King Edward VII’s Hospital has hired Jabeen Ahmad as its first patient safety partner (PSP).

The PSP is a new role for both private and NHS healthcare settings working under the new Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF) which aims to establish a systems-based approach to responding and learning from patient safety incidents.

Ahmad will support PSIRF within the hospital providing a perspective through a patient lens (she has a chronic health condition herself) to support developments and innovations, and to drive continuous improvement of quality and safety of services.

The role will be involved in the designing of safer healthcare at all levels in the hospital, to promote safety, and maximise opportunities for effective and embedded learning.

Ahmad has more than 20 years’ experience and previously worked in director of pharmacovigilance roles at several global pharmaceutical companies. In addition to medicines safety, she led projects raising awareness of the lack of images of clinical symptoms on black and brown skin in medical textbooks, as well as highlighting the need to test medical technologies such as pulse oximeters on a full range of skin tones to ensure accuracy in all patients.

David Barron, head of governance at King Edward VII Hospital said: “Through Jabeen coming on board, we are making a commitment to every patient’s clinical pathway throughout the hospital. Her role will provide unique insight and constructive challenge to ensure the continued enhancement of a systems-based approach to responding and learning from patient safety incidents, responsive and high-quality patient experience and ensure that a patient’s views are taken into consideration in every decision-making process.”