Patient safety

RCPCH Patient Safety Portal is our dedicated website to all things related to patient safety. Explore patient safety theory, learn about the NHS patient safety syllabus, share ideas for QI and get summaries of the latest alerts and reports.

News

E-cigarette use or vaping: reporting suspected adverse reactions

2 March 2020

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is requesting that healthcare professionals report any suspected side effects or safety concerns with e-cigarettes and the e-liquids used for vaping to the Yellow Card Scheme.

News

RCPCH responds to NICE guidance on cannabidiol use in two forms of childhood epilepsy

5 February 2020

Dr Mike Linney, Registrar and Chair of the Ethics Committee for RCPCH, welcomes recent guidance from NICE, but notes the urgent need for high quality, independent research on this medicine to provide the best possible care for children with complex epilepsy.

Resource

Suspected side effect from a medicine - how to report

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) “Yellow Card Scheme” is the UK system for collecting and monitoring information on suspected safety concerns or incidents involving side effects from medicines (also known as adverse drug reactions or ADRs) and medical devices.

Drugs and medicines

Patient experience

Patient safety

News

Medicines safety alert - domperidone

16 December 2019

Domperidone is no longer licensed for use in children younger than 12 years or those weighing less than 35 kg because of a lack of evidence for benefit.

Resource

Your baby's care - measuring standards and improving neonatal care: archived

The National Neonatal Audit Programme (NNAP) works to improve standards of neonatal care in England, Scotland, Wales and the Isle of Man. We aim to make the information we gather and share in our annual reports accessible by publishing 'Your baby's care', our guide for parents and carers. You can do...

Intensive care medicine

Resource

Safety-netting information following a first seizure without a fever in children and young people

These high quality leaflets provide information to parents and carers of children and young people who have had a first seizure that was not considered to be a ‘febrile convulsion’, as well as children and young people themselves.

Community child health

Engaging children and young people

Patient information

Patient safety

Resource

Measures to address winter pressures such as a dedicated registrar and PDU cubicles - case study

Dr Amitabh Gite, Clinical Director of Paediatrics at the Lister Hospital in Stevenage, outlines measures they implemented to address winter pressures, including a second registrar at night, a paediatric decision unit, increased nursing staff and ward clerk support.

Care setting

Clinical guidelines and standards

News

RCPCH responds to first quarterly report on delivery of recommendations at Cwm Taf

9 October 2019

In April this year, the Welsh Government published a report produced by Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Royal College of Midwives, reviewing maternity services at Cwm Taf Health Board.

Document

UK Paediatric Early Warning Systems (PEWS)

The RCPCH is committed to supporting patient safety and improvement across the UK, including support for introducing and embedding Paediatric Early Warning Systems (PEWS) within the four nations. A Paediatric Early Warning System (PEWS) is designed to effectively recognise and respond to the deteri...

Quality improvement

Patient safety

News

RCPCH responds to the independent review into gross negligence manslaughter and culpable homicide

6 June 2019

Today, Leslie Hamilton and his working group have published their independent review into how the law on gross negligence manslaughter and culpable homicide are applied to medical practice. RCPCH President, Professor Russell Viner, responds.