Risk Management
‘Risk’ is defined as the effect of uncertainty on the objectives of an organisation. (ISO 31073: 2022 Risk Management- Vocabulary). Click here to access the document on the ISO website.
‘Risk Management’ is a structured approach to identify risks that may occur and to determine the most effective way to address them to support the achievement of organisational objectives.
Risk cannot be avoided and is present in every industry. While risk in healthcare organisations can be challenging to manage, safer systems of care can be achieved for patients, staff, and visitors by implementing proactive and evidence-based measures to mitigate against risk as part of everyone’s day-to-day work.
To support staff to effectively manage risk, a selection of policies, tools, educational resources, and safety alerts are provided in this section of the website.
The purpose of the Risk Register is to enable the RCSI Hospital Group to be better prepared for the potential realisation of risks, following an analysis of the impact and management of those risks.
Risks are identified and described and the impact of each is outlined with controls outlined for each individual risk identified. In this document risk is quantified through the lens of capacity, capability and culture. The following structure is utilised:
- Capacity, capability and culture
- National Standards for Safer Better Healthcare
- Risk
- Description
- Impact
- Risk rating
- Specific to national group hospital
- Controls (current)
- Further actions required to mitigate risk
Click here to access the current RCSI Hospital Group Risk Register.
The HSE Enterprise Risk Management Policy & Procedures (HSE, 2023) has been developed to provide practical support to all healthcare workers to identify and manage risks within their roles.
Click here to access the document on the HSE website.
The Incident Management Framework (HSE, 2020) provides healthcare services with a practical approach to the management of incidents which is aligned to best international practice.
The Incident Management Framework – Guidance document is intended to support healthcare services to use the Incident Management Framework in a consistent manner. Click here to access the Incident Management Framework and Incident Management Guidance on the HSE website.
Patient Safety Alerts are high priority communications issued when dangerous equipment, processes or procedures are identified during or after a clinical incident review.
An Alert requires healthcare services to take specific actions within an identified timeframe, in order to reduce the risk of occurrence or recurrence of patient safety incidents that have the potential to cause serious harm or death.1,2
The RCSI Hospital Group develop Patient Safety Alerts with relevant stakeholders, including subject matter experts, and disseminate them to the relevant hospitals within the RCSI Hospital Group.
References
1. https://www.hse.gov.uk/healthservices/safety-alerts.htm
2.https://www2.healthservice.hse.ie/organisation/nqpsd/pst/about-safety-alerts/
