Learn: Learnhttps://www.pslhub.org/learn/patient-safety-in-health-and-care/high-risk-areas/paediatrics/parent-escalation/?d=1Learn: LearnenVoices for safety podcast: The hidden role of parents in paediatric medication safety (16 September 2025)https://www.pslhub.org/learn/patient-safety-in-health-and-care/high-risk-areas/paediatrics/parent-escalation/voices-for-safety-podcast-the-hidden-role-of-parents-in-paediatric-medication-safety-16-september-2025-r13624/ To mark World Patient Safety Day 2025, this special episode of Voices for Safety explores the critical but often overlooked role of parents in paediatric medication safety. Drawing on NIHR-funded research and lived experience, the conversation highlights how parents are routinely involved in administering medicines, the risks posed by hospital routines that ignore family expertise, and the emotional impact of medication errors. It calls for greater inclusion of parents in care decisions, improved communication, and systemic changes to ensure safer care for children.

Host Dr Louise Gorman is joined by:

  • Dr Adam Sutherland, Associate Professor in Healthcare Quality and Safety, University of Bradford, and a registered pharmacist who has worked in paediatric critical care since 2005.
  • Heidi Ridgewell, a mum, advocate, and family support worker at Ryedale Special Families.

Further reading on the hub:

]]>13624Thu, 18 Sep 2025 10:47:00 +0000On Martha's Rule - patient safety spotlight (RCPCH, 24 February 2025)https://www.pslhub.org/learn/patient-safety-in-health-and-care/high-risk-areas/paediatrics/parent-escalation/on-marthas-rule-patient-safety-spotlight-rcpch-24-february-2025-r12820/12820Fri, 28 Feb 2025 16:46:51 +0000Empowerment of parent carers is a fallacy when healthcare doesn’t listen (19 August 2024)https://www.pslhub.org/learn/patient-safety-in-health-and-care/high-risk-areas/paediatrics/parent-escalation/empowerment-of-parent-carers-is-a-fallacy-when-healthcare-doesn%E2%80%99t-listen-19-august-2024-r12271/12271Fri, 18 Oct 2024 07:51:02 +0000Implementing Martha’s Rule in nursing and midwifery care: why it matters (9 September 2024)https://www.pslhub.org/learn/patient-safety-in-health-and-care/high-risk-areas/paediatrics/parent-escalation/implementing-martha%E2%80%99s-rule-in-nursing-and-midwifery-care-why-it-matters-9-september-2024-r12103/12103Mon, 23 Sep 2024 11:08:01 +0000Martha’s Rule: A life lost, saving lives - without making villains (25 February 2024)https://www.pslhub.org/learn/patient-safety-in-health-and-care/high-risk-areas/paediatrics/parent-escalation/martha%E2%80%99s-rule-a-life-lost-saving-lives-without-making-villains-25-february-2024-r11838/11838Fri, 26 Jul 2024 16:08:58 +0000Challenging NHS hierarchy can save patients’ lives—I’ve seen how it saved my son (15 November 2023)https://www.pslhub.org/learn/patient-safety-in-health-and-care/high-risk-areas/paediatrics/parent-escalation/challenging-nhs-hierarchy-can-save-patients%E2%80%99-lives%E2%80%94i%E2%80%99ve-seen-how-it-saved-my-son-15-november-2023-r10611/10611Wed, 13 Dec 2023 17:06:22 +0000Video - Martha Mills story, told by her mother Merope Mills (PSMF, 23 June 2023)https://www.pslhub.org/learn/patient-safety-in-health-and-care/high-risk-areas/paediatrics/parent-escalation/video-martha-mills-story-told-by-her-mother-merope-mills-psmf-23-june-2023-r10598/

 

]]>10598Sun, 10 Dec 2023 16:59:00 +0000Alice Tapper: I almost died last year from a medical problem that was entirely preventable (15 December 2022)https://www.pslhub.org/learn/patient-safety-in-health-and-care/high-risk-areas/paediatrics/parent-escalation/alice-tapper-i-almost-died-last-year-from-a-medical-problem-that-was-entirely-preventable-15-december-2022-r8489/8489Mon, 09 Jan 2023 10:32:59 +0000Parent escalation of care for the deteriorating child in hospital: A health‐care improvement study (18 February 2019)https://www.pslhub.org/learn/patient-safety-in-health-and-care/high-risk-areas/paediatrics/parent-escalation/parent-escalation-of-care-for-the-deteriorating-child-in-hospital-a-health%E2%80%90care-improvement-study-18-february-2019-r8148/8148Mon, 07 Nov 2022 12:24:00 +0000NSW Government CEC - REACH: Patient, carer and family escalation (May 2022)https://www.pslhub.org/learn/patient-safety-in-health-and-care/high-risk-areas/paediatrics/parent-escalation/nsw-government-cec-reach-patient-carer-and-family-escalation-may-2022-r8078/8078Sat, 05 Nov 2022 15:50:00 +0000Blog: ‘Ryan’s Rule’ – how and when to use it (6 September 2021)https://www.pslhub.org/learn/patient-safety-in-health-and-care/high-risk-areas/paediatrics/parent-escalation/blog-%E2%80%98ryan%E2%80%99s-rule%E2%80%99-%E2%80%93-how-and-when-to-use-it-6-september-2021-r8076/8076Thu, 03 Nov 2022 15:43:00 +0000Your child’s hospital stay: Patient rights and responsibilities (John Hopkins Children's Center)https://www.pslhub.org/learn/patient-safety-in-health-and-care/high-risk-areas/paediatrics/parent-escalation/your-child%E2%80%99s-hospital-stay-patient-rights-and-responsibilities-john-hopkins-childrens-center-r8151/8151Wed, 02 Nov 2022 12:43:00 +0000Barriers and facilitators to implementing a process to enable parent escalation of care for the deteriorating child in hospital (2 July 2018)https://www.pslhub.org/learn/patient-safety-in-health-and-care/high-risk-areas/paediatrics/parent-escalation/barriers-and-facilitators-to-implementing-a-process-to-enable-parent-escalation-of-care-for-the-deteriorating-child-in-hospital-2-july-2018-r8149/8149Tue, 01 Nov 2022 12:30:00 +0000The acutely ill child - Parental involvement in escalation of clinical care (University Hospitals Bristol, May 2014)https://www.pslhub.org/learn/patient-safety-in-health-and-care/high-risk-areas/paediatrics/parent-escalation/the-acutely-ill-child-parental-involvement-in-escalation-of-clinical-care-university-hospitals-bristol-may-2014-r8147/8147Tue, 01 Nov 2022 12:01:00 +0000Safe system framework for children at risk of deterioration (RCPCH, 4 October 2022)https://www.pslhub.org/learn/patient-safety-in-health-and-care/high-risk-areas/paediatrics/parent-escalation/safe-system-framework-for-children-at-risk-of-deterioration-rcpch-4-october-2022-r8152/8152Mon, 31 Oct 2022 12:48:00 +0000Development of an evidence-based ESCALATION system for recognition and response to paediatric clinical deterioration (26 October 2021)https://www.pslhub.org/learn/patient-safety-in-health-and-care/high-risk-areas/paediatrics/parent-escalation/development-of-an-evidence-based-escalation-system-for-recognition-and-response-to-paediatric-clinical-deterioration-26-october-2021-r8150/8150Mon, 31 Oct 2022 12:36:00 +0000Escalation procedures and triggers for the Childrens Emergency Department and Paediatric Single Front Door (Leicester Children's ED, November 2018)https://www.pslhub.org/learn/patient-safety-in-health-and-care/high-risk-areas/paediatrics/parent-escalation/escalation-procedures-and-triggers-for-the-childrens-emergency-department-and-paediatric-single-front-door-leicester-childrens-ed-november-2018-r8145/8145Mon, 31 Oct 2022 11:44:00 +0000Barriers and facilitators to shared decision-making in neonatal medicine: A systematic review and thematic synthesis of parental perceptions (27 August 2021)https://www.pslhub.org/learn/patient-safety-in-health-and-care/high-risk-areas/paediatrics/parent-escalation/barriers-and-facilitators-to-shared-decision-making-in-neonatal-medicine-a-systematic-review-and-thematic-synthesis-of-parental-perceptions-27-august-2021-r6086/6086Mon, 07 Feb 2022 13:57:12 +0000Escalating concerns: Ryan's Rule (Queensland Health)https://www.pslhub.org/learn/patient-safety-in-health-and-care/high-risk-areas/paediatrics/parent-escalation/escalating-concerns-ryans-rule-queensland-health-r3649/3649Mon, 30 Nov 2020 10:43:46 +0000