| A vision for integrating Human Factors in Health & Social Care |
Human Factors input in any industrial sector often follows a major incident or change in legislation. In the 1990s, the removal of Crown Immunity from prosecution under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 meant that the NHS had to comply with safety legislation as hospitals and other care locations were considered to be places of work. From the 1980s to 2000s, Human Factors input focused on occupational health, building design, and systems approaches to embed Human Factors as part of the health care organisational culture.
In 2004 the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) recommended the use of Human Factors as part of the ‘Seven Steps to Patient Safety. There has been much good progress since then including a National Concordat bringing together 16 organisations. Health and Social Care has already started to benefit from Human Factors approaches.
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