Picker: Why patient experience matters for safer care (15 September 2026)

Summary

Currently, around one in every ten patients globally are harmed by unintended or unexpected events during the provision of healthcare, and more than three million deaths occur annually due to unsafe care practices. In the past three years, 9.7% of British adults reported harm from NHS care or lack of access to care.

To tackle this, there is ongoing work across the sector to improve safety by reducing avoidable harm and by minimising adverse events and medical errors. Thursday, 17 September marks World Patient Safety Day 2026, established by the World Health Organization (WHO) to bring together service users, providers, and governments in advocating for patient safety.

To mark World Patient Safety Day, Molly Hopson, senior research associate at Picker, reflects on what available data on patient and staff experience tells us about patient safety in the NHS in England, and what the link is between patient safety and experience.