Managing Risk
To manage risk, NHS Grampian uses a simplified version of the Risk Management Lifecycle consisting of 4 stages, with risks stored in the Datix database system
All staff and contractors are encouraged to hold risk identification sessions with the aim of listing potential risks, which are then ranked using the standard NHS risk assessment matrix (RAM). Staff are encouraged to plan risk responses using the industry standard approach of Treat/Mitigate, Avoid, Accept or Transfer. We employ the three part risk description commonly used in British industry of cause-event-consequence to articulate individual risks and to simplify understanding across a diverse organisation.
Risk owners are encouraged to develop action plans to manageindividual risks using the commonly practiced SMART approach.
For the identification and management of wider hazards & complex risks, NHS Grampian uses the Bow Tie method.
This approach requires individual hazards to be identified, along with the corresponding events that may be caused should control of them be lost.
The threats that may cause such loss of control are identified and mapped, along with the potential consequences that the event may lead to.
Barriers to guard against threats, and mitigations to blunt or avoid consequences, are also modelled.
