6013 Assessing patient safety culture in a welsh neonatal unit

Objectives In recent years, safety in neonatal units has been highlighted, and considered high priority on the healthcare quality program. Safety culture is believed to contribute and greatly influence the quality and safety of patients in the neonatal unit. Assessing safety culture is the first step toward improving patient safety. This study aimed to provide a baseline assessment of the patient safety culture in a neonatal unit in Wales, to provide an overview of factors that contribute to patient safety, to identify strengths and weaknesses, and to use the information to plan for improvement. Methods All staff working in the neonatal unit at Prince Charles Hospital were invited to participate in a web-based Survey on Patient Safety Culture (SOPS®) Hospital Survey version 2.0. The study period was from June 7 to 17, 2023. Positive response rate to 10 patient safety culture composite measures and 2 outcomes (overall patient safety rating and the number of safety events reported in the past year) were analysed. Composite measures with a positive rate of 75% or more are identified as strengths, measures with 50–75% have potential for improvement, and those with less than 50% as weaknesses. Results 100 staff members were invited to participate in the study. 37 surveys were completed, giving us a response rate of 37%. 32% of participants were neonatal nurses and 46% were doctors. 49% of respondents reported no patient safety event, while 30% reported 1–2 events in the past year. The patient safety composite measures with the highest positive rates were 'Teamwork' at 91%,'Supervisor, manager, or clinical leader support for patient safety' at 81%, and 'Organisational learning – continuous improvement' at 76%. The remaining 7 composite measures' positivity rates ranged from 62 to 69%, identifying potential areas improvement. Conclusion This patient safety culture study has identified strengths and areas for improvement. The next step is to use this information to develop an action plan to improve patient safety in our neonatal unit.