Evaluate How Policy Drives Patient Safety

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Evaluate How Policy Drives Patient Safety The aim of this essay is to evaluate how health policies drive patient safety, with a specific focus on policies relating to hand hygiene in health care. The essay explores the legislative framework, guidelines, and range of policies evident, and the degree to which these policies are successful in reducing Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs). The essay references a number of Acts, policies and guidelines from the Department of Health, World Health Organisation and NHS Trusts. Health care policy can be seen as a network of interconnected decisions, plans and actions which collectively form a strategy or approach in relation to practical issues relating to the delivery of health care and the improvement of patient safety’ (Barker, 1996, p6). Improvement of patient safety consists of evaluating how patients may be injured, deterring and managing risks, recording and investigating incidents, learning from such incidents and implementing solutions to reduce the possibility of them reoccurring (Great Britain. Department of Health, 2011). It is estimated that at approximately 300,000 patients are affected by HAIs annually in the UK. This is a significant, yet avoidable liability for the healthcare system. There is evidence to suggest that HAIs are principally transmitted via the hands of Healthcare workers (HCWs); therefore hand hygiene has been identified as the most effective factor in preventing the spread of HAIs (Pittet el al., 2010). However, despite the recent operation of a range of health care policies and guidelines, cases relating to HAIs keep occurring. The protection of public health has long been enshrined in Government legislation. Part II of the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 made provisions aimed at preventing or controlling the spread of infectious disease. The Health Act 2006
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