The Role of Patient Identification in Patient Safety

Matching the right patient with the right care is at the heart of safe healthcare. Patient wristbands form a vital link between the patient, local information systems, care delivery and the wider healthcare system. At present there is no standardisation across the NHS for wristband design. Colour coded wristbands have been introduced by some organisations as a barrier to patient safety incidents but there is disparity in the coding systems used between, and sometimes within, healthcare settings. This paper presents some of the human factors issues surrounding patient identification, a survey of current practice across the NHS in England and Wales and steps towards standardisation of wristbands.