Improving patient safety through an emergency call safety huddle.

Abstract

Communication among members of the emergency team is integrally linked to patient safety.1 The need to promptly identify and manage the acutely unwell patients is key towards preventing harm to patients. A short daily meeting can help save lives by helping emergency teams to work together more effectively. At Surrey and Sussex NHS Trust (SASH) we have approximately five to eight emergency calls in a 24-hour period. These are composed of medical emergency team (MET), which is composed of the medical registrar, senior house officer, foundation doctor and a critical care outreach nurse (CCOT). A cardiac arrest team is composed of the MET team as well as an anaesthetist. In the past the emergency team would initially meet over an unwell patient unaware of who each other was, what role they played and what was expected of them. It is known that there is a 1 in 400 million chance of the same team working together again.2 The Safety Huddle has been a part of the culture of improving patient care at SASH since October 2016. Members of the cardiac arrest and medical emergency teams meet each other, roles are allocated every morning and learning from previous emergencies is discussed. Roles and training needs are documented through a standardised checklist on a daily basis. This is in order to create effective teamworking and improve patient safety.