Trailblazing work by a team at Forth Valley Royal Hospital is saving lives. Figures published recently show that the number of patients suffering cardiac arrest in the Acute Assessment Unit (AAU) at Forth Valley Royal Hospital has fallen dramatically, thanks to enhanced safety measures which have been implemented by staff. Now the new ways of working are being tested in other acute medical units across Scotland, and are being adopted as part of the innovative Scottish Patient Safety Programme.

The study, which was published by the journal BMJ Quality & Safety, shows a significant reduction in the number of cardiac arrests, a fall in the number of calls made to the resuscitation team and an overall improvement in 30 day survival rates.