Crestcare selects Bluebird Adverse Events Module to strengthen patient safety and close the loop from incident to prevention

Crestcare, a collaborative group of hospitals committed to putting people at the heart of healthcare, has selected the Bluebird Adverse Events (AE) Module to standardise and strengthen patient safety oversight across the group.

This milestone supports Crestcare’s broader vision to redefine private healthcare in South Africa through disciplined clinical governance, team-based medicine, and continuous improvement.

At Crestcare, patient safety is not a compliance exercise - it is a shared responsibility. The implementation of the Bluebird AE Module reflects the group’s belief that improving care requires both empathy and operational excellence.

Moving from reporting to real prevention

While many systems record incidents, Crestcare recognised the need for a platform that ensures learning translates into action.

The Bluebird AE Module enables:

• Clear prioritisation of risk using structured Severity Assessment Code (SAC) levels
• Guided, complete and consistent incident reporting
• Integrated Root Cause Analysis (RCA) tools to uncover contributing factors
• Transparent tracking of corrective actions through to verified closureGovernance-grade audit trails to support accountability

By embedding these processes into daily workflows, Crestcare aims to reduce variation, prevent follow-up delays, and ensure that every reported incident becomes an opportunity to strengthen care delivery.

A leadership commitment to safer care

Kit Wostenholm, CEO of Crestcare and Project Sponsor, said the decision reflects the organisation’s commitment to living its values in practical ways:

“At Crestcare, we believe collaborative care starts with accountability. Patient safety isn’t only about documenting incidents - it’s about learning from them.

Bluebird gives us a shared system across our hospitals that helps our teams see what matters most, act decisively, and close the loop properly. It supports our belief that ‘It’s up to us’ to build a healthcare system our communities can trust.”

He added:

“Redefining healthcare in South Africa means raising the bar on governance and transparency. This implementation strengthens our ability to deliver signature patient care - consistently, reliably and with humility.”

Embedding a culture of team-based safety

The rollout will follow a structured lifecycle across Crestcare facilities:

• Event logged by clinicians
• Structured categorisation and detail capture
• Root cause analysis using integrated tools
• Assigned corrective actions
• Verified closure and documented learning 

For Crestcare, this is not simply a technology implementation - it is a cultural reinforcement of team-based medicine, where doctors, nurses, administrators and leadership work together to protect patients.

As a group committed to collaborative private healthcare, Crestcare sees this initiative as strengthening both clinical governance and trust within the wider healthcare ecosystem - including patients, healthcare professionals and the communities it serves.

Expected impact

Within the first year of implementation, Crestcare anticipates:

• Increased quality and completeness of incident reporting
• Reduced RCA-to-closure timelines
• Improved visibility of risk trends across facilities
• Stronger regulatory readiness and defensible governance 

Most importantly, Crestcare expects improved patient confidence, driven by transparent systems that turn incidents into measurable prevention.

About Crestcare

Crestcare is a collaborative group of hospitals committed to putting people at the heart of healthcare. Through team-based medicine, community partnership, and disciplined operational execution, Crestcare is working to redefine private healthcare in South Africa.