Patient Advocacy Service welcomes the commencement of the Patient Safety (Notifiable Incidents and Open Disclosure) Act 2023

The Act introduces a legal requirement for Open Disclosure following a serious notifiable incident and will ensure that patients and their families are informed of any such incidents and are included in any subsequent investigations. The health or social care service is mandated to make an apology and provide information on what has happened.

The legislation gives families the right to be heard and have fair resolution. A Designated Person is required in each health and social care service to support a family or relevant person in the aftermath of the incident and through Open Disclosure. The Act mandates the notification of such events to the appropriate regulatory bodies, ensuring transparency and accountability in all health and social care settings.

The Patient Advocacy Service offers support to those who have been impacted by a patient safety incident, and through our work, we seek to support those impacted by such an incident and keep them at the centre of any processes that follow. Our Advocates are fully trained and trauma informed and through empowerment advocacy, can ensure that patients, nursing home residents and their families are fully informed of their rights so that they are fully engaged in any patient safety reviews and can share their lived experience and impact real change. Patients in public acute hospitals, residents in nursing homes and their families can contact the Patient Advocacy Service in the aftermath of a patient safety incident and avail of that independent support.