Expert Mike Rejman will try to reduce errors in Welsh hospitals

Dr Mike Rejman will lead a new campaign aimed at making the Welsh health service more secure.

It will include a new system to encourage people in the NHS to report things that go wrong, so lessons can be learnt.

Dr Rejman will work for the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA), which was set up to serve both Wales and England two years ago.

Dr Rejman becomes the agency's assistant director for Wales, with responsibility to work with NHS trusts and local health boards.

"After working in a variety of different sectors, it is clear to me that many of the issues around human and systems failure are generic even though each sector will have its own specific problems," said Dr Rejman.

We believe that Dr Rejman is well placed to help us take the patient safety agenda forward in Wales Sue Osborn, NPSA

"Healthcare is clearly no exception.

"I look forward to working with trusts and healthcare professionals in Wales to offer practical and supportive solutions that help them to reduce the potential for errors to occur."

The new campaign will begin this autumn, promoting and supporting patient safety inititatives.

The scheme for reporting faults, the National Reporting and Learning System, will eventually cover all organisations providing NHS-funded care in Wales and England.

Dr Rejman will start work on 4 July. He used to work for the UK Army Air Corps, where he investigated more than 30 major aircraft accidents and serious incidents.

Wealth of experience

He is currently principal consultant with the QinetiQ Centre for Human Sciences, the largest organisation in Europe dedicated to analysing the factors when people work in complex systems.

His expertise is in the fields of human error, accident investigation, safety culture and incident reporting.

Sue Osborn, the agency's joint chief executive, said: "We are committed to building on our existing links with Wales and, with his wealth of experience, we believe that Dr Rejman is well-placed to help us take the patient safety agenda forward in Wales.

"Having a dedicated assistant director for Wales will help us ensure that the NPSA's patient safety solutions reflect the needs of all healthcare professionals in England and Wales."

The agency was established in July 2001 on the recommendation of an official report, An Organisation with a Memory.