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26 Jan 2009
NPSA Safety Alert advocates Surgical Safety Checklist

The NPSA publish the UK version of the World Health Organisation, aircraft-style, Surgical Safety Checklist which has been proven to save thousands of lives.

This alert requires healthcare organisations in England and Wales to implement this checklist for every patient undergoing a surgical procedure and record its use electronically by the 1st February 2010. Organisations should have agreed a plan and started actions by the 1st June 2009.

The Safe Surgery System, as an electronic Surgical Safety Checklist, will allow Trusts to comply with this recommendation.

See WHO Surgical Safety Checklist on the NPSA web site

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