1. Who should apply the coding?
This is a local decision; however we recommend initially establishing a local multidisciplinary implementation team to support staff applying the coding in a consistent way.
Once consistent coding has been established, the department can determine who is best placed to apply the coding locally. The individual applying the coding may need to seek further information from the staff involved in the event or who identified the event.
2. When should the coding be applied to an incident or near miss event?
Apply the coding taxonomy once the investigation has been completed, to ensure all elements of the taxonomy relevant to the event are considered.
This includes severity, exposure type, intended modality, performed modality, patient pathway codes and contributory factors.
3. Who should apply the 'PRIA24' trigger code?
NHS providers in England will need to apply the trigger code 'PRIA24', followed by the completed coding taxonomy within the description field of the incident to ensure that data can be identified and included.
4. Can I apply more than one patient pathway code or contributory factor code to an incident?
Yes, all relevant patient pathway and contributory factor codes should be applied. Inclusion of multiple subcodes, where applicable, will enable deeper insight into incident management.
5. If during an investigation a theme is identified over a number of incidents - would I need to change the severity level of the previous incidents?
The severity level of the previous incident(s) should not be changed as this was accurate at the time of investigation. The current incident should be coded as a level 1 severity.
6. Do I still need to report notifiable events to the regulators?
Yes, reporting to this national incident learning system does not replace statutory reporting requirements.
7. Can you provide me with a trend analysis of my local data?
No, the data in our reports is fully anonymised.
8. How will national analysis be published and made available?
A number of publications to support the community in learning from incidents are available online. These include the Safer Imaging E-Bulletin series, which provides key updates and learning from the analysis of data. These publications, along with how to subscribe, are available on the 'Safer Imaging E-bulletin' page.