Q Has the band been approved by the National Patient Safety Agency?

The NPSA do not currently have a program of approving commercial products for use. The band has been discussed with the NPSA throughout its development and they have been very supportive. The use of devices such as the SafetyBand has been cleared in Patient Safety Alert 06 as follows:

• Action for the NHS :-
• By 16 March 2005 NHS organisations providing acute care in England and
  Wales should have action underway to:
  • use the national CSS pre-operative marking recommendations (see insert
  page one) or a robust local alternative;
  • use the pre-operative marking verification checklist to ensure marking
  recommendations are carried out (see insert page two) or a robust local
  alternative;

Q I have been marking patients for years without using a band. I've never had an errors why should I change now?

Whilst you have a procedure which works for you it is unlikely that even the most diligent consultant will always operate on all of their patients. The patient band will ensure that all of the members of your team have the same high standards as you.

Only 39% of wrong site surgery errors are wrong sided surgery. Sixty-one percent involve the patient having entirely the wrong procedure. Arrows and marks will not work in this situation but signing a band with the procedure written on it will. The lifetime risk for the average orthopaedic surgeon of wrong site surgery is thought to be at least 1 in 4.

Q I have never had any problems on my private operating list. I think that the band will slow me down, why should I change?

The days where we know all of our private patients are over. The added numbers of G-Supp patients and the increased throughput in private hospitals means the balance of risk has changed. Alteration to list orders is much more common than it used to be. There is no research to support the supposition that surgical practice in private practice is less likely to lead to error. The consequences of performing the wrong operation for your reputation are enormous. An extra 2 or 3 minutes could be time well spent.

Q Surely this will frighten patients?

In our studies patient satisfaction has been very high. When we asked patients if they would like to wear the band again if they had surgery 100% responded yes. One hundred percent felt that it had improved their safety.

Q I have busy lists this is going to slow me down

The band takes an extra 1-2 minutes at the consenting stage and a further 1-2 minutes in the anaesthetic room. The NPSA changes mean that on many occasions you will need to sign of paper work personally if you have no band. You might as well have the extra protection that the band affords against performing the wrong operation as well as wrong sided surgery. If you really haven't got an extra 2-4 minutes for safety per case then you are too busy and your practice is highly exposed to error.

Q But if we use the band I will have to leave the coffee room and visit every patient in the receiving area or anaesthetic room to confirm it really is the correct patient and the correct procedure?

Yes.

Q I will need to submit this to our Clinical Governance Committee. Can you provide us with any help.

Yes. You can download from here a document which has been used to introduce the band within the NHS. Contact us via for contact page for any more help.