Policy News - 31 March 2021

The following policies have recently been ratified by the Trust’s Policy Committee.   Please take the time to review those which may be relevant to your role.  

Medical Device Management Policy

The Management of Medical Devices Policy is a newly integrated policy from the previous versions from CHSFT & STFT.  The policy outlines the processes for the management of medical devices across the Trust and highlights the responsibilities of individuals and groups alike.  All staff who use medical devices in their line of work should familiarise themselves with the content of this policy.

This policy will shortly be complemented with the Medical device Training Policy.

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Lone Worker Policy

The Lone Worker Policy ensures that the Trust has suitable and effective operational arrangements in place for the management of Lone Workers.  This policy is developed to ensure that lone workers are properly risk-assessed in an appropriate and dynamic way.  Safe systems and methods of work must be put in place to reduce the risk to a level that is considered reasonably practicable.  The Trust will incorporate a risk based approach to the allocation of resources and investment in line with the identified risks of the organisation, of which lone working is a key element.

The policy details:

• Roles and responsibilities for the management of Lone Workers
• Definition of a Lone Worker
• Legislation around the protection of lone workers
• Lone Worker Risk Assessment

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Data Quality Assurance Policy

Data Quality Assurance is central to the Trust’s ongoing ability to meet statutory, legal, financial and other contractual requirements and the recently reviewed policy outlines the general principles and standards expected to operate within the organisation. 

The purpose of this policy is to:
 

• Ensure the Trust continuously improves data quality in order to support business needs and delivery of a high quality health care service.
• Confirm the programme for monitoring compliance of data quality standards.
• Make it clear to all staff working for, or on behalf of the Trust, of their duties and responsibilities with regards to good data quality.

The review of the Data Quality Assurance policy is a reminder for all staff to ensure:

• Any transfer of patient identifiable information must be via an approved Safehaven with the exception of uploads to registries, SSNAP etc.  However in these instances there must be an identified SRO for the submission who signs off the data as being accurate in line with the principles outlined in this policy.  Data Assurance will be assuring the processes for generation of the data for submissions made by clinical teams.
• Non patient identifiable external submissions – needs appropriate sign off and a separate protocol is being developed for this which will be shared in due course.  The high level principles are:

• Effective data quality processes need to be in place to provide assurance that data is accurate. 
• Before data is submitted externally or provided as response to a request from an external organisation it must be checked / approved at the appropriate level  which is proportionate to the potential risk to the Trust.

• Staff should discuss with their manager in the first instance, any request they receive for information  from an external body to ascertain the level of risk and reach a decision on what  action to take.
• Any new data return, of a routine / mandatory nature, must be signed off by a Director, though this may be delegated as appropriate.  All regular submissions to national portals e.g. SCDS  will be made by Corporate Functions e.g. daily SITrep.

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