Hiwendy micklewright Welcome to the hub newsletter.
Organisational culture and speaking up
The NHS recently published the results of its 2025 staff survey. 729,423 staff from 238 organisations took part in this survey, which provides a snapshot of their experiences of working in the health service. Patient Safety Learning has reflected on the results of this survey, focusing on responses relating to reporting, speaking up and acting on patient safety concerns. As set out in this analysis, unfortunately the staff survey results suggest there are little signs of positive progress across many of these areas.
Roger Kline, Research Fellow at Middlesex University Business School, found similar findings and patterns in the recent review he had done exploring the literature on patient safety and speaking up. In a blog summarising his review findings, Roger argues that staff being able to raise concerns safely and effectively is essential for patient safety, but the NHS continues to struggle with creating a culture where this happens reliably.
PSMN: Building openness, trust and courage
It was four and a half years ago that the Patient Safety Management Network (PSMN) began in the simplest of ways: just four people on a Teams call. Since then, the PSMN has transformed from a community of interest to an emerging movement in patient safety. One where people are empowered to build openness, trust and courage together. Read Claire Cox's blog on how the PSMN continues to develop and grow. If you are a UK hub member who has an active patient safety role in a health or care service provider organisation and would like to join the PSMN, email support@pslhub.org.
Understanding bias
There are many different types of bias, some more commonly known than others. We have created a resource to help explain different types of bias and to provide some practical examples of how some of these can impact patient safety.The content has been developed following a Patient Safety Education Network session led by Samia Sakuma, lead Quality Governance Lead for Paediatrics at West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.
Patient safety and the new NHS Quality Strategy
This year will mark the publication of the first comprehensive Quality Strategy for the NHS in over fifteen years. In this blog, Patient Safety Learning and the Advancing Quality Alliance (Aqua) set out the need for safety to serve as a golden thread woven throughout the Strategy.
The national survey of Patient Safety Partners is now live
Researchers from THIS Institute are inviting patient safety partners across the NHS to take part in a new survey exploring how the role is developing. This national survey will help them understand:
Who is taking on the role
What patient safety partners do in practice
How the role is evolving and how it can be supported
Your contribution will play an important part in building evidence to support patient safety roles nationally. The survey closes on 31 May 2026.
To support Rare Disease Awareness Day in February, we pulled together 14 resources, including reports, guidelines and blogs, to raise awareness of the challenges faced by people with a rare disease, and to support healthcare professionals and patients and their carers. Read here.
Blog reflecting on the role of Royal College reviews in the NHS, why they matter and the unintentional consequences that can occur when shared in the public domain.
We asked our new hub Topic lead, Sharon Weldon, to explain how Transformative Simulation can be applied to patient safety, how teams might use it to test and refine safer ways of working, and signpost you to where you can find further information and resources on Transformative Simulation.
Patient safety in ophthalmology depends on the reliability of diagnostic information that informs clinical decisions. This article explores diagnostics as an often unseen safety checkpoint. It reflects on how structured verification processes, clear escalation pathways and defined accountability within diagnostic teams strengthen system reliability.
One of the teams that competed in the recent Green Nursing Challenge Showcase was the Bladder, Bowel and Pelvic Health community team in Lewisham, London, with their project: ‘Trial without catheter (TWOC) using a structured approach’. The team have shared their project with the hub.
The 10 Year Health Plan for England envisions a major shift from hospital to community, towards the creation of a Neighbourhood Health Service. This policy paper, published by the Department of Health and Social Care, sets out how Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), local authorities, health and wellbeing boards and other partners should create and deliver neighbourhood health services.
Deborah Dover is an NHS Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, a Topic leader for the hub, and a Director of Patient Safety. In this blog, she tells us more about the Patient Safety Director role and how it can be a powerful driver for safety improvement.
Risa Mallory is a retired psychotherapist from Canada and a hub Topic leader. After a serious cardiovascular event in 2018 she became a patient advocate, collaborating with organisations across the globe. In this blog, Risa draws on personal experience, research, and her advocacy knowledge, to explain why compassion is critical to patient safety.
Digital Health Rewired 2026 is the UK’s biggest digital health expo, bringing together everyone using digital and data to improve health and care. With speakers, inspiring NHS case studies, and cutting-edge solutions, Rewired offers valuable learning and networking opportunities. Whether you’re shaping policy, delivering care, or building digital tools, Rewired is your chance to connect, learn, and lead in transforming health and care through digital innovation and collaboration.
This conference focuses on patient involvement and partnership for patient safety including implementing the New National Framework for involving patients in patient safety, and the role of the Patient Safety Partner (PSP) in your organisation or service. The conference will also cover engagement of patients and families in their own safety, and patient involvement under the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework.
This month, vet Jessica Woodhouse gave an overview of patient safety in a veterinary referral centre presenting two case studies of Never Events; Julie Smith, Programme Manager at Kent Surrey Sussex Health Innovation Network, shared a tool called MOMENTS; and Indresh Umaichelvan from Barts shared how they are using AI in practice.
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