Significant Event Analysis

Why do SEA for peer review?

• SEA allows for an in-depth structured analysis of an event that a member of the healthcare team defines as 'significant'.
• Undertaking an SEA and submitting it for a peer review can support you in the appraisal process in preparation for revalidation as it is a core category for GP appraisal.

How does it work?

• Any member of the practice, GPs or staff, can complete an SEA and submit it for peer review.

There are seven stages of SEA:

• Awareness and prioritisation of a significant event
• Information gathering
• The facilitated team-based meeting
• Analysis of significant event
• Agree, implement and monitor change
• Write it up
• Report, share and review

Constructive feedback on the SEA will be provided to give you an insight into what has happened and why to help minimise the risk of 'event' repetition.

How will this help me as a GP/practice team?

• Evidence of participation in SEA by teams and individuals is necessary to satisfy governance requirements of a number of external bodies.
• Gain greater understanding and evidence of strengths and weaknesses of care.
• Identifies learning needs and shares good practice of the practice team through reflection, discussion and analysis.
• SEA helps to build a safety culture and enables practice teams to learn from incidents which might not otherwise have been dealt with or prioritised

What is enhanced SEA?

• Enhanced SEA is a NES innovation (funded by the Health Foundation 2012 SHINE programme) which aims to guide health care teams to apply human factors thinking when performing a significant event analysis, particularly where the event has had an emotional impact on staff involved.
• Taking this approach will help individual clinicians and care teams to openly, honestly and objectively analyse patient safety incidents, particularly more difficult or sensitive safety cases, by 'depersonalising' the incident and searching for deeper, systems-based reasons for why the significant event happened.
• In this way, a more constructive approach to learning can take place and more meaningful improvement can be implemented to minimise the risks of the event happening again.

Further information

For details of how to prepare for and submit an SEA for peer review please see the documents below:

• SEA Guidance for Primary Care Teams
• Example of Patient Safety for Education Scenario
• SEA Standard Report Form (Please open with Internet Explorer)
• SEA Peer Review Feedback Form
• Costs for SEA: £50 - Please contact June Morrison for payment option. Contact details can be found below.

For any general queries please contact June Morrison:
Email: june.morrison@nhs.scot