Voices for safety podcast: The hidden role of parents in paediatric medication safety (16 September 2025)

Summary

Voices for Safety is a patient safety podcast brought to you by the NIHR Greater Manchester Patient Safety Research Collaboration. It delves into the latest issues and breakthroughs in patient safety research in England, UK. Each episode explores key topics ranging from medication safety and safety culture, to designing safer health and care systems and preventing suicide and self-harm.

Content

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:

• Patient safety for babies and children: key resources
• Patient Safety Learning: World Patient Safety Day 2025