Course description

Due to the ongoing impact of the global pandemic we have had to evaluate all of our courses to ensure that we adhere to Government guidelines to protect the health and wellbeing of our staff and students. This means that as we work through these changes the modules, delivery methods and assessments shown, including those shown for future years, are subject to change.

Harm resulting from unsafe healthcare is one of the ten leading causes of death and disability in the world today. While it seems inherently obvious that patient safety should be at the heart of everything we do in healthcare, the mechanisms for doing so are not always simple. Learning about quality and patient safety will equip you to lead change in healthcare that can make a real impact on the experiences and outcomes of patients. A sound theoretical knowledge of quality improvement and patient safety will help you to identify and design interventions for change that have the greatest chance of decreasing patient harm, improving patient experience and generating a sustainable positive working environment

On our MSc, you will learn the practice and theories of healthcare quality and patient safety from our academics, who are leading world-class research in this area, and from experts in quality and safety at our NHS partners. Among the topics you will study are quality improvement methods, the influences on patient safety, methods and knowledge in the discipline of ergonomics and human factors, and the use of data for quality improvement and patient safety. You will also be supported to develop key transferable skills in critical appraisal, academic writing, project management and communication.

You can study full-time or part-time, giving you the flexibility to fit study around your existing work commitments, meaning you can enhance your career prospects without having to leave employment. It is, therefore, ideal for healthcare professionals who wish to increase their skills and knowledge of patient safety and healthcare quality.

The teaching is also available as a Postgraduate Diploma (PG Dip), where you complete the taught modules without the Dissertation. Alternatively, you can gain a Postgraduate Certificate (PG Cert) if you complete three modules, one of which must be 'Quality and Quality Improvement in Healthcare'.

Teaching and learning

There is a balanced mixture of lectures, seminars and group work. Most modules are taught using a variety of methods in blocks of two teaching days a week for a total of six days per module. When not attending lectures, seminars or other timetabled sessions you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. Typically, this will involve reading journal articles and books, working on individual and group projects, undertaking research in the library, and preparing coursework assignments and presentations.

Assessment includes written assignments (case studies, reports and essays) and presentations.

You will be allocated an academic supervisor for your dissertation exploring a current topic in quality and safety, which will be assessed by a 12,000 word written submission and a presentation.

Careers and employability

Understanding quality and improvement will enable you to add value to any health care service you work in. This MSc will enable you to deliver tangible change to your environment in a way that inspires others to do the same and create a culture of better patient care. It can contribute to your career by offering skills that are in acknowledged shortage in healthcare.