Emslie S, Knox K, Pickstone M, eds. London: ECRI and Department of Health, 2002. £35.00. 104 pp. ISBN 094141775 1

What happened when a medical devices officer decided to explore the cupboards at his hospital is one of the most attention grabbing parts of this book. Chris Quinn, from Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust in the UK, found more than 40 kinds of infusion pumps, 25 of which were obsolete, and discovered that no nurse had received competency based training in their use. An increase in infusion incidents between 1993 and 1996 has now been reversed at the Trust thanks to a training programme and the growth of what Mr Quinn describes as “a culture of safety”.

The theme of a safety culture runs through the book, which takes …