Patient Safety in Clinical Practice: A Diverse Approach to Safe Healthcare for All

This book introduces the core knowledge and skills for comprehensive risk assessment and management in healthcare settings and applies relevant ethical and legal principles. It emphasises that patient safety requires a holistic and inclusive approach to maximise patient wellbeing in a diverse population with known health inequalities.

Exploring the concept of ’avoidable risks’ which may be posed to the health and wellbeing of individuals, the public and communities within a given healthcare context, this book explores potential system failures and human factors, while providing an insight into the significance of the relationship between a culture of care and patient safety. It includes chapters on the ethical and legal framework related to patient safety, the equality, diversity and inclusion context, advocacy and empowerment, risk, and human factors as well as accountability and harm. Notably, there is also a focus on two in-depth chapters which explore patient safety in relation to medication management and end-of-life care.

Throughout the book, there are numerous reflection points, examples of case law and illustrative case studies and thinking points to help the reader apply key principles to aid their learning and think critically. Patient Safety in Clinical Practice offers a fresh insight into the link between patient safety and holistic care. It is aimed at nursing and allied health students and professionals, particularly those undertaking study related to assessing and planning care, as well as law, ethics and professional issues.

Paul Buka is a visiting lecturer, University of Essex. Specialising in Healthcare Law and Ethics, with several publications (since 1999) and, a 3rd ed book in (2020). He trained as an RGN in Scotland, specialising in Trauma and Orthopaedics nursing, with many years of varied clinical experience. He read law, at HNC, degree and master’s levels, specialising in Criminal Justice, Human Rights & Clinical Negligence, Mental Health Law options [Gained working knowledge of Health and Safety law as a (Union) health and safety representative] in Clinical Practice and HE. He gained 24 years’ experience in FE and HE, former Programme Lead (senior lecturer). He served as a lay member for a Department of Health, regional Advisory Committee on Clinical Excellence Awards (ACCEA) for 7 years.