Health and Community Services
October 27, 2014

Enhancing Patient Safety for Communities and Families

Provincial Government Recognizes Canadian Patient Safety Week in Newfoundland and Labrador

Canadian Patient Safety Week is being recognized in Newfoundland and Labrador from October 27 to 31 to increase awareness of patient-safety issues and share information about best practices.

“Canadian Patient Safety Week provides us with an opportunity to reflect on the importance of keeping patients safe in our health care facilities and our overall efforts to make care safer. It is also a time to have meaningful conversations about key hygiene practices that help to reduce the spread of infection and keep ourselves healthy at home and in health care settings.”
- The Honourable Steve Kent, Minister of Health and Community Services

The focus for Canadian Patient Safety Week is hand hygiene and infection prevention. Hand hygiene is the single most important way to prevent the spread of health care associated infections. To practice proper hand hygiene, patients, health care professionals and the general public are encouraged to clean their hands regularly with soap and water for 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

“We all have a role to play in keeping ourselves and our health care system safe. Hand hygiene is one of the main ways to prevent the spread of infection. Cleaning your hands often can go a long way in preventing the spread of disease and saving lives.”
- Dr. Faith Stratton, Chief Medical Officer of Health for Newfoundland and Labrador

The Canadian Patient Safety Institute coordinates National Patient Safety week activities with the overarching theme being: Ask. Listen. Talk. Health care professionals, patients, and their families are encouraged to ask questions, listen, and talk about concerns and ways of improving safety.

QUICK FACTS

• Canadian Patient Safety Week is being marked in Newfoundland and Labrador from October 27 to 31.
• The focus for Canadian Patient Safety Week is hand hygiene and the prevention of infection.
• Hand hygiene remains the primary means to reduce infections that can spread in health care facilities and communities.
• To practice proper hand hygiene, patients, health care professionals and the general public are encouraged to clean their hands regularly with soap and water for 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• The Canadian Patient Safety Institute coordinates national Patient Safety week activities with the overarching theme being: Ask. Listen. Talk.

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Media contact:

Heather MacLean Director of Communications Department of Health and Community Services 709-729-1377, 697-4137 heathermaclean@gov.nl.ca

2014 10 27                                        10:25 a.m.