The National State of Patient Safety: What we know about avoidable harm in England (29 November 2022)

Summary

Keeping patients safe during their care and treatment should be at the heart of any health system, including the NHS. Yet avoidable harm still occurs every day, around the world. There have been major efforts to prioritise patient safety in England, but the pandemic has shone a light on areas of care where progress has stalled, or safety has deteriorated. This report by Imperial College London's Institute of Global Health Innovation, commissioned by Patient Safety Watch, brings together publicly available data to present a national picture of patient safety in England. 

Content

Addressing these safety challenges must be a key priority for the new Prime Minister and Health Secretary. This report makes five recommendations, highlighting the vital role that the intelligent collection and monitoring of patient safety data, and the rapid response to any concerns they raise, can play in the continuous improvement of patient safety. Underpinning all of these recommendations is the principle that, first and foremost, patient safety needs to be seen and truly understood from the patient’s perspective.

Recommendations:

1. The breadth of patient safety data needs to increase. 
2. The accuracy of key patient safety measures needs to improve.
3. A workforce plan for the NHS and social care system is urgently needed.
4. Integrated Care Systems need to play a central role in monitoring patient safety. 
5. Progress in the safety of maternity services needs to accelerate.