people in their own care.
At Rowcroft, feedback from patients and families is so important to us, and helps us continually learn and improve. Whether through formal feedback or everyday conversations, listening to those with lived experience helps us provide the best possible care.
“Patients and families are experts in their own experiences,” says Katie. “By listening to their feedback, we can continue to improve the care and support we provide for our community.”
We welcome all feedback, and people can share their stories on Care Opinion: Rowcroft Hospice | Care Opinion.
A shared commitment
World Patient Safety Day reminds us that safe care is everyone’s responsibility.
At Rowcroft Hospice, we’re committed to providing care that is not only compassionate and person-centred, but also safe, effective and responsive to the needs of every individual and family we support.
“When people come to Rowcroft, they place a huge amount of trust in us,” says Katie. “We’re committed to providing care that is safe, compassionate and tailored to each person’s needs, so that patients and families can focus on what matters most during some of the most difficult times in their lives.”
Because everyone deserves safe care, for life.