The Health Services Safety Investigations Body wants to improve access to practical guidance, learning and expertise for those involved in patient safety investigations. 

The Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) has launched an online Knowledge Exchange designed to improve access to practical guidance, learning and expertise for those involved in patient safety investigations. It is intended to support a wide audience, including patient safety specialists, healthcare professionals, commissioners and policymakers, as well as staff, patients, families and carers involved in investigations.

The Knowledge Exchange will bring together learning resources and practical guidance aimed at helping those conducting and involved in investigations to ensure they are high-quality, professional, compassionate, and trauma-informed. Resources will include learning tools, guidance, webinars, blogs and practical materials, with more content being released over the coming weeks and months.

It is intended to make investigation knowledge more accessible, with materials drawing on real-world experience rather than relying solely on theoretical approaches. 

The HSSIB sees the launch as a significant milestone in its Building Investigation Excellence Strategy, which was developed in response to changes in the patient safety landscape and the organisation’s role as a centre of excellence for healthcare safety investigations.

“High-quality investigations are fundamental to understanding why patient safety events happen and to identify opportunities to make care safer. The launch comes against a backdrop of increasing emphasis on the importance of learning from patient safety events and strengthening investigation practice across the NHS,” said Philippa Styles, director of investigations at the HSSIB. 

“The Knowledge Exchange will provide practical, accessible support and information for everyone involved in patient safety events, whether they are leading investigations, contributing to them, or seeking to understand the process,” she added.