Table 7.

Exit interview themes, mapped against representative descriptions and example quotes

Key theme	Summary	Example quotes
Benefits	Support provided from the HIEC team	'I guess one of the key things has been the (HIEC team) input; this takes the pressure off the clinicians…without that it wouldn’t have worked so well’ (Consultant, H2).
	The use of behavior change methods throughout the project	'I suppose it’s the behavioral change aspect which was the driving force’ (Consultant, H3).
		'I have had no previous experience in focus groups and that was really where we got most of the ideas for the implementation strategy; it was really useful (Junior doctor, H2).
	The wider impact this work has generated	'It’s got the support of the Deputy Medical Director, it’s really meant that you can have that impact, it’s trust-wide and region-wide as well, whereas normally just a junior doctor doing an audit, it wouldn’t really have that precedence or support or anything (Junior doctor, H2).
Challenges	Having to generate interest and involvement across different areas of the Trust	'Although (through the HIEC team) there’s been a resource to draw on, I do feel overall it would be better to get more hands on deck’ (Consultant, H3).
	Coordinating teams with several and diverse groups	'One of the challenges has been co-ordinating the implementation strategies and actually working with different teams in the hospital like the illustration department, the photographers, the communication experts and the print unit, trying to get everything delivered in a timely manner (Junior doctor, H2).
Sustainability	Spread of information among healthcare professionals	'I’ve also spoken at the regional audit meeting with all the foundation trainees about how being involved in a project where you’ve got frontline staff leading it but with top down support, how you can make a real difference’ (Junior doctor, H2).
	Networks of sharing between hospitals that this work has created	'The knowledge that every other Trust is going through the same issues and wants to improve does create a bit of a network so H1, H2, and H3 are all talking about how to solve this problem’ (Nurse, H1).
	Generated enthusiasm among healthcare professionals for improving patient safety	'For me it’s made me see patient safety in a different aspect like from a much broader base and realising that actually as a junior doctor you really can make a huge difference’ (Junior doctor, H2).