Sam

Lord Darzi’s independent investigation into the NHS in England delivered a stark assessment of cancer care. Highlighting the gap between policy and reality, it found that the NHS is failing to meet some of its most important commitments, with core cancer waiting time standards missed for more than a decade and survival rates lagging behind comparable countries. The government’s 10-year National Cancer Plan for England sets out bold ambitions to improve survival, boost early diagnosis, and deliver more equitable, patient-centred care. With ambitious targets set for 2029 and 2035, the key question remains: can the NHS deliver these commitments while still fixing today’s pressures? At this pivotal moment, leaders across the health and care system face the challenge of building cancer services that are not only fit for today, but ready to adopt the next wave of innovation. Progress is already visible in areas, but translating national ambition into consistent, real-world improvement for patients will require co-ordinated action across the system. This conference brings together leaders from cancer alliances, policy, clinical services, commissioning, and the VCSE sector to explore what is working, and what must change, to turn plans into practice. Register

The 3rd World Patients Conference is WPA’s flagship global hybrid event, bringing together patient leaders, policymakers, healthcare professionals, academics, civil society, and industry stakeholders from around the world. The conference aims to empower patient leaders through training, knowledge exchange, and networking, while advancing patient-centred policies through engagement with policymakers and global institutions. It will also showcase best practices and innovations from patient organizations worldwide, foster multi-stakeholder dialogue, and strengthen WPA’s global network and membership engagement. The programme will feature plenary sessions, high-level panels, workshops, patient leadership training, and networking opportunities. Register

AI and digital technologies are already reshaping health and social care. AI tools are being developed, tested and used in areas such as imaging, triage, risk prediction and workforce support, yet the pace of change can make it hard to understand what is working, what is still in development or needs more testing and the implications for people using services. The NHS 10 Year Health Plan aspires to a future where AI is seamlessly integrated into most clinical pathways, and the Medium Term Planning Framework reinforces this focus by accelerating implementation, scaling and national roll out of digital technologies. This will require attention to the practicalities of implementation and scale, not just pilots or technical breakthroughs, and services designed with people and communities at their heart. Although there are promising examples of AI improving care and easing pressure on staff, progress is uneven. Many parts of the system continue to struggle with basic infrastructure challenges – unreliable devices, unstable connectivity and fragmented data – that hold back the potential for AI to improve health and care services. For digital services to be truly inclusive, they must also serve the populations they are designed for, work as expected and be trusted by both users and staff. This year’s King's Fund Digital health and AI conference will cut through the noise to explore what it really takes to build an AI‑enabled health and care system that works for people – grounded in evidence, lived experience and the realities of the health and care system today. It will examine where AI and digital technologies are already adding value, where they are falling short, and what needs to change in leadership, culture, infrastructure and practice to unlock meaningful and sustained impact. Through case studies, discussion and hands‑on collaborative sessions, you’ll hear from those implementing AI today, and explore what trusted, inclusive and effective digital journeys could look like in the future. Throughout the day, it will dive into these issues through a series of sessions across three themes: people first, collaborate and learn, and innovate. digital health and AI in 2026: what’s real, what’s next and what’s at stake what developments in AI mean for consumer health and the workforce? leading digital and AI change in constrained and complex systems Innovators and investors in conversation: unlocking innovation and transformation ambient AI: is it leading to less admin, more people centred care? hack the future – a mini hackathon tackling real‑world challenges can the UK lead on safe, inclusive health AI? Register

HLTH Europe 2026 is the continent’s largest healthcare innovation conference, bringing together over 5,000 attendees from more than 50 countries. The event focuses on digital health, health tech, life sciences, and healthcare system transformation, providing a platform for decision-makers, innovators, and specialists to explore trends, solutions, and collaborations in European healthcare. The conference features a comprehensive programme, including: Keynotes and panels on healthcare IT, patient data exchange, AI in healthcare, interoperability, mental health, healthy ageing, and system change. Workshops and presentations led by industry leaders and experts. Networking opportunities with healthcare providers, policymakers, investors, pharmaceutical companies, tech companies, hospitals, and start-ups. Exhibition zones such as the Start-up Village, Investor Lounge, Policy Pavilion, and the NL Health~Holland Pavilion showcasing Dutch health tech innovations. Agenda Clive Flashman, Patient Safety Learning's Chief Digital Officer, will be leading a panel at the conference on Thursday 18 June on 'Blind trust: What happens to medical misinformation when we can no longer trust our own eyes?' Find out more. Register for the event here

The 8th Nordic Conference on Research in Patient Safety and Quality in Healthcare 2026 brings together experts, researchers, and professionals from across the Nordic-Baltic region to discuss how health and social care systems can adapt to change while ensuring safety, quality, and equity. Keynote speakers include leading voices in health policy, research, and digital transformation: Lasse Lehtonen (Kela), Liina-Kaisa Tynkkynen (Finnish institute for health and welfare), Anne Moen (University of Oslo), Josephine Ocloo (King’s College London), and Henrique Martins (Universidade da Beira Interior / ISCTE-IUL). The program features national and regional perspectives on client and patient safety, discussions on the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare, and presentations on medication safety, rehospitalization, home treatment, and client safety in social services. The conference also explores key issues such as digital health literacy, citizen engagement, educational innovations, and the impact of inequity in client and patient safety. Together, these sessions aim to strengthen collaboration, share evidence-based practices, and inspire progress toward safer and more effective health and social care across the Nordic-Baltic region. The conference also aims to foster dialogue between health and social care quality and safety and warmly welcomes social care experts, researchers, and practitioners to join the conference. Register

We know the challenges you face daily on the front line: time-pressured consultations, unreliable technology and the constant drive to give patients better care. The BMJ Future Health conference (6 - 7 November 2025) will provide the practical solutions to overcome these issues. Together with healthcare professionals from across health and social care, we’ll be collaboratively interrogating real problems to help pinpoint solutions that can make the impact that you want to, in your clinical practice and for patients. Register

The The flyer with QR code can also be downloaded from attachment below: QIST 2025 QR.pdf

The WHO Unit of Patient Safety and Quality of Care is pleased to invite you to the upcoming WHO Global Patient Safety webinar on Patient Safety Incident Reporting and Learning Systems. Patient safety incidents occur across all health care settings, yet many remain underreported or insufficiently analysed, limiting opportunities for learning and improvement. Establishing robust Patient Safety Incident Reporting and Learning Systems (PSIRLS) is critical for identifying risks, preventing harm, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. This webinar will explore key dimensions of PSIRLS, starting with setting up required systems, creating an enabling environment for their operation, and effectively investigating incidents to drive meaningful learning. Through expert insights, country experiences, and interactive discussions, we aim to better understand how to transform incident reporting from a procedural task into a systemic driver of learning and improvement for patient safety and quality of care. Register

The Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF) arguably represents the most significant change to investigating and managing patient safety incidents in the history of the NHS. To embed PSIRF effectively within organisations, healthcare teams need to understand and utilise a range of new techniques and disciplines. Clinical audit is an established quality improvement methodology that is often overlooked by patient safety teams, but will play an increasingly important role in ensuring that PSIRF fully delivers its stated objectives. CQC reports often highlight the importance of clinical audit as a measurement and assurance tool that can raise red flags if used appropriately. Indeed, both the Ockenden and Kirkup reports highlighted the importance of clinical audit in identifying and quantifying substandard care. While SEIPS, After Action Reviews, more in-depth interviewing techniques, etc. are all receiving much fanfare in relation to PSIRF, the importance of clinical audit needs to be better understood. This short course will explain how organisations who use clinical audit effectively will increase patient safety and better understand why incidents take place. We will look at the key role of audit in understanding work as imagined and works as done and show why national audits can assist with creating patient safety plans. Change analysis and the effective implementation of safety actions are keys to PSIRF delivery and clinical audit will assist in the delivery of both. We will also demonstrate the important, but often under-appreciated role, clinical audit staff will have in the successful delivery of PSIRF. Key Learning Outcomes: Why clinical audit is an integral element of PSIRF. Why clinical audit staff have a vital role to play in PSIRF. How clinical audit data can help raise red flags and spot risks. Using clinical audit to better understand your incidents. Ensuring your safety actions are working. Using audit to assess your patient safety incident investigations. Register hub members receive a 20% discount. Email [email protected] for discount code.

Any staff with responsibility for implementing the duty of candour and/or PSIRF and those responsible for quality; safety; clinical governance; safety investigations; complaints; CQC compliance; or patient experience/ involvement would benefit from attending this one-day training. The course will provide participants with an in-depth knowledge and understanding of how to not only comply with the duty of candour and the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF), but to do so in an emotionally intelligent way, with empathy and compassion for all involved. Practical guidance on complying with the regulations and guidance The “grey areas” and what people most often get wrong Using emotional intelligence to understand the difficult emotions experienced by patients/those closest to them and staff following patient safety incidents What empathy and compassion mean in practice Handling difficult and emotive conversations well Making a meaningful apology How Duty of Candour and PSIRF work alongside other policies and procedures including complaints; litigation; Martha’s Rule and the soon to be introduced “Hillsborough Law” How the new “Harmed Patient Pathway” can help you get it right 7 How to ensure communication moves beyond compliance and frameworks but remains emotionally intelligent and personal Register hub members receive a 20% discount. Email [email protected] for discount code.

This one-day masterclass focuses on the Principles and Practice of a Restorative, Just, and Learning Culture, emphasising how empathy is crucial to fostering a fair and psychologically safe environment. Through experiential learning using a true story, participants will have the opportunity to see things differently; examining how empathy and compassionate leadership underpin a Just Culture, helping organisations move from blame to learning, accountability, and system improvement. Using candid video material between facilitator, Carolyn Cleveland and Dr Chris Turner, Emergency Medicine Consultant and Co-Founder of Civility Saves Lives, potential divide of lived experience, psychology, frontline healthcare and governance is bridged. The session will bring empathic thinking into real-life practice, guiding attendees to understand the emotional complexities of patient safety incidents, staff fears and wellbeing and working with human reactions. It will highlight the difference between retributive and restorative practices and how adopting restorative approaches can enhance both patient and staff outcomes. In a safe, supportive environment, participants will reflect on how personal biases affect communication, and explore how culture change can be achieved and the challenges. The session will integrate self-reflection activities to strengthen personal well-being, emotional resilience, and inclusive leadership skills, which are vital for creating a compassionate, high-performing team. Using emotive and thought provoking material, balanced with the science of emotional intelligence, the real impact of a restorative, just and learning culture principles are felt, ensuring attendees leave with actionable insights, combined with emotional understanding to drive systemic change in their teams and wider organisations. Register hub members receive a 20% discount. Email [email protected] for discount code.

This interactive and practical course will provide a structured approach to investigating falls. You will be guided through gathering the evidence, conducting a detailed analysis of the issues and production of the final report using a blame-free, systems-based approach. This one-day training session will equip delegates with the skills to manage and investigate different types off falls. The day will be case study led and delegates will have the opportunity to ask questions pertaining to their own area of practice. Different types of learning responses will be explored, such as PSII, AAR, Swarm Huddles and thematic reviews. KEY LEARNING OBJECTIVES: What is a slip, a trip and a fall? Choosing different types of learning responses. How to recognise the systemic, human, intrinsic and extrinsic factors associated with different types of falls. Undertaking effective site visits. Focus on organisational learning through systemic analysis. Practical report writing skills. Register hub members receive a 20% discount. Email [email protected] for discount code.