News and Business

Patient Safety Awareness Week highlights the ongoing advances that ER24 is making to ensure the safety of patients through enhanced procedures and protocols.

All ER24 patients deserve high-quality, evidence-based care from the moment they call 084 124 for help, to the moment they are safely delivered to the hospital. When emergency medical services prioritise safety, it not only helps patients, but also makes the entire community safer.

Core value

“Patient safety is a core value at ER24,” says Heinrich Africa, ER24’s Clinical Performance Operations Specialist. “As one of the leading private emergency medical services, we prioritise the safety of our patients in everything we do. Every case is carefully reviewed and scrutinised to ensure each patient receives the correct treatment at the correct time for the correct condition.”

When an emergency happens, patients can rest assured the ER24 crew are able to handle their health needs, says Africa. “A whole team exists behind the scenes to ensure we maintain the same high standard of care nationally. ER24 has accreditation from the Department of Health, and included in its inspections are aspects of patient safety management, as well as the process for managing adverse events.”

In the fast-moving world of emergency medicine, where split-second decisions need to be made, room for error always exists. ER24 consistently strives to improve its patient care delivery. We have rigorous processes to prevent safety events and investigate and learn from any adverse event that does occur.

Reporting system

ER24 has introduced a safety event reporting system to ensure robust patient safety measures are in place. “This system is designed as a platform for teams on the ground to log any safety events they encounter during their day-to-day operations,” Africa explains. The event is then flagged with the clinical governance team. “Once the investigation is concluded, the reporter is given feedback, and a patient safety alert may be sent out to the teams if necessary. The purpose of this alert is to create awareness of the potential to cause harm.”

Alternatively, amendments can be made to existing policies and standard operating procedures (SOPs) to mitigate the risks of a safety event reoccurring. “The introduction of this system has closed the loop for reporting events and is used to prevent potential future safety events.”

Training opportunities

A patient safety event, whether big or small, must first be understood in the context of where it happened. “This helps to determine if the issue is localised or if there is a wide area that may be affected,” Africa explains. The event is then studied to determine if any gaps can be identified. These gaps are used as training opportunities that can build on the team’s existing knowledge base. “Any potential shortfalls are addressed, and we conduct a case discussion with the affected team member(s) to unpack details of what led to the safety event.  

“Patient safety will always remain a top priority at ER24. It is a cornerstone on which we base our clinical decision-making, governance, and training.”

Call ER24 on 084 124 for any emergency. Save this number to save a life.