PPP, in partnership with Patient Safety Learning, launches new patient safety policy programme

Press release

12th August 2024

Public Policy Projects, in partnership with charity Patient Safety Learning, is today announcing a patient safety policy and conference programme. The programme, chaired by Patient Safety Learning Chief Executive Helen Hughes, will consist of three roundtable events and a conference in early 2025.

• The new programme is designed to embed patient safety as a core priority across national and local health systems.
• PPP and Patient Safety Learning will develop the programme with a focus on how technology can enable patient centred patient safety.
• A new editorial board will be established, chaired by Helen Hughes, where key stakeholders, including industry partners and patient leaders, will set editorial direction.
• Global enterprise software company, RLDatix, is the first programme partner and will join the editorial board.

As Patient Safety Learning has recently highlighted, we are not getting safer. Prioritisation of patient safety remains inconsistent across health and care and there is a need for a fresh forum through which stakeholders can engage in collaborative, challenging and meaningful debates that lead to action.

PPP’s new programme, Harnessing technology to enable a system wide approach to patient safety, is the product of a unique collaboration between Public Policy Projects and Patient Safety Learning. Both organisations have established track records of engaging with system leaders and key stakeholders and will leverage their networks to convene a unique and influential audience.

PPP and Patient Safety Learning argue that patient safety needs to be a core purpose of health and care, not just one priority of many. There is a need for a new system-wide forum and network, for insight and analysis to position patient safety at the core of integrated care systems, NHS and independent health organisations, and care providers.

PPP and Patient Safety Learning, along with a range of strategically selected partners, will develop a unique programme of engagement and policy to deliver actionable insights that support systems to drive improvement and reduce avoidable harm. The programme will centre on patient safety across UK health and care, and discuss it through the lens of technology, digital innovation, and data-driven transformation.

As the new Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has recognised that industry collaboration will be essential to getting the NHS back on its feet, this programme aims to unite industry experts with sector leaders in strategic partnership. This will ensure the insights and policy delivered reflect all pertinent stakeholders and their ability to drive forward the improvement of patient safety in UK health and care.

The programme will also include the establishment of an editorial board, which will bring together some of the country’s foremost leaders in patient safety, along with industry experts, system and patient leaders to set the programme’s editorial direction, ensuring the outputs of the programme are practical and credible.

Commenting on the programme, Helen Hughes, Chief Executive of Patient Safety Learning and programme chair, said: “Patient safety needs to be core to health and care. Despite the efforts of many, globally and nationally, the challenges of delivering safe and effective care are as great as ever.

“To make the transformational change needed, we need to collaborate system-wide to address often complex systemic issues, using the opportunity of technology innovation and user engagement to drive improvement. Bringing multi-disciplinary leaders together across the health and care system with a focus and drive on patient safety technology is an exciting and much needed innovation. We are delighted to partner with PPP on this exciting impact-focused programme with the support of RLDatix as our first programme partner.

Policy for impact

The first series of roundtables within this programme, Harnessing technology to enable a system wide approach to patient safety, will both highlight the essential role of technology and digital innovation in ensuring standards for patient safety are met, as well as stressing the importance of ensuring technology and innovations are developed and implemented with the patient front and centre.

Each roundtable will focus on a distinct area of technological advancement in health and care, and will host collaborative discussion between sector leaders, industry experts, as well as patient and end-user representatives.

Topics:

• Session one: Uniting system partners and integrating approaches to patient safety.
• Session two: Data, insight and safety performance: harnessing patient safety information.
• Session three: Safety design and user engagement: the power of digitally enabled people.

Conference

PPP has a rich, vibrant and varied portfolio of conference events convening hundreds of carefully selected stakeholders for vital debate and networking.

Following the completion of the roundtable series, PPP and Patient Safety Learning will collaborate to produce an annual Patient Safety conference. These events will be used to present findings from the roundtable series as well as engaging a broader audience.

The conference will convene the patient safety community and drive strategic prioritisation of patient safety across the health system.

Programme contacts:

• [email protected]
• [email protected]

About Public Policy Projects

Public Policy Projects (PPP) is an organisation operating at the heart of health and life sciences policy delivery. We bring together senior leaders and practitioners in the public and private health and life sciences sectors to find realistic solutions to the most pressing issues relating to health and care delivery.

We facilitate effective collaboration between public and private sector organisations. We help businesses to grow their profile within the NHS and wider public sector. In turn, we support public sector leaders and organisations with practical recommendations on implementing policy to improve health and wellbeing outcomes for local population.

About Patient Safety Learning

Patient Safety Learning is a charity and independent voice for improving patient safety. We harness the knowledge, enthusiasm and commitment of healthcare organisations, professionals and patients for system-wide change and the reduction of harm.

We support safety improvement through policy, influencing and campaigning and the development of ‘how to’ resources such as the hub, our free award-winning platform to share learning for patient safety, and our unique Patient Safety Standards and support tools.