The priority for Harmed Patients Alliance is for the Healthcare System to respond to incidents of harm in ways that avoid causing any further harm, and instead support genuine healing alongside learning from events. For a Duty of Care to Harmed Patients and Families to be recognised and upheld.
We surveyed Harmed patients to understand how the response to an adverse event impacted them, and what they needed after they were harmed.
The results of our survey, along with the themes from countless inquiries, support our call to action for all with a role in the aftermath of harm to take the causes of compounded harm seriously, to do no more harm, and look to Restorative Principles and Practices to inform compassionate responses intent upon meeting everyone’s needs that fit with the ‘healing’ identity of the healthcare system and its espoused values.