The future of patient safety: A conversation with Helen Hughes, Chief Executive of Patient Safety Learning (30 October 2025)

Summary

In this blog, Fiona Garín McDonagh reflects on a conversation with Helen Hughes, Chief Executive of Patient Safety Learning, about the persistence of avoidable harm in health and care. She reflects on why progress in reducing this has been slow, how the implementation gap continues to undermine safety efforts, and why we must reframe patient safety as a system-wide priority, not just a frontline concern.