RJAH shortlisted for prestigious national patient safety award

Shropshire’s specialist orthopaedic hospital is celebrating after being shortlisted for a prestigious national award – recognising its innovative approach to improving patient safety.

The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital has been named a finalist at the HSJ Patient Safety Awards.

The Trust was shortlisted in the Harnessing a Human Factors Approach to Improve Patient Safety category for its project, Blending Human Factors and Improvement Magic.

The awards recognise the individuals, teams and organisations who are improving patient safety and addressing the complexities of delivering safe care amidst times of significant change and long-standing pressures.

The project focused on giving staff at every level of the organisation the confidence, skills and support to improve the way care is delivered.

By combining Human Factors with quality improvement, RJAH has created a culture where staff are encouraged to identify risks, challenge the status quo and test new ideas that make a real difference for patients and colleagues.

This approach has already inspired a growing network of Improvement Champions, with staff leading projects that have strengthened patient safety, improved patient experience and enhanced the way teams work together.

Olivia Evans, Improvement Manager and member of the Human Factors Faculty at RJAH, said: “To be shortlisted for a national HSJ Patient Safety Award is an incredible achievement!

“This project has never been about a small group of people driving change – it’s about creating a movement across the Trust where staff feel empowered to improve the systems they work in every day. We wanted people to feel confident in giving something a go to make things better and that’s exactly what’s happening.

“The most exciting part is watching colleagues from every corner of the organisation recognise opportunities, work together and turn great ideas into real improvements for patients.”

The project includes CPD-certified Human Factors training and tiered CPD-certified Improvement Programmes designed to ensure every member of staff receives the right level of support and development to contribute to safer care.

Dr Sophie Shapter, Consultant Anaesthetist and Human Factors Lead at RJAH, said: “Patient safety is about much more than individual actions – it's about understanding how people, processes and systems interact. Human Factors helps us uncover why things happen, while improvement methodology helps us create positive change.

"What makes this programme so powerful is that it brings people together. Clinical and non-clinical colleagues learn alongside one another, share experiences and develop a shared understanding of how we can make care safer. The enthusiasm and engagement from staff has been fantastic.

"Being shortlisted for this award is recognition of the culture that has been developing at RJAH, where people feel supported to speak up, learn from one another and continuously improve the care we provide."

Winners will be announced at a glittering awards ceremony on Monday 28 September at The Telford International Centre.