Safety drive for new hospital system

A new system for recording and responding to healthcare incidents has been launched by the government.

With a focus on learning from mistakes made, rather than pointing fingers of blame, the National Incident Management System is aimed at making New Zealand hospitals safer. David Cunliffe, Minister of Health, launched the system and called it “a systematic approach to the classification, prioritisation and management of healthcare incidents in New Zealand”.

The system – a collaboration between the Ministry of Health (MOH), District Health Boards (DHBs), the Office of the Health and Disability Commissioner and the private sector – is introduced as part of a $20 million MOH drive to improve quality across New Zealand’s health service.