PATIENT SAFETY, QUALITY & RISK MANAGEMENT ASSIGNMENT

Patient Safety, Quality & Risk Management Assignment



Patient Safety, Quality & Risk Management Assignment



Introduction

Food safety and food quality are very important factors that describe the important aspects of food which determine the nutrition in the food product and the betterment that it provides to the consumers. The World Health Organization described food safety and food quality as “Food safety refers to the acute or chronic hazards that make the food injurious and unhealthy for the consumers. These hazards should not be negotiated at any condition. In addition to this, quality refers to all the attributes that have an impact on the value of a product to the consumer.” There are important initiatives taken by the World Health Organization and other relevant responsible bodies for the enhancement of food safety and food quality. Every living being needs food to survive. This is a fact. Nutrition plays and integral part in the prevention and management of chronic and acute illnesses, the correction of impaired function and the rehabilitation of the individual (Jacob & White, 2007) and our nutritional status health, physical and mental faculties, depends on the food we eat and how we eat it. Therefore, it is logical and cost effective to pay particular attention to what we eat. Food as defined by http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/food is a substance that nourishes is taken into the body, for the provision of energy, promotion of growth, sustaining life and patient safety according to World Health Organization (WHO), it is the absence of harm that could be prevented during the process of health care to a patient. The writer works in a long-term hospital which is committed to the health and safety of its service users.

The hospital is equally obliged to provide advice on the safety and suitability of food and drinks brought in by visitors as gift to enhance the quality of life of the service users and to adhere to the principles of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP), (COH, Guide 5019). This commitment of safety led to the development of “Guideline on Bringing in Food and Drink for Service Users” For the purpose of this assignment and to maintain confidentiality, the hospital's name will be referred to as 'the hospital' while the guideline will be referred to as 'the hospital guideline 2012' and the service users will be referred to as 'residents'. Elderly residents of long - term care facility might experience a situation in which they would have to eat food that has been prepared involving certain excursions or brought in by visitors, which could result in exposure to pathogens that are introduced by food (Kirk, 2012 ). The hospital guideline developed in October 2012 aimed to reduce the risk of infection, food poisoning, food borne illnesses, choking, allergic reactions and unintended interactions with prescribed medications (COH, Guide 5019). Hence, it is necessary for a clear operational guideline about bringing food/drink into the hospital to be in ...