Peeling back the layers: West Herts “Onion”

This film explains the innovative approach to safety improvement that has been developed by West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust, called “Onion”. Onion is a way to “peel back the layers” of what stops doctors, nurses and other staff being able to consistently deliver high quality, safe care to our patients.

A core part of Onion is a daily meeting, open to all, where the key question is: 'What can we do today to make a difference to our patients tomorrow?'. Staff can raise any and all issues they are concerned about, and these are addressed in an open and supportive way. The aim is then to address these issues rapidly and quickly report on the actions taken and how well these are working.