On behalf of: Director, Quality & Clinical Governance
A recent sequence of events related to patient safety has demonstrated the strength and effectiveness of Island Health's Clinical Governance system. This example highlights how safety concerns are identified early, escalated appropriately, and addressed through coordinated, system-wide action to protect patients.
During a recent Emergency Medicine C.A.R.E. Network meeting, staff identified a patient safety event that appeared similar to previous incidents. Rather than treating it as an isolated occurrence, the team immediately activated established clinical governance processes to ensure the issue was fully investigated and addressed.
The Lead Secretariat opened a tracking ticket in the Clinical Governance Information System to support structured review and monitoring. In parallel, the Patient Safety Team analyzed historical data to determine how often similar events had occurred. Based on this analysis, the concern was escalated to the Coordinating Support Unit, which ensures emerging safety issues are directed to the appropriate governance tables efficiently and effectively.
Recognizing the potential for a broader trend, leaders requested that findings be organized into themes and advanced to the Clinical Risk and Patient Safety Subcommittee. This Subcommittee will now assess whether the issue is present in other settings or care areas and whether a coordinated, system-level response is required. If the Subcommittee confirms a wider pattern, it may recommend actions such as developing a new organization-wide policy to ensure consistent practice and safer care across all service areas.
This rapid and integrated response reflects the governance model working exactly as intended. Frontline teams detect concerns early, safety and secretariat teams mobilize quickly, cross-program leaders align the response, subcommittees assess risk across the system, and coordinated solutions are developed when patterns emerge.
In an increasingly complex care environment, this example underscores the value of our governance processes as active mechanisms that strengthen patient safety, improve learning, and support organization wide improvement.