A study by the Dr Foster Unit has found a low incidence of patient safety incidents recorded in general practice.

A study by the Dr Foster Unit has found a low incidence of patient safety incidents recorded in general practice, equivalent to 8 adverse events per 10,000 consultations in this care setting.

The research published by the British Journal of General Practice measured the extent of patient safety incidents recorded in English general practice between 1999 and 2008, and the patient risk factors associated with these adverse events.

Older patients, those with more comorbid diseases or who had more previous emergency admissions to hospital were at greater risk of complications of care. Dr Carmen Tsang, lead author of the paper, says “Our finding of a low incidence of patient harm in general practice supports previously published studies. To better understand these adverse events, we must also examine the healthcare interactions from which they originate, and consider how to reduce the incidents that are potentially preventable”.