Patient Safety in Action
Objective 1: Partnership Strength
“Change is possible in an African hospital through a partnership based approach. Partnership working can be a channel for change when there is individual passion supported by institutional support… The strong partnership between Kisiizi and Chester is the foundation upon which change has been stimulated.”
Dr Tonny Tumwesigye, Medical Superintendent, Church of Uganda Hospital, Kisiizi and Mrs Sarah Hoyle, APPS Focal Point, Countess of Chester Hospital, England.
The unique APPS partnership-based approach to patient safety improvement can bring benefits to both arms of the partnership. The nature of these benefits is distinct in either arm. Though the nature of this ‘bidirectional learning’ can often be hidden at first, especially for resource-richer partners, multiple forms of knowledge exist and learning flows in both directions.
APPS is now working with 14 African countries:
APPS 1st Wave Partnerships
APPS 2nd Wave Partnerships
APPS works closely with partnership-focused organizations such as THET (Tropical Health and Education Trust) in the UK and ESTHER (Ensemble pour une Solidarité Therapeutique Hospitalière En Reseau) in France. Collaboration with ESTHER enabled three patient safety partnerships to be established between hospitals in France and hospitals in Burundi, Cote D’Ivoire and Niger in 2011.