Patient Safety Commissioner: ‘A quiet revolution in patient safety’ (15 July 2024)

Summary

Patient safety is seen as implicit and complex, difficult to measure, difficult to engage with and the area of experts. This is very different from high safety industries that put safety at the centre of their activities, with a leadership intent to develop a just and learning culture. In this blog, Henrietta Hughes highlights the importance of leadership, not only of provider organisations but all the bodies that surround the NHS – the politicians, officials, inspectors, regulators, commissioners, representative bodies and patient groups. For frontline staff and patients alike, it is vital that leaders speak the same safety language, understand the impact that they have on the safety culture and embrace patient partnership.