Patient safety is being highlighted at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital (KEMH) this month. A special Speak Up campaign encourages patients to take control of their health care by asking questions and insisting on being included in decisions.

As a part of this initiative, The Royal Gazette this month is featuring a series of tips that promote patient safety.

To help prevent errors in surgery the following steps should take place:

[bul] You will have to sign an informed consent form, which verifies that you and your doctor have discussed the surgery beforehand and know each other’s expectations and the risks associated with the specific surgery.

[bul] Staff responsible for your care will verify who you are, what kinds of surgery you are having and the part of your body the surgery will be performed on. You will be asked these questions several times. Staff will double check your answers against documents provided by your doctor including X-rays.

[bul] All hairpins, jewellery, dentures, contact lenses and glasses must be removed before entering the pre-operating area. Staff will secure your valuables for you and return them after the procedure.

[bul] To ensure surgery is conducted on the correct part of the body a member of the surgical team will physically draw on your body. This is called site marking. You should be conscious when this takes place or have a family member present if you are sedated.

[bul] To avoid confusion make sure that only the location where your procedure is to be performed is marked.

[bul] Site markings indicate a general area. X-ray or other diagnostic tools may be used to pinpoint the exact location of a surgery.

[bul] You can ask your doctor if he or she plans to take a “time-out” with the surgical team just before beginning your surgery. During the time out, the members of the team assure themselves that hey are performing the correct procedure at the correct site and on the correct person.