Our work
Patient safety is recognised globally as fundamental to healthcare quality and is key to everyone having access to healthcare. Safer care requires robust health systems and patient safety measures that respond to local needs.
We lead work programmes that support health systems to reduce avoidable harm and deliver safe, quality care in the UK and globally.
We partner with the World Health Organization (WHO) to deliver the Global Patient Safety Collaborative and co-lead the WHO Quality of Care and Patient Safety Education and Training Network.
Since 2022, we have partnered with Patient Safety Watch to deliver the National and Global State of Patient Safety reports. We have teamed up with behavioural scientists to improve cancer screening for underserved populations and have helped develop patient safety education and training programmes in places with limited resources.
Click on the tabs below to explore our recent projects in patient safety.
Our work
Since 2019, we have been the academic partner in the Global Patient Safety Collaborative (GPSC), a joint initiative of the World Health Organization and the UK government.
The foci are education and training, research, and leadership for patient safety, globally and in selected countries (Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Mongolia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka). We support the delivery of webinars on topics of relevance to GPSC countries, co-develop generic educational materials, and provide bespoke country support as needed. We co-lead the Quality of Care and Patient Safety Education and Training (QPSET) Network as well as a thematic workstream on clinical risk management education and training.
Project contact: Mrs Melanie Leis
Since 2022, we have produced, in partnership with Patient Safety Watch, annual reports on the state of patient safety. These alternate each year between a national and a global focus.
- The Global State of Patient Safety 2025
- The National State of Patient Safety 2024
- The Global State of Patient Safety 2023
- The National State of Patient Safety 2022
The National State of Patient Safety 2026 will be published in January 2027.
Project contact: Mrs Melanie Leis
In 2026, we supported colleagues in Malawi to develop a patient safety e-learning course for primary healthcare workers leveraging materials from Imperial College London’s online MSc in Patient Safety.
Working in partnership with Malawi’s Learning Centre for Quality Management and Ministry of Health thanks to Global Health Partnership funding, the course exceeded its target and enrolled nearly 500 primary health workers across Malawi within its first months.
Read a first-hand account of the course from the project lead in Malawi.
Project contact: Mrs Melanie Leis
Previous projects
COVID-19 had a significant effect on the safety of healthcare workers (HCWs), particularly in low-income countries.
We published a commentary paper on the steps frontline and local leaders could take to improve the health and wellbeing of HCWs.
We also conducted research into what helped or hindered organisations and leaders in that process.
Project contact: Mrs Melanie Leis
Since World Patient Safety Day was established in 2019, we have marked the annual event by showcasing our work in this area. Activities have included a virtual event to celebrate patient and family voices (2023), highlighting the importance of medication safety (2022) and an event about safe maternal and newborn care (2021).
Since 2024, our activity in this area is showcased through SafetyNet.
Project contact: Mrs Melanie Leis