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Patient safety

What we are doing

Patient safety is the prevention of errors and adverse effects associated with healthcare.

At the RCP we are committed to ensuring that there are high standards of safety for all patients receiving medical treatment across the NHS. The RCP patient safety strategy seeks to make safety an integral part of professionalism and provides practical tools to support this.

We have set up a working group on medication safety with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, British Pharmacological Society, Royal College of Nursing, Royal College of General Practitioners, NHS Improvement and NHS England. As a result of this work the collective has shared a repository of good practice.

What we have produced

Acute adrenal insufficiency, also termed adrenal crisis, is a life-threatening endocrine emergency brought about by a lack of production of the adrenal hormone cortisol, the major glucocorticoid. Identifying patients at risk and prompt management can save lives.

The RCP produces a broad selection of resources for clinicians, commissioners, managers and trusts to help improve patient safety and drive up quality across the NHS.

Supporting junior doctors in safe prescribing is a new guide for supporting junior doctors when prescribing in hospitals, built on published evidence and best practice. 

A collection of patient safety resources including national alerts, videos and blog articles.

The RCP's Patient Safety Committee meets three times a year and comprises representatives from the RCP as well as from specialist societies and other royal colleges. 

The RCP has always put patient safety as an integral part of professionalism.