A SCORE of medical students put up their hands to help assess patient safety in 850 beds across the Gold Coast Health Service District yesterday.

The annual patient safety audit is part of a series happening statewide between now and December.

Director of clinical governance Susan Brandis said the audit had become a collaborative venture between the Gold Coast Hospital, Robina Hospital, the Carrara Health Centre and Bond University faculty of medicine.

"Having the medical students has been good for us and them. For many this is among their first exposure to patients," she said.

"Exercises like this help instil the importance of patient safety and quality improvement early on."

Accompanied by doctors, nurses and allied health professionals the med students assessed eight areas including bed safety, medication safety, infection control, correct patient identification, malnutrition, fall prevention, recognition and management of deteriorating patients and pressure injuries.

Hospital medical superintendent Nigel Brown said all opportunities for students to interact with patients were valuable.

"The areas we have been assessing are also useful criteria for students to be mindful of," he said.

"It is important for them to be able to look at common practice and to be able to identify modifications."

Third year Bachelor of Medicine/Surgery student Mayank Raniga said the exercise helped him to identify things that were not immediately obvious on rotations.

"It has been good to see things you don't normally notice on rotation. It is good stuff to have in the back of your mind," he said.

Patient Wayne Austin from Nerang has been in hospital for minor medical treatment for three days and happily welcomed the students and media into his room.

"I think it is important for patients to feel safe and for hospital staff to have a safe workplace," he said.

"They need to monitor things to make modifications where necessary."