Patient safety incident response framework (PSIRF) is the NHS's new approach to responding to patient safety incidents.

It sets out how and when investigations should be conducted and helps to create a more open and transparent patient safety culture.

It develops and maintains effective systems and processes for responding to incidents, to help us learn and improve patient safety.

It has four key aims:

  1. Compassionate engagement and involvement of those affected by patient safety incidents
  2. Application of a range of system-based approaches to learning from patient safety incidents
  3. Considered and proportionate responses to patient safety incidents
  4. Supportive oversight focussed on strengthening response system functioning and improvement

Read our patient safety incident response plan.

Read our patient safety incident response framework policy.

You can also watch this NHS England animation for more information about the response framework.