Patient Safety Incident Reviewer

Northampton General Hospital; Northampton; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Northampton General Hospital is recruiting a Clinical Patient Safety Reviewer to support patient safety governance and incident review. The post holder will review incidents reported in the DATIX system and other sources, ensuring timely action and accurate documentation.

Join a Trust-focused team dedicated to improving patient safety culture, with responsibilities including AAR facilitation, thematic analysis of incidents, and presenting findings to the Incident Review Group.

Qualifications

• Degree-level education or equivalent experience.
• Experience in healthcare settings preferred.
• Knowledge of patient safety incident review frameworks (PSIRF) beneficial.

Responsibilities

• Undertake patient safety incident reviews using various methods (AAR, Structured Judgement Reviews).
• Ensure reporting requirements and timescales for incident management are met.
• Engage with staff to support rapid reviews and gather necessary information.

Skills

Analytical skills

Stakeholder engagement

Interviewing staff

Governance knowledge

Education

Degree-level education

Tools

DATIX

Job description

Site University Hospitals of Northamptonshire Town Northampton Salary £39,959 - £48,117 per annum (pro rata if part time) Salary period Yearly Closing 05/11/2026 23:59 Interview date 17/11/2026

Job overview

The Clinical Patient Safety Reviewer plays a crucial role in supporting the organisation’s commitment to patient safety by systematically reviewing all patient safety incidents, facilitating After Action Review (AAR) responses in line with the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF), and identifying themes across low and no harm incidents. The post holder will ensure effective governance by presenting findings to the Incident Review Group (IRG) and contributing to organisational learning and improvement. Additionally, the reviewer is responsible for ensuring that incidents resulting in moderate and above levels of harm are thoroughly reviewed and presented to the IRG in a timely manner. The post holder will also identify and recommend any immediate safety actions required to prevent future har

Main duties of the job

The post holder will support the Governance team in maintaining the patient safety incident response process in the Trust ensuring it is in accordance with policy and recognised good practice.
The post holder will review patient safety incidents which are reported on the Trust incident reporting system (DATIX) and other sources of insight including but not exclusively; Freedom to Speak Up, complaints and ward visits and support an immediate response and information gathering. This will involve interviewing all relevant parties, such as patients, Trust staff and third parties, which will include highly sensitive and contentious information, especially in the case of serious harm or a fatal incident.

Working for our organisation

We recognise that AI tools can support application writing; however, candidates are asked to keep their use to a minimum. Responses should reflect your own experience, skills and knowledge, as over-reliance on AI-generated content may result in generic answers that do not accurately represent your abilities.

University Hospitals of Northamptonshire (UHN) brings together Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust. As a group, we are committed to improving services for our communities through collaboration, modernising care delivery and striving for excellence. Working together enables us to share expertise, strengthen services and create greater opportunities, and there may be a requirement to work across sites depending on service needs.

Our Excellence Values are Compassion, Accountability, Respect, Integrity and Courage. UHN welcomes applications from all backgrounds and is committed to an inclusive working environment. We are proud signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant and hold the Gold Award under the Employer Recognition Scheme. Candidates who identify as members of the Armed Forces community and meet the essential criteria will be guaranteed an interview.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Undertake patient safety incident reviews using a variety of different methods, including After Action Reviews, Clinical Reviews and Structured Judgement Reviews, demonstrating robust assessment, analysis and interpretation of a broad mix of complex information.
• The post holder is responsible for ensuring that all internal and external reporting requirements and timescales are adhered to for the management of reported incidents. Assess the quality and content of incident reports, seeking further information or clarification from clinical teams as necessary.
• Face to face engagement with staff within clinical areas to support and undertake rapid reviews.
• Coordinate and facilitate AARs in accordance with PSIRF, ensuring a just culture and learning-focused approach.
• Support staff involved in incidents throughout the AAR process, promoting open and constructive dialogue.
• Document outcomes and recommendations arising from AARs and ensure follow-up as required.
• Assist and support with the facilitation of proportionate responses.
• Assist and support with the facilitation of the duty of candour process.
• Support the PSIRF agenda
• Thematic Analysis of Low and No Harm Incidents:
  Review all low and no harm incidents to identify recurring themes, trends, and potential areas for improvement.
• Work collaboratively with the Patient Safety Team to develop thematic reports and share insights with relevant stakeholders.
• Presentation to Incident Review Group and other relevant forums
• Prepare and present summaries of incidents, thematic findings, and recommendations to the Incident Review Group and other relevant forums as required.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of action plans arising from incident reviews.
• Promote a positive patient safety culture across the organisation by supporting staff education and engagement in incident reporting and learning.
• Ensure a visible presence within clinical areas to support staff in undertaking rapid reviews, and the gathering of relevant information to support decision making.
• Provide feedback and learning points to clinical teams to support continuous improvement
• Ensure accurate and confidential management of patient safety data in accordance as required.

Person specification

Education

• Educated to Degree level or equivalent level of education, training or experience
• Registered healthcare professional with current registration
• Evidence of continuous professional development to post graduate level or equivalent
• Training or experience as an after-action review conductor - or be willing to work towards

Knowledge and Experience

• Experience of working in a Healthcare setting
• Experience of investigating patient safety incidents utilising systems-based investigation tools and human factors
• Significant experience in clinical practice and a demonstrable interest in patient safety.
• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Experience in incident investigation, thematic analysis, or governance
• Understanding of the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework and AAR methodology
• Experience applying QI methodology
• Training or experience as an after-action review conductor - or be willing to work towards

Skiills

• Ability to produce logical, well written, clear, high-quality safety reviews suitable for consumption by a range of audiences, including patients and families
• Ability to work well under pressure and manage time effectively
• Ability to establish effective working relationships
• Proven ability to work independently and manage their own caseload
• Ability to prioritise and manage a number of conflicting requirements in a professional manner and deal with a number of complex issues at the same time
• Ability to present a subject to a professional group
• Strong facilitation and communication skills across staff and members of the public
• Use of clinical electronic systems
• IT and standard keyboard skills

At Northampton General Hospital we provide general acute services and hyper-acute stroke, vascular and renal services to people living in Northamptonshire. As well as this we are an accredited cancer centre and provide cancer services to a wider population of Northamptonshire and parts of Buckinghamshire.

We are proud to be the first hospital in the UK to have obtained Pathway to Excellence® designated accreditation from the American nurses credentialing centre (ANCC).

We celebrate staff achievements and value the importance of working as one big team. That’s why we talk about Team NGH. It’s all about working together to provide the best possible care for our patients and supporting each other to grow and develop our skills. We are driven to helping you to be the best you can be.

We want to recruit the best people to deliver our services across the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire and help to unleash everyone’s full potential. As an organisation, we value how we communicate and promote our vacancies to all communities. The Hospital Group encourages applications from people who identify from all protected groups, especially those from BAME, Disabled and LGBTQ+ backgrounds as these are underrepresented in our hospitals. We understand that we need to work with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and make sure the environment they work in is inclusive and collaborative. We have active Networks that promote and support colleagues from all backgrounds.This ensures everyone feels supported and has a sense of belonging working for Kettering and Northampton General Hospitals.

Due to the high number of applications received we are unable to respond to each application individually. If you have not been contacted within 4 weeks of the closing date you have been unsuccessful in this application.

For further information on nursing, apprenticeships, A&E or any other departments please visit our specific website or pages that are indicated on the right hand side of this advert.

Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust recognises that staff of differing backgrounds and life experiences enrich our workforce and bring different skills and knowledge. We therefore encourage and welcome applications for our vacancies from all candidates regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Application numbers

This vacancy may close early if it receives a high number of applications.