Patient Safety Transformation Programme
Client Context
Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT) provides mental health and community health services to more than 3.2 million people across Essex, Bedfordshire and Suffolk. Following a number ofhigh-profile incidents, the Trust identified patient safety as its highest organisational priority and commissioned Human Engine to develop a new patient safety strategy and support its implementation. The objective was to create a sustainable programme of improvement that would strengthen leadership, culture, governance and clinical practice, resulting in safer care and improved patient outcomes.
Our Approach
We worked alongside EPUT and system partners to develop and implement a patient safety strategy, translating ambition into a structured programme of measurable improvement. This included:
Strategy Development: Worked with EPUT and partners across the wider health and care system to develop a new patient safety strategy and establish a shared vision for improvement.
Stakeholder Engagement: Engaged leaders, clinicians and partners across NHS England, Integrated Care Boards, Primary Care Networks, provider trusts and local authorities to build consensus and ownership.
Programme Design: Translated the strategy into a structured three-year improvement programme with clear priorities, accountable owners and measurable outcomes.
Implementation Support: Embedded alongside Trust teams to provide programme management, governance, reporting and analytical support throughout delivery.
Clinical Improvement Delivery: Supported implementation across four priority areas: self-harm and suicide prevention, sexual safety, restrictive practice and physical health.
Outputs and Outcomes
The programme delivered a new patient safety strategy, embedded organisation-wide change and achieved significant improvements in patient safety and patient outcomes:
Patient Safety Strategy: Developed and launched the Trust's "Safety First, Safety Always" strategy, supported by a comprehensive action plan and measurable outcomes framework.
Organisation-Wide Improvement Programme: Established a three-year transformation programme covering leadership, culture, wellbeing, continuous learning, innovation, governance and insight.
Reduction in Serious Incidents: Achieved a sustained reduction in serious incidents to fewer than one per month.
Improved Patient Safety Outcomes: Delivered a 95% reduction in prone restraints and a 40% reduction in seclusions through targeted improvement initiatives.
Enhanced Patient Experience: 80% of patients involved in a self-harm pilot reported a reduction in the urge to self-harm, while lived experience ambassadors increased by 480%, strengthening the patient voice.
National Recognition: The programme received national recognition, including an HSJ Award for Workforce Initiative of the Year and a Building Better Healthcare Award for ward improvements.
About Us
Human Engine is a leading management consultancy with specialisms in strategy, transformation, digital, commercial, procurement and projects.
Founded in 2018, we have partnered with more than 50 local authorities, central government, NHS organisations and national charities to help transform their strategies, operations and cultures.
Our mission is to help individuals and organisations to do the best work of their lives. We do this by blending first-hand, practical experience of the problems we help our clients solve with award-winning consulting expertise and an approach based on trust, collaboration and partnership.