The Helsinki Declaration on Patient Safety in Anaesthesiology: the past, present and future

Four years after the launch of the Helsinki Declaration on Patient Safety in Anaesthesiology, it is of interest to assess its role in European and Global Patient Safety efforts.

The Declaration is widely supported, not only in Europe, but also has attracted much attention and support globally. In Europe, it represented a major step in European-wide patient safety networking and initiatives. The European Patient Safety Task Force, created jointly by the European Board of Anaesthesiology and the European Society of Anaesthesiology, has developed useful monitoring and introduction tools. A new Patient Safety Committee is being introduced, and this will facilitate current and future initiatives.

The launch of Helsinki Declaration of Patient Safety in Anaesthesiology in 2010 was a major step forward for patient safety initiatives in European and Global anesthesiology. Several steps have been taken in the 4 years that have passed, but the task needs continuous attention to ensure that every patient received the safest possible anesthesiology care.