Virtual College partnership with NHS England generates a quarter of a million online registrations for National Patient Safety Suite

In just four years, there have been over a quarter of a million registrations for the National Patient Safety Suite of online courses.

Over 85 Community Trusts, Acute Trusts, Mental Health Trusts, CCGs, universities and private healthcare organisations have already subscribed to the National Patient Safety Training Suite, developed by online learning specialist, Virtual College, in partnership with NHS England.

There are now nine online patient safety courses covering areas such as the safe use of insulin, omitted and delayed medicines in hospital and the safe management of hypoglycaemia.

Judith Clarkson, divisional director at Virtual College, commented: “These courses are helping to save lives and improve patient care.

"We are really proud to have achieved a take up of this significance in such a short period of time which demonstrates the need for such training."

"Online learning can help achieve rapid dissemination of knowledge and understanding."

Four more National Patient Safety Training Suite courses are due to be released over the next few months:

• Minimise the Risk of Harm from Medicines Overdose
• Managing Diabetes in Pregnancy
• Get Moving, Get Healthy
• The Safe Management of the Diabetic Foot

All courses within the National Patient Safety Training Suite can be accessed free of charge by staff employed by organisations that subscribe to the online training. For organisations not yet subscribing to the training suite, different subscription options are available depending on the size of the organisation.

The content of the courses has been independently certified as conforming to universally accepted Continuous Professional Development (CPD) guidelines.

The full list of nine courses currently available is:

• Omitted and Delayed Medicines in Hospital
• The Safe Use of Insulin
• The Safe Management of Hypoglycaemia
• The Safe Use of Intravenous Insulin Infusions in Adults
• The Safe Use of Non-Insulin Therapies for Diabetes
• The Safe Use of Insulin Syringes, Pen Devices, Pumps & Sharps
• The Safe Management of Diabetes During End of Life Care
• Caring for Children & Young People with Diabetes Mellitus
• The Safe Management of People with Diabetes, Dementia, Depression and Severe Mental Illness