Safety recommendation
HSSIB recommends that the National Institute for Health and Care Research assesses the priority and feasibility of commissioning research to review the viability of implementing technology that could support reducing the risk of retained swabs. The review should balance patient safety, costs, benefits, design, implementation, and the various ways in which the technology could be used to reduce other patient safety concerns to as low as reasonably practicable.
Response:
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funds health and social care research that improves people’s health and wellbeing. Working with those who use, plan and deliver health services in the UK, we identify and prioritise important topics to fund through specific calls for research. Following referral from HSSIB, the safety recommendation for ‘Retained swabs following invasive procedures’ will be considered through the NIHR’s established research commissioning processes with the aim of generating high-quality evidence to support decision making. After an initial ‘in-house’ assessment of the topic to determine what is already known (the existing evidence base), we will engage with a wide range of individuals with a broad spectrum of knowledge, skills and expertise to agree the most appropriate mechanism to address the outstanding uncertainties. This may result in the development of a new NIHR commissioned call for research or progression of the topic through one of the existing NIHR programmes or infrastructure.
Actions planned to deliver safety recommendation:
- NIHR review recommendation and aim to develop a tractable research question, by approx May - June 2024. This activity will include an in-depth review of the current evidence base which may identify existing research studies which already address the evidence gap/question and therefore negate the need for further primary research.
- NIHR agree most appropriate commissioning route, by July 2024.
- Recommended commissioning route approved by relevant NIHR Programme Director, by September 2024.
- If approved, next steps include development of a call specification or alternatively progression of the topic through one of the existing NIHR programmes or infrastructure, by Sept/Oct 2024. This date may be subject to change.
Response received on 15 July 2024.