“Another uplifting year of sharing learning, collaboration and development for the patient safety networks” Claire Cox reflects on 2025

Summary

the hub is home to a growing number of networks for people involved in patient safety. These communities of interest provide forums to share knowledge and good practice. Members include people who work in patient safety such as patient safety specialists, patient safety partners, clinicians, organisational leaders with responsibility for patient safety,  governance or risk.

In this blog Claire Cox, Associate Director at Patient Safety Learning, reflects on key highlights and achievements from the networks throughout 2025.

Content

It has been another uplifting year of growth and development for the networks we host on the hub — our shared space for learning and improving patient safety.

These networks are owned and driven by their members, whose energy, knowledge, and experience shape everything they do. Patient Safety Learning is proud to support them, helping create welcoming communities where ideas can be shared, challenges explored, and collaboration can thrive. Together, these networks continue to offer rich and valuable insights from those working on the patient-safety frontline, guiding us all towards safer care.

Patient Safety Management Network (PSMN)

Celebrating is fourth birthday this year, the PSMN continues to go from strength to strength, having grown to now include more than 2000 members. Key highlights from this year include:

• Working with experts from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and NHS Resolution to create a new Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) resource on Duty of Candour.
• Providing evidence which informed the Health Services Safety Investigations Body’s report looking at how staff fatigue impacts on patient safety.
• Embarking on the creation of the Network’s second book, following on from the successful publication last year of Patient Safety: Emerging Applications of Safety Science.
• Experts from within and outside the network sharing their expertise and wisdom at the weekly meetings, inspiring discussions for the better understanding of safety risk, and sharing good practice for wide dissemination and improvement.

At the beginning of 2026 we are planning to embark on a new series of meetings inviting Network members to share their examples of investigations with each other. We all investigate differently and bring our own approaches to problem-solving. This is a chance to share not only the approach individual network members take, but also the recommendations made and the lessons they learnt along the way. This is an example of how this network has become a trusted space for sharing and discussing often complex and challenging issues.

Patient Safety Education Network (PSEN)

The PSEN is a network for those who teach any element of patient safety or provide learning from patient safety incidents. This year the Network has featured a number of engaging discussions on topics including:

• The use of Post Transformative Simulation Briefing to design and test systems and processes, drawing on resources shared by the Association of Simulated Practice in Healthcare.
• Discussing with a presenter from NHS England the Safe Learning Environment Charter and what it means for those working in patient safety education roles.
• Discussing a new training resource, now available for free on the hub, intended to help people facilitate an interactive workshop, bringing SEIPS (Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety) to life. This was developed at a joint PSMN and PSEN symposium held last year.

Patient Safety Partners Network (PSPLN)

The PSPN includes Patient Safety Partners, in both paid and voluntary roles within NHS organisations, whose role is to improve patient safety. Key highlights from this year include:

• Hosting a session with the Patient Safety Commissioner for England discussing her work and how to build on, and increase, the impact of the work of Patient Safety Partners.
• Contributing to the development of new guidance that offers a clear, structured approach to patient and family involvement in After Action Reviews (AARs), a learning tool used with the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework in the NHS.
• A lively debate on the topic of staff fatigue and its impact on patient safety, summarised in a blog by Network member Sue Strudwick.
• Regular discussions between individual PSPs as to how their roles are developed, the work they’re engaging in and the impact that they’re having.
• The launch of an Advisory Group to provide strategic, collaborative, and representative input into the development, delivery, and future direction of the PSPN, ensuring it is shaped by those with lived experience and diverse perspectives.

This network provides a valuable space for PSPs, some of whom are still establishing themselves in role and are benefitting from the vibrancy of Trusts who have embraced PSPs and the insights they bring.

Patient Safety Paediatric Leaders Network (PSPLN)

This is an invited network for anyone who is a strategic-level decision maker in a specialist children’s hospital or unit with a leadership responsibility for patient safety and/or quality. Co-hosted with Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), this is a space for leaders to reflect on challenges, seek advice, share perspectives and examples of good practice. The group varies its approach to its monthly meetings, alternating between general discussions and specific topics, often informed by an invited speaker.

In response to a ‘what three things keep you awake at night, the Network members agreed to move into a ‘Community of Practice’ model and created a multi-disciplinary and multi-organisational project focused on reducing the risk of avoidable harm associated with parenteral nutrition for babies and children.

This project has embedded a SEIPs (Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety) based approach to risk assess current arrangements across all the network members’ Trusts. Jointly project managed by GOSH and Patient Safety Learning, it is bringing together the expertise and experience of parenteral nurses, neonatologists, pharmacists, patient safety experts and many more to develop solutions to often challenging issues and create the opportunity to standardise good practice.

Keep an eye out for more information about this on the hub in the new year.

Safer Surgery and Invasive Procedures Network (SSIPN)

This is a group for healthcare professionals aiming to reduce the number of patient safety incidents related to invasive procedures. It was recently re-launched following a merger of the NatSSIPs Network with another voluntary network focused on improving patient safety in surgery.

In 2026, this Network will meet every two months, with practical sessions focused on improving patient safety in surgery and implementing the National Safety Standards for Invasive Procedures 2 (NatSSIPs). Its next session on 4^th February will be focused on approaches to implementing checklists for the purpose of standardising procedures and communication in surgical settings.

Join a network

You can apply to join any of our networks by signing up to the hub today. When you complete the registration form you’ll see a section called ‘Join a private group’, please tick the box by the relevant Network. If you are already a member of the hub, please email [email protected].

New networks

We are always exploring and developing new networks. Our plans for 2026 include new networks for safety leaders and primary care, If you have an idea for a network and want to get involved in developing and supporting one, please let us know by email at [email protected].