BRADFORD Teaching Hospitals has taken up Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt’s call for NHS organisations to join a new patient safety initiative aimed at saving up to 6,000 lives over its three year campaign.

The Sign up to Safety scheme promises to make the NHS the safest healthcare system in the world, reducing hospital medication errors, blood clots and bed sores.

Chief executive Professor Clive Kay (pictured) said: “It is our clear ambition that the foundation trust is at the forefront of new patient safety initiatives so we can continually improve the wellbeing and experience of our patients. It was crucial that we became a fully-fledged member of the Sign up to Safety campaign which strives to help the NHS become more open, compassionate and transparent; essential qualities in the wake of the publication of the Francis report on the failings at Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust.”

“We now have a once in a generation opportunity to save lives and prevent avoidable harm – I hope this campaign will empower our staff and lead to us creating an even safer environment for our patients.”

The Sign up to Safety campaign is built around five core pledges that link closely with some of the foundation trust’s current safety initiatives and its vision to provide world class services by putting its patients first.

Professor Kay signed up to the five Sign up to Safety pledges to put safety first, continually learn, be honest and transparent, collaborate and support.