Scotland's successful national approach to improving patient safety in acute care.

What does it take to transform the safety of health care across a nation, even a small one? The Scottish Patient Safety Programme, mandated by the government, began in January 2008 with the aim of reducing mortality in Scotland's hospitals by 15 percent in five years. With the collaboration of political leaders, senior health care managers, clinicians, and patients, the program has improved the quality and safety of hospital care. At the halfway point, in-hospital mortality rates have declined by 5 percent, and infection rates for certain hospital-associated infections have been cut by more than half. The Scottish Patient Safety Programme continues to prove that a national strategic approach can lead to unprecedented improvements in patient safety.