The Campaign

More than one in ten people admitted to hospital are harmed by its care. It is believed there is a one in 300 chance of accidental death through errors in care. Many of us know of people who have not had the standard of healthcare they need.

 

Staff in the NHS know this too. We save lives everyday. To save more, clinical staff from across Wales have come together to build on existing initiatives, evidence and best practice.

 

We have developed the 1000 Lives Campaign which, by 21 April 2010, should prevent 1,000 unnecessary deaths and 50,000 cases of harm in the NHS in Wales.

 

Every Trust and Local Health Board in Wales has signed up to implement up to six life-saving interventions:

 

Improving Leadership for Quality

Reducing Healthcare Associated Infections

Improving Critical Care

Improving Medicines Management

Reducing Surgical Complications

Improving General Medical and Surgical Care

 

The Campaign will be a national effort to reduce preventable harm, including death, in Wales. It will not attempt to attribute all improvement over the next two years solely to its efforts.

 

It is fundamental that the improvements we will see will reflect all of the local and national initiatives. However, we see the 1000 Lives Campaign as bringing together these current and proposed initiatives, adding value to them and ensuring that all healthcare organisations are working closely together.