NHS Horizons: A practical guide to the art of psychological safety in the real world of health and care (June 2021)

Summary

Psychological safety is a belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes.

More than 20 years of research demonstrates that organisations with higher levels of psychological safety perform better on almost any metric or key performance indicator (KPI) in comparison to organisations that have low psychological safety. However, achieving psychological safety is a challenge in the complex, ever-evolving health and care systems in which we operate.

In this guide, Professor Amy C. Edmondson shares insights that emerged from exploring the experience of differing Integrated Care Systems; a range of case studies, and a wealth of tools and resources. This guide is not a 'how to' for how to create psychological safety; it is more of a reflection on the opportunities and challenges in our health and care system, and how you might seek to work with them.