Getting chief executives involved in increasing the safety of hospital patients is important to keep staff motivated and to deliver improvements, say experts.

Mark Patten, a consultant anaesthetist and clinical director at Luton and Dunstable Hospital NHS Trust, told a London conference that success in reducing the number of central line infections at the trust is partly due to the involvement of Stephen Ramsden, the trust’s chief executive.

Just one central line infection has been reported in the hospital’s critical care department in the past 12 months. Beforehand the department saw one or two infections every month.

“Because the chief executive came and challenged us, and because he demonstrated his commitment by turning up, that is how we did it,” said …