Reducing avoidable harm in maternity care is vital. The Healthcare Improvement Studies Institute’s new study takes a fresh, positive perspective and describes what safety in maternity units looks like, using a seven-feature framework known as For Us. The new plain-language framework, the For Us (For Unit Safety) framework, was developed through a multi-site ethnographic study and […]
Testing Times: new report on COVID-19 swab testing programme for NHS workers from THIS Institute
In Testing Times, getting the COVID-19 swab testing programme for NHS workers right is crucial to support staff and patient safety and broader public health. The Healthcare Improvement Studies (THIS) Institute’s new report offers an ethical framework for COVID-19 testing for NHS workers. It includes practical recommendations to help guide good practice nationally and locally. […]
Impacts of operational failures in general practice
Operational failures are well documented in hospitals and although they often cause only brief interruptions (such as searching for missing equipment), they add up to major time losses. A recent publication from THIS Institute researchers and collaborators, published in Annals of Family Medicine, explores the issue of ‘operational failures’ in primary care. From a critical […]
Professor Mary Dixon-Woods awarded honorary fellowship of RCGP
Professor Mary Dixon-Woods FMedSci, Director of The Healthcare Improvement Studies (THIS) Institute and fellow of Homerton College, has been recognised for her ongoing contributions to the field of healthcare improvement research with an honorary fellowship of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP). Honorary fellowship is the RCGP’s most important award, given for outstanding work […]
THIS Institute report explores how NHS staff can get involved in research
A new report from THIS Institute highlights the valuable role of NHS staff in research and explores how the full potential of their involvement could be better realised. Involving NHS staff in research details the many ways NHS staff are making their mark on the research process – from designing studies, to collecting data, to […]
£42m new research institute to boost evidence on improving care in the NHS
A new research institute led by the University of Cambridge is seeking to create a world-leading asset for the NHS by improving the science behind healthcare organisation and delivery. The Healthcare Improvement Studies Institute (THIS Institute) is made possible by the largest single grant ever made by the Health Foundation, an independent charity. The new […]