Appendix A

NHS SCOTLAND Core Risk Assessment Matrices Table 1 Impact /Consequence Definitions
DESCRIPTOR
Negligible
Minor
Moderate
Patient Experience
Reduced quality of patient
Unsatisfactory patient
Unsatisfactory patient
experience / clinical outcome,
experience / clinical outcome,
experience / clinical
not directly related to delivery of directly related to care
outcome. Short term effects
clinical care.
provision - readily resolvable.
- expected recovery <1
week.
Objectives / Project
Barely noticeable reduction in
Minor reduction in scope,
Reduction in scope or
scope, quality or schedule.
quality or schedule.
quality of project, project
objectives or schedule.
Injury (physical and
psychological) to
patient / visitor/
staff

Adverse event leading to minor

injury not requiring first aid.

Minor injury or illness. First

Aid treatment required.

Complaints / Claims

Locally resolved verbal

complaint.

Justified written complaint,

peripheral to clinical care.

Service / Business
Interruption

Staffing and
Competence

Financial (including
damage / loss /
fraud)
Inspection / Audit

Adverse Publicity /
Reputation

Major
Unsatisfactory patient experience /
clinical outcome. Long term effects expected recovery >1 week.

Extreme
Unsatisfactory patient
experience / clinical
outcome. Continued
ongoing long term effects.

Significant project over-run.

Inability to meet project

objectives. Reputation of the
organisation seriously
damaged.
Incident leading to death or
major permanent incapacity.

Agency reportable, eg
Police (violent / aggressive
acts).
Significant injury requiring
medical treatment and / or
counselling.
Below excess claim

Major injuries / long term incapacity or

disability (loss of limb) requiring
medical treatment and / or
counselling.

Justified complaint involving

lack of appropriate care.
Some disruption in service
with unacceptable impact on
patient care.
Temporary loss of ability to
provide service.

Multiple justified complaints.

Claim above excess level.

Interruption in a service, which

does not impact on the delivery
of patient care or the ability to
continue to provide service.

Short term disruption to

service with minor impact on
patient care.

Short term low staffing level

temporarily reduces service
quality <1 day.

Ongoing low staffing level

reduces service quality.

Late delivery of key

objective / service due to
lack of staff.

Uncertain delivery of key objective /

service due to lack of staff.

Short term low staffing >1 day,

where there is no disruption to
patient care.

MINOR ERROR due to

ineffective training /
implementation of training.

MODERATE ERROR due to

ineffective training /
implementation of training.

MAJOR ERROR due to ineffective

training / implementation of training.

Negligible organisational /
personal financial loss <1k.
Small number of
recommendations, which focus
on minor quality improvement
issues.

Rumours, no media coverage.

Little effect on staff morale.

Minor organisational /
personal financial loss 110k.
Recommendations made,
which can be addressed by
low level management action.

Local media coverage - short

term. Some public
embarrassment.
Minor effect on staff morale /
public attitudes.

Ongoing problems with

staffing levels.
Significant organisational /
personal financial loss 10k100k
Challenging
recommendations that can
be addressed with
appropriate action plan.

Local media - long-term

adverse publicity.
Significant effect on staff
morale and public
perception of the
organisation.

Sustained loss of service, which has

serious impact on delivery of patient
care, resulting in major contingency
plans being invoked.

Multiple claims or single

major claim.
Complex justified complaint.
Permanent loss of core
service or facility.
Disruption to faciltiy leading
to significant "knock on "
effect.
Non-delivery of key
objective / service due to
lack of staff.
CRITICAL ERROR due to
ineffective training /
implementation of training.
Loss of key staff.

Major organisational / personal

financial loss 100k-1m.
Enforcement action.

Severe organisational /
personal financial loss
>1m.
Prosecution.

Low rating.

Zero rating.

Critical report.
National media - adverse publicity <3
days.
Public confidence in the organisation
undermined.

Severely critical report.

National / international
media - adverse publicity >3
days.
MSP / MP concern.
Questions in Parliament.

Use of services affected.

Court enforcement.
Public inquiry / FAI.

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