Responding and Reporting Adverse Events

In care settings, unaddressed issues can compromise the well-being and safety of individuals. Therefore, in situations when concerns are serious, you must report them in line with your organisation’s agreed ways of working. Agreed ways of working are the policies, procedures, and standards set by your employer that define how you are expected to carry out your duties. They are designed in line with national legislation and regulatory guidelines to ensure that all care is safe, consistent, and legally compliant.

In most cases, the first step, whether it’s an incident, error, or near miss, is to attend to the immediate needs of the individuals involved. This could mean administering first aid, calling emergency services, or simply talking to the person to check how they’re feeling. For example, if someone has slipped and fallen, your first action should be to check for injuries and ensure they are stable. If a medication error has occurred, you should make sure the individual is monitored and that medical advice is sought where necessary.

Once the immediate situation is under control, the next step is to inform your line manager. Managers are in the best position to assess the situation and take the necessary action. After speaking to your manager, you should complete the appropriate documentation. Every organisation has forms and procedures in place for recording incidents. These may be known as an incident report, accident form, or something similar. In this document, you need to add information about what happened, when, where, and how, as well as who was involved and what action was taken.