An evaluation of the Open and Honest Care Programme in acute NHS trusts in Northern England

To explore the impact of the National Health Service England's Open and Honest Care Programme on patient safety, patient and staff experience and improvement practices within acute National Health Service settings.

The Open and Honest Care Programme forms a key tenet of the Nursing Midwifery and Care Staff Strategy launched by the Department of Health in England and Wales in 2012.

An electronic survey (n = 387) was administered to National Health Service staff. Semi-structured telephone interviews (n = 13) were conducted with senior nurses and ward managers.

Over 70% of the survey respondents agreed that the programme increased transparency with the public about the quality of care, helped the working experience of National Health Service staff and improved patient safety respectively. Interviews revealed the Open and Honest Care Programme had enabled National Health Service staff to appraise the effectiveness of their improvement efforts.

The Open and Honest Care Programme could be an important part of the National Health Service Improvement Strategy. The collection of metric and narrative information highlighted where patient-centred improvements were required, facilitating the targeting and development of specific interventions or resources.

The results indicate that the programme may assist managers to identify areas for improvement and that programmes such as this deserve consideration by health-care management globally.