Safety Alert Broadcast System (SABS)

NSW Health's Safety Alert Broadcast System (SABS) has been adapted from the UK's National Health Service Safety Alert Broadcast System. Its aim is to provide a systematic approach to the distribution and management of patient safety information to NSW health services. Each alert specifies action to be taken by health services, the timeframe in which such action must occur, and specific responsibility for the actions.

The Safety Alert Broadcasting System Policy Directive PD2006_102 describes how SABS works. Basically, there are three types of notification:

• Safety Alert (Red), requiring immediate attention and action.
• Safety Notice (Amber), requiring risk assessment at the local level.
• Safety Information (Green), ensuring that lessons learned from statewide, national and international sources are shared actively across the NSW health system.