Standard procedures are needed to improve patients' safety, says England's chief medical officer

doi:10.1136/bmj.39028.605313.DB

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Claire Frauenfelder

¹BMJ

Representatives from 32 countries came together this week to look at progress in improving the safety of patients one year after a range of measures was implemented to reduce the numbers of deaths and illness caused directly by health care.

The World Health Organization's initiative is being led by Liam Donaldson, England's chief medical officer, who is international chairman of the World Alliance for Patient Safety.

Professor Donaldson said that healthcare related illness cost England alone £1bn (€1.5bn; $1.9bn) a year, with more than 100 000 infections and 5000 resultant deaths.

He called for “a …