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The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
The fourth issue of ¡§HA Risk Alert¡¨ is published today (May 30) by the Hospital Authority. The authority implemented a Sentinel Event Policy in October last year as a risk management and communication initiative to further strengthen the reporting and monitoring of adverse incidents in public hospitals.
Important lessons of patient safety identified from the root cause analyses during incident investigations will be collated and shared among healthcare professionals in the bi-monthly publication ¡§HA Risk Alert¡¨.
The latest issue of ¡§HA Risk Alert¡¨ features recent cases of patient suicide, three sentinel incidents involving retained instrument coating, biopsy specimens mix-up and radiation therapy regimen of wrong patient, with recommendations to avoid similar events in future.
Common pitfalls in local and overseas healthcare settings are also highlighted to enhance staff vigilance.
The publication has been distributed to all health care professionals in public hospitals for continuous quality improvement purpose. It can also be accessed by the public at http://www.ha.org.hk/riskalert.
The ¡§HA Risk Alert¡¨ is regularly published and posted on the Hospital Authority internet website on the last working Friday of every alternate (odd) month. The next issue will be published on July 25.
Ends/Friday, May 30, 2008
Issued at HKT 16:22
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