Mark Hughes
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Everything posted by Mark Hughes
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Content ArticleReproductive health is central to overall health and wellbeing. A multitude of conditions and experiences can impact a person's reproductive health, and needs and priorities change according to age and life-stage. The Reproductive Health Survey for England 2023 surveyed nearly 60,000 women across England in 2023. This study looks at its results, seeking to quantify the burden of poor reproductive health in England by age, ethnicity, and financial security.
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This HIMSS flagship event is Europe’s leading digital health conference. With expert-led sessions, it’s a chance for health tech leaders to network, share ideas, discuss real-world data and build partnerships. Attendees include CIOs and senior executives, health providers and payers, C-Suite tech leaders and entrepreneurs, and government officials. You can find the programme for the event here. You can find registration details here. -
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The National Patient Safety Plan of the Republic North Macedonia is based on a comprehensive assessment of the situation conducted in December 2022, with technical support from the WHO Office for Quality of Care and Patient Safety in Athens. Its vision is that the Republic of North Macedonia will be an environment where no patient will experience harm from an adverse event and every patient will receive safe health care that will be timely, equitable, and available everywhere. -
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To support the implementation of the National Patient Safety Plan of the Republic of North Macedonia, this handbook provides a structured framework using the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle and focuses on six core intervention areas, including infection prevention, medication safety, surgical safety, safe birth practices, capacity strengthening, and error-reduction strategies. It emphasises stakeholder engagement, monitoring and evaluation, risk management, and sustainability planning. By providing a clear roadmap, this initiative aims to foster a culture of patient safety and improve health-care quality in North Macedonia. -
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In this episode Dr Paul Grime, Chairman of the Safer Healthcare and Biosafety Network, is joined by Professor Peter Brennan, consultant surgeon and leading voice on Human Factors in healthcare. Together they explore how better understanding of Human Factors can improve staff and patient safety, reduce error, and shift culture away from blame. Drawing on insights from aviation, real-life NHS incidents, and Peter’s extensive research, this conversation tackles everything from toxic hierarchies and communication breakdowns to the power of kindness and just culture. Safety Talks is a podcast series as part of the Safety for All Campaign, launched to shine a light on the symbiotic relationship and benefits of integrating the approach to deliver healthcare worker safety and patient safety. -
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Patient safety is the core foundation of healthcare quality. Unsafe care is a significant challenge globally, due to unsafe practices, processes, or structural inefficiencies within healthcare organisations, which in turn lead to patient safety incidents. This white paper from ISQua aims to address these challenging issues by providing a comprehensive framework to improve patient safety in hospitals and other healthcare settings. -
Content ArticleIn November 2023 the British Medical Association (BMA) established a reporting portal for doctors and medical students to share concerns regarding the deployment of physician and anaesthesia associates in both primary and secondary care. This report includes all submissions received by February 2025 that concern patient safety. This report presents evidence of doctor substitution, doctors being coerced or pressured into signing prescriptions or ionising radiation requests for patients of whom they have no knowledge, examples of doctors losing out on basic skills training and situations where neither the public nor other healthcare staff know the role or competencies of physician and anaesthesia associates. It also highlights examples of where harm has come to patients, or been narrowly avoided only by subsequent intervention from a doctor.
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This is a brief summary of a Westminster Hall debate in the House of Commons on the 27 March 2025 concerning the first anniversary of The Hughes Report on valproate and pelvic mesh. -
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Diagnosis is complex and iterative, therefore liable to error in accurately and timely identifying underlying health problems, and communicating these to patients. Up to 15% of diagnoses are estimated to be inaccurate, delayed or wrong. Diagnostic errors negatively impact patient outcomes and increase use of healthcare resources. This Health Working Paper from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) defines the scope of diagnostic error and illustrates the burden of diagnostic error in commonly diagnosed conditions. It also estimates the direct costs of diagnostic error and provides policy options to improve diagnostic safety. -
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This year’s World Patient Safety Day (WPSD 25) on 17 September is focused on the theme “Safe care for every newborn and every child”. This article explains the aims of the event and the areas it will cover. You can now read Patient Safety Learning's World Patient Safety Day blog to mark this year's event here. -
Content ArticleThe NHS Staff survey is one of the largest workforce surveys in the world and is carried out every year to improve staff experiences across the NHS. It asks staff in England about their experiences of working for their respective NHS organisations. Of the 1.5 million NHS employees in England, 731,893 staff responded to the survey in 2024.
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Content ArticleThe Department of Health is undertaking a consultation on the introduction of a new Regional Framework for Learning and Improvement from Patient Safety Incidents and supporting documentation to replace the current Serious Adverse Incident (SAI) Procedure in Northern Ireland. The closing date is 20 June 2025 at 5.00pm.
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Last month Public Policy Projects, in partnership with Patient Safety Learning, held their Patient Safety Forum 2025, as part of a new patient safety policy programme between the two organisations. Taking place at the Royal College of Physicians in London, in attendance were senior healthcare leaders, patient safety experts, representatives from the HealthTech industry, frontline healthcare professionals, patients, policy makers and the media. In this article, Patient Safety Learning’s Chief Executive, Helen Hughes, and Director, Clare Wade, look back at the day and share their reflections on the event. -
Content ArticleThis is an Early Day Motion tabled in the House of Commons on 27 February 2025, which urges the Government to also create a national oversight mechanism to ensure that recommendations concerning deaths involving the State and corporate agencies are routinely monitored by an independent body to help enact learning and prevent future deaths.
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Digital technology offers the opportunity to revolutionise patient care, supporting the NHS to become more efficient, productive, cost-effective, and importantly, safer. This report published Public Policy Projects, in collaboration with Patient Safety Learning, highlights that the NHS will fail to unlock these opportunities without the prioritisation of patient safety. It sets out that although there are examples of successful technology implementation across the NHS, patients continue to be put at risk as efforts to digitalise services are not adequately considering patient safety. -
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The Invisible Hazard: Tackling Surgical Smoke for Healthcare Worker and Patient Safety will delve into the risks posed by surgical smoke, its impact on both healthcare professionals and patients, and the latest safety measures to mitigate these dangers. This webinar, hosted by the Safety For All campaign, will provide valuable insights into the health risks associated with inhaling surgical smoke, the current legislation governing its management, and the introduction of smoke evacuation products to enhance safety in operating theatres. This session is essential for perioperative practitioners, safety officers, healthcare professionals, and policymakers looking to better understand the hidden risks of surgical smoke and explore practical solutions for improved workplace safety. Speakers 🔹 Lisa Nealen – A Perioperative Practitioner at Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust, Lisa brings hands-on experience in the surgical field and will share insights into the real-world challenges of managing surgical smoke in operating theatres. 🔹 Daniel Rodger – A Senior Lecturer in Perioperative Practice at London South Bank University and a registered Operating Department Practitioner (ODP), Daniel is a specialist in perioperative safety and will outline evidence-based practices for surgical smoke safety. Key Topics The health risks of surgical smoke exposure for healthcare workers and patients Current legislation and standards regarding smoke evacuation in healthcare settings The introduction and benefits of smoke evacuation products in perioperative environments Best practices for mitigating risks and implementing safety protocols in operating theatres Live Q&A Session The webinar will conclude with an interactive Q&A session, where attendees can engage directly with our expert speakers, ask questions, and explore strategies for improving surgical smoke safety in their workplaces. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from leading experts, gain actionable knowledge, and contribute to a safer and healthier surgical environment. Register here. -
Content ArticleThis is the transcript of the first reading of a Private Members' Bill in the House of Commons which proposes to legally protect the title “nurse”, ensuring that only those registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) can use it.
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A year ago today the Patient Safety Commissioner for England published The Hughes Report, which set out options for redress for those who have been harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. In this blog, Patient Safety Learning reflects on the failure to act on its recommendations 12 months on. -
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This document provides a framework for improving health care outcomes, patient safety and public trust in Greece. The Strategy includes 11 objectives and 47 prioritised actions, which are designed for phased, stepwise implementation. These actions focus on improving patient safety, governance, clinical guidelines and health literacy across all levels of the health care system. -
Content ArticleThis document sets out details of the independent review of the physician associate and anaesthesia associate professions commissioned by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the 20 November 2024. Led by Professor Gillian Leng CBE, this review will help to inform the refreshed workforce plan that the UK Government has committed to publish in summer 2025.
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Content ArticleThis was a debate in the House of Commons on the 16 January 2025 discussing the performance of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the body responsible for the regulation of medicines and medical devices in the UK. The motion debated focused on the MHRA’s performance in relation to patient safety matters, including: the agency’s work on the hormone pregnancy tests, the Yellow Card System and safety monitoring, funding and the influence of the pharmaceutical industry and the implementation of recommendations made by the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety review.
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On the 16 January 2025, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) published a new report presenting the findings of a survey of nursing staff outlining the extent of corridor care across the UK. This blog sets out Patient Safety Learning’s response to this report. -
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Corridor care can broadly be defined as care being provided to patients in corridors, non-clinical areas or unsuitable clinical areas because of a lack of hospital bed capacity. This report from the Royal College of Nursing presents the findings of a survey of nursing staff outlining the extent of corridor care across the UK. The responses confirm that corridor care is a widespread issue, with hundreds of unedited responses included in the report. You can read Patient Safety Learning's response to this report here. -
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This is the recording of a webinar hosted by the Safety for All Campaign discussing the latest advancements in personal protective equipment (PPE) standards within surgical settings. The session featured presentations by Dr Ali Mehdi and Edward Curtin, who provided in-depth analyses of current PPE protocols and their implications for perioperative safety. Their insights sparked a dynamic discussion among participants, addressing topics such as the integration of innovative PPE technologies, adherence to evolving safety regulations, and strategies for mitigating risks to both healthcare professionals and patients. -
Content ArticleIn this annual report for 2023/24, Healthwatch England outlines how the public’s stories have changed care for the better, and the work they are doing to make sure that the health and social care system puts patients at its very heart. Healthwatch England is a statutory committee of the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Its main functions are to: provide leadership, guidance, support to local Healthwatch organisations; escalate concerns about health and social care services to CQC; and advise Government, NHS England and local authorities about the quality of services.
