'The big buzz': a qualitative study of how safe care is perceived, understood and improved in general practice

Background: Exploring frontline staff perceptions of patient safety is important, because they largely determine how improvement interventions are understood and implemented. However, research evidence in this area is very limited. This study therefore: explores participants’ understanding of patient safety as a concept; describes the factors thought to contribute to patient safety incidents (PSIs); and identifies existing improvement actions and potential opportunities for future interventions to help mitigate risks. Methods: A total of 34 semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 general practitioners, 12 practice nurses and 11 practice managers in the West of Scotland. The data were thematically analysed. Results: Patient safety was considered an important and integral part of routine practice. Participants perceived a proportion of PSIs as being inevitable and therefore not preventable. However, there was consensus that most factors contributing to PSIs are amenable to improvement efforts and acknolwedgement that the potential exists for further enhancements in care procedures and systems. Most were aware of, or already using, a wide range of safety improvement tools for this purpose. While the vast majority was able to identify specific, safety-critical areas requiring further action, this was counter-balanced by the reality that additional resources were a decisive requirment. Conclusion: The perceptions of participants in this study are comparable with the international patient safety literature: frontline staff and clinicians are aware of and potentially able to address a wide range of safety threats. However, they require additional resources and support to do so

This place

An original Latin-Blues composition. This Place uses the half step-whole step symmetrical diminished scale in the formation of the main melodic theme. After the initial statement of the 12 bar theme there is a 12 bar percussion breakdown before the repeat of the main theme

Chillaxin'

A jazz piece for solo piano and/or jazz ensemble. This piece combines traditional and contemporary approaches. It is primarily old style swing but incorporates many modern harmonic techniques/devices, as evidenced in the score, such as: the use of upper structure triads, drop two voicing techniques, and voicing in fourths

Straight force five

An original Jazz/World Music Composition. Straight Force Five is a Jazz/World Music fusion modal composition with an AABA structure based on a D Dorian tonality for each A section and an E Flat Dorian tonality for the B section. The time signatures move between 4/4. 5/4 and 6/

In the flow

Contemporary blues in B flat. A 12 bar blues utilising the bebop blues harmonic structure

Full moon dance

A Jazz Celtic World Music Fusion Jig. A jig time melody placed in a setting where the rhythm section plays in 4/4 and 6/4 time simultaneously over contemporary modal jazz voicing

Changing times

A contemporary Funk-Blues. Changing Times uses the C Blues and the G half step/ whole step symmetric diminished scales in the creation of it's melodic theme. The time signature moves between 4, 6 and 5 in the A section before straightening up to a 4/4 in the B sectio

Storm on the ridge

Storm on the Ridge is a dark and brooding soundscape piece which utilises the exotic harmonic base of C melodic minor. The Time signature is 7/4

West Brompton blues

A Celtic Jig time melody performed over a rhythm section part that combines a 4/4 Latin feel with a 6/4 Jazz time feel simultaneously. This is all placed in a contemporary jazz harmonic contex

Summer morning

Contemporary LatinContemporary Latin. An engaging contemporary Latin flavoured theme primarily composed using the F aeolian mode and combining 7/8 and 4/4 time signatures