Poster covering: Minimising the risk of preventable harm to patients is a key NHS priority. Current national patient safety initiatives in acute hospitals include a focus on measuring preventable harm. How to apply the trigger tool process , a rapid method of screening electronic patient records to detect patient harm , as a feasible part of routine practice. We promote the idea that the trigger method will enable the primary care team to refocus their measurement, learning and improvement efforts on one of the most serious issues facing the NHS, minimising the risk to patients of unintentional but avoidable harm.
