Quality and safety marker reporting to start again 1 July 2020, post COVID-19 interruption

From 1 July 2020, the Health Quality & Safety Commission expects district health boards (DHBs) to start collecting data again for all measures relating to the quality and safety markers (QSMs), following the recent interruption due to COVID-19. For example, falls risk assessment and care planning for the falls QSM and number of cardiac arrests for the patient deterioration QSM. The first date for submission is 6 November 2020.

All measures will be published in the national QSM report for the July–September 2020 quarter.

We have extended the date for submitting data for all Surgical Site Infection Improvement programme (SSIIP) process and outcome measures to 30 June 2020 for procedures between October and December 2019. The date for submitting January–March 2020 procedures is 31 July 2020. The date for submitting April–June 2020 procedures is 31 October 2020. These deadlines have not been extended.

DHBs are expected to start collecting data for the consumer engagement QSM in December 2020 and provide an initial report in June 2021.

We are continuing to monitor and publish outcome measures where data is obtained electronically from the National Minimum Dataset (NMDS), for example, falls with a fractured neck of femur.

The measures that will be published in the national reports for the January–March 2020 quarter are:

• in-hospital falls causing fractured neck of femur
• risk-adjusted postoperative deep vein thrombosis/pulmonary embolism cases
• opioid-related harm for surgical episodes of care.

The national report for the April–June 2020 quarter will include these measures but also the SSIIP process and outcome measures.

The above dates may change in response to future developments around the COVID-19 pandemic.