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HOLD THE DATE For its fifth edition, after touring across Europe, the European Patient Safety Conference arrives in Brussels under the theme "Towards Safe and Resilient Healthcare Systems in Europe: From Strategy to Implementation". Over the last few years, through conferences and numerous multi-stakeholder dialogues, a clear pattern has emerged: patient safety is shaped not only by clinical practice but by governance structures, workforce wellbeing, patient involvement, leadership culture, digital reliability, and the resilience of healthcare systems themselves. It is a shared responsibility, requiring collaborative efforts from healthcare professionals, hospital managers, patient organisations, policymakers, researchers, insurers, industry representatives, and patient safety experts. Building on these insights, EUPSF and its affiliates deemed the time ripe to initiate the collaborative development of a European Strategy for Safe and Resilient Healthcare Systems, a framework moving beyond fragmented initiatives to address structural risk factors. Brussels, as the heart of European policy, seemed the natural place to present such an ambitious initiative. However, this year's conference will go further and initiate the transition from strategy to implementation. Through structured panels, peer dialogue, and expert contributions, participants will review the strategy and explore how to translate it into concrete actions tailored to their specific environments, at institutional, national, and European levels. More details can be found here.

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

This report presents the first cross-sectional analysis of quality of care and patient safety in the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region. It is based on an analysis of macro-level data from international sources and the results of a WHO survey conducted in 53 Member States. Critical gaps identified include limited implementation of national action plans and policies for quality of care and patient safety and wide variations in indicator outcomes for dimensions of quality of care, health system functions and population health outcomes across the region. Key findings in this report included: A scaling up of implemented national action plans for quality and patient safety, including a demonstration of learning and continuous improvement of better practices, processes and outcomes, is needed in the majority of countries. Only one third of countries implemented both a national quality of care and patient safety action plan. Hospital accreditation systems are implemented in only a minority of countries, hindered by a limited availability of evidence, particularly on their cost-effectiveness. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) plans are widely available in countries, but ample opportunities remain to combat AMR. The majority of countries (79%) have implemented an AMR plan, but persistent disparities in AMR prevalence for Escherichia coli (E. coli) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) remain across the region. Patient or public representation in national health governance is nearly non-existent, with only 13% of countries using this policy mechanism. Health misinformation prevention plans are absent in nearly all countries. Only four countries reported the use of a health misinformation plan. Such plans are important because they allow countries to deal effectively with infodemics during emergencies, including disease outbreaks, as well as with behaviours related to immunization adherence and noncommunicable diseases. The scarcity of the health and care workforce has significant consequences for the delivery of high-quality care. A limited number of countries have a national approved priority/essential medical devices list. Data show that only 22 countries have a national list of approved priority/essential devices. Electronic health records (EHR) are implemented in a low number of countries, jeopardizing the effective uptake of quality improvement interventions. Less than three quarters of countries (70%) reported having implemented EHRs, with only 13% having guidelines for quality and safety in telehealth. Patient safety-related indicators suggest a need for improvement with a high number of patient-reported medical mistakes. People-centredness indicators highlight important gaps in data collection on patient-reported outcome measures and experiences. Less than one third of the countries report on people-centredness indicators. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and experiences (PREMs) have important consequences for public confidence in the health system, health-care utilisation patterns, retention in care, and people’s decision to bypass facilities. Aggregated data mask inequalities within countries, showing a need for local systems of data collection and an evidence-base for equity-oriented policies. Poor population health outcomes highlight the need for a life-course approach and intersectoral action taking a quality of care perspective on the health of individuals and generations. Policy actions Based on the findings of the survey and towards addressing some of the challenges revealed across countries, a number of prospective actions to promote and/or ensure quality of care and patient safety emerge from the analysis. Invest in whole-system quality that comprises integrated quality planning, quality control, and quality improvement activities. Invest in the development of national action plans and policies for quality of care and patient safety. Develop a harmonised set of indicators for measuring and continuously improving quality of care, including measures that matter most to patients. Ensure patient and public representation in national health governance. Establish clear, evidence-based standards for all care settings. Re-design models of care around the needs and preferences of patients. Invest in an health and care workforce with the capacity and capability to meet the demands and needs of the population for high-quality care. Invest in robust public budgeting for quality of care and reconfigure payments to incentivise value in health service delivery. Develop comprehensive and multistakeholder-led biotechnology sector policies to address quality and affordability for patients and health-care systems. Invest in digital health solutions that support quality of care.

Healthcare is undergoing rapid transformation, driven by digital innovation, medical advancements, and shifting care models. At the same time, growing demand for care, workforce shortages and financial constraints are putting pressure on healthcare systems, reshaping how care is delivered and how patient safety is ensured. As roles and responsibilities evolve, professionals must adapt to new ways of working, integrating innovation while ensuring human oversight remains central to patient safety. Meanwhile, staffing shortages and cross-border migration are redistributing tasks across professions, often beyond traditional boundaries, introducing new risks and requiring proactive approaches to provide safe, coordinated care. This conference will not only focus on risks but also on possible solutions. How can we anticipate rather than react; leverage innovation without increasing complexity; involve the patients in the safety of their own care; support those who work every day to keep patients safe? Register

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.

At a time when the potential of technological innovation to improve patient safety and patient outcomes is increasingly undeniable, tangible results are still a long way off. Our aim is to provide an opportunity for discussing the missing links that prevent the vision of breakthrough digital solutions from translating into genuine improvements in patient safety and outcomes. It will be held in the prestigious Colegio de Médicos of Madrid. This venue, with its amphitheatres charged with medical history, reflects the ambition we have for this conference: to be a forum that brings together the views of all the stakeholders involved in patient safety in order to achieve concrete improvements. Register

Speaker: Professor Ian Leistikow; Adviser at the Dutch Health & Youth Care Inspectorate and Professor at Erasmus School of Health Policy & Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands Challenges that health and care faces, translate to challenges for the regulatory authorities. Classic regulatory strategies aimed at compliance increasingly fall short in contributing to quality of (health)care. In this webinar Ian will use the model of ‘value driven regulation’ to show how the Dutch Inspectorate strives to keep up with the dynamics of the sectors it regulates, by keeping its eye on creating societal value. Ian will also give an overview of the broad range of scientific research projects within the Inspectorate aimed at improving the positive impact of its regulation. Find out more