St Giles Hospice Quality Account 2018/2019 St Giles Hospice 2018-19 Quality Account | Page 12

6. Patient Safety
6.1 Safeguarding
There were four referrals
regarding potential safeguarding
concerns. We continue to provide
staff with booster training in year
concerning the Mental Capacity
Act, Deprivation of Liberty and
Safeguarding.
6.2 Duty of Candour
In 2018/2019 there was one
matter where the legal Duty of
Candour applied, this was in
relation to a fall and was handled
in line with our policy and our
regulators were informed.
6.3 Prevention and
Management of Infections
Preventing, reducing and
managing infections is a priority
for St Giles Hospice. To assist
with this we undertake the
Infection Prevention Society’s
(IPS) audits throughout the
year covering both Whittington
and Walsall sites along with
12
Antimicrobial audits. We
undertake Hospice UK’s Health
and Social Care audit annually.
Infection prevention and control
champions, made up of qualified
and unqualified ward staff who
undertake monthly audits on
handwashing, sharps boxes and
cleaning equipment.
Annual, mandatory infection
prevention and control training
is given to all our clinical staff.
Tailored training for ward
volunteers and housekeepers
was introduced in 2018.
Patient information and several
policies were updated over the
year, including our Norovirus
toolkit which helps us prevent and
manage this common infection.
An algorithm to assess and
respond appropriately to loose
stools was reviewed; a risk
assessment to support the safer
visiting of pets to our hospice
and information for external
contractors concerning infection
prevention were also produced.
St Giles Hospice has a Service
Level Agreement with University
Hospitals of Derby and Burton
for Pathology specimens
and Infection Prevention and
Control advice. The Infection
Prevention and Control Nurse
is a member of the Infection
Prevention Society and Hospice
UK’s Infection Prevention and
Control Forum and also networks
regionally with other hospices
to ensure we are up to date with
best practice.
6.4 Medicines Management
In year we analysed our rate of
errors concerning medicines
administration. The error
rate was 0.06%, meaning
less than 1.2 errors per 2,000
administrations, showing our
medicines administration
processes and delivery are
safe. To ensure that the hospice
can evidence safe working we