Canterbury DHB first in region to promote 'Open for better'.

MEDIA RELEASE

August 22, 2013

Canterbury DHB first in region to promote Open for better care

Canterbury District Health Board (DHB) is hosting a stand to raise awareness tomorrow (August 23, 2013) of the national patient safety campaign Open for better care.

Canterbury is the first DHB in the South Island to host an Open stand. The purpose of the promotion is to raise awareness of the campaign and promote simple interventions to reduce falls and harm from falls. While falls is the campaign’s first area of focus, the other three focus areas – healthcare associated infections, preventing harm caused by surgery, and medication management– will also be promoted.

The stand includes fun and interactive activities for staff, visitors and patients, including strength and balance exercises, coordination tests, and a quiz on patient safety. Commission representatives will be joined by DHB staff throughout the day, including clinical falls champions, physiotherapists and nursing staff.

Susan Wood, Director, Quality and Patient Safety, says Canterbury DHB is pleased to be one the first South Island DHB to hold a stand to profile our involvement in the national patient safety campaign.

“Open for better care has allowed us to bring a focus to the great patient safety work already underway in our DHB, and provides us with an opportunity to build on that work,” Susan says.

“The South Island region is working on a combined regional approach, which includes all the region’s DHBs, and we are fully committed to improving outcomes for patients and communities across the region.”

A pledge supporting the campaign has been signed by the DHB’s board chair Bruce Matheson and chief executive David Meates.

Canterbury DHB is working to promote the campaign at every opportunity, including featuring local representatives on campaign posters, working closely with the Commission’s 10 topics in reducing harm from falls, and working across settings, including aged residential care and in the community.

The stand will be open from 10am to 2pm in the Rolleston Lecture Theatre foyer (Ground Floor, University of Otago School of Medicine, Christchurch Hospital Campus).

For more information on Open for better care visit www.open.hqsc.govt.nz.

ENDS

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