Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF)

The Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF) is the new way that the NHS looks at patient safety incidents. It has replaced the Serious Incident Framework (SIF) and represents a significant shift in the way the NHS responds to patient safety incidents.

PSIRF supports the development and maintenance of an effective patient safety incident response system and will lead to more compassionate engagement and involvement for those affected by patient safety incidents and give staff space for reflection.

An important factor of PSIRF is to understand how incidents happen, and this allows us to learn and improve, in turn creating a safer care system for patient. The four key aims of PSIRF are:

1. Compassionate engagement and involvement of those affected by patient safety incidents
2. Application of a range of system-based approaches to learning from patient safety incidents
3. Considered and proportionate responses to patient safety incidents
4. Supportive oversight focused on strengthening response system functioning and improvement

PSIRF plan

The aim of our PSIRF plan is to provide guidance and clarity as to how we intend to respond to patient safety incidents.

• Patient Safety Incident Response Plan
• Patient Safety Incident Response Policy

Learn more about PSIRF

More information about PSIRF can be found on NHS England’s website.

Below is a short video by NHS England to explain more: