Princess Royal praises anaesthetists

Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal, today addressed over 200 delegates at the 2016 Patient Safety Conference hosted by the Safe Anaesthesia Liaison Group (SALG), a partnership between the Royal College of Anaesthetists, The Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland and NHS Improvement. Praising the dedication of anaesthetists to patient safety, Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal heard how anaesthesia is now safer than it has ever been, and commended the specialty for its commitment to promoting safety and learning from adverse incidents when they do occur. Anaesthetists are on the front line of healthcare and work to address the growing demands of caring for patients with complex conditions and multiple co-morbidities.

This year’s Patient Safety Conference in Edinburgh was a wide-ranging and informative event showcasing the excellent work, reach and commitment of individuals and groups within SALG. It considered some of the obstacles to maintaining patient safety, possible solutions and the implementation of quality improvement initiatives, as well as research and audit activity. One of the lectures included Dr Suzette Woodward, Campaign Director for Sign up to Safety, discussing how to engender a culture of safety with the aim of making the NHS the safest healthcare system in the world.

The conference also heard from Dr Catherine Calderwood, Chief Medical Officer for Scotland and Shona Robison, MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport, who outlined Scotland’s plans to meet various aspects of their Nation’s healthcare challenges. Further lectures covered a range of safety-related topics, including how to prevent adverse events and strategies to implement new IT systems safely.