The University’s patient safety team was set up in response to the University’s aims to embed patient safety uppermost in all its nursing and allied health courses. It has also led to the development of the first MSc in Human Factors for Patient Safety which launches at the University in September.
The new PgCert Human Factors for Patient Safety - part of the MSc - has been approved by the Chartered Institute of Ergonomic and Human Factors as an accredited short course. It aims to educate those working in health and social care settings to support the design and redesign of systems and equipment to improve the health, safety and wellbeing of patients.
Newly appointed as Senior Lecturer on the course is Professor Paul Bowie, a safety scientist and Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors, who has worked in the NHS in Scotland for over 25 years and has published extensively on healthcare quality and safety.
He said: “Building leadership capacity and capability in patient safety and human factors sciences is vital for the safe functioning of the NHS and healthcare systems internationally.
“The patient safety team at Staffordshire University is leading the way in the provision of innovative education and undertaking pioneering research in these fields. This is an exciting opportunity for me, and I’m looking forward to helping to develop current and future leaders in patient safety practice, policy and research in the UK and beyond.”
Paul joins a dynamic team of professionals, who continue to carve out a specialism for Staffordshire University which has Centres of Excellence in Healthcare Education at Stafford and Shrewsbury.
They are:
Dr Sue Whalley-Lloyd: Senior Lecturer in Human Factors
Sue is the Course Leader for the MSc in Human Factors for Patient Safety and an experienced Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors. She has used her knowledge and experience of Human Factors and of having worked nationally on Patient Safety to develop the course
Emily Browne: Senior Lecturer in Patient Safety and Simulation:
Emily leads on the development of the School’s simulation-based education strategy – embedding principles of patient safety across all aspects of the undergraduate programmes.
Dr Sarahjane Jones: Associate Professor in Patient Safety
An experienced Researcher, Sarahjane will ensure that our research focus is aligned to the School strategy around patient safety and creating safer communities. She is the Principal Investigator of a Health Foundation research grant investigating healthcare workforce retention and patient safety.”
Dr Alastair Williamson: Honorary Doctor
This honorary role was awarded to Alastair in November 2018 in recognition of his work in the patient safety setting. A Consultant Anaesthetist at University Hospitals Birmingham, he has also been instrumental in the development of the MSc Human Factors for Patient Safety.
Associate Dean in the School of Health and Social Care, Mike Phillips said: “For several years now, we have been hammering home the importance of patient safety and we believe we have the specialist team to deliver a dynamic learning experience to students across our courses. This builds on the already excellent work that our academics have been doing over the past few years in our efforts to develop the very safest of graduates for health and social care professions”.
“We’re confident this has helped prepare our students for work on the frontline as they have taken on paid volunteering roles with NHS during the pandemic.”