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Helen Hughes

@helenh49.bsky.social

570 followers 470 following 80 posts

Passionate about patient safety, social justice and democracy. And cats. And trains Check out Patient Safety Learning’s free learning platform for patient safety - resources, networks and more www.pslhub.org

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Helen Hughes @helenh49.bsky.social · 1d

Much more needed for effective #psirf implementation. This matters. We need to learn why avoidable harm happens and act on it. Good report by #hssib and please see our response from Patient Safety Learning

Patient Safety Learning @patientsafetylearning.org · 1d

🆕In this article we reflect on today's new report by the @hssib.bsky.social, which looks at patient safety incident investigation under the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF). www.pslhub.org/learn/invest...

Investigating under the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF): Patient Safety Learning’s response to HSSIB investigation

Patient Safety Learning sets out its reflections on HSSIB's investigating under the PSIRF report

Helen Hughes @helenh49.bsky.social · 23d

In our World Patient Safety Day blog we call for action to address the persistence of avoidable harm and share resources specific to this year’s theme “Safe care for every newborn and child”.

Please review and share widely.

Patient Safety Learning @patientsafetylearning.org · 23d

Today is #WorldPatientSafetyDay!

In a new blog on the hub, we set out the need for a transformation in our approach to patient safety and consider this year’s theme, “Safe care for every newborn and every child”. www.pslhub.org/learn/patien... #WorldPatientSafetyDay2025 #WPSD2025 #WPSD

Patient Safety Learning: World Patient Safety Day 2025

Patient Safety Learning reflects on World Patient Safety Day 2025

Helen Hughes @helenh49.bsky.social · 23d

In our World Patienr Safety Day blog we call for action to address the persistence of avoidable harm and share resources specific to this year’s theme “Safe care for every newborn and child”.

Please review and share widely.

Patient Safety Learning @patientsafetylearning.org · 23d

Today is #WorldPatientSafetyDay!

In a new blog on the hub, we set out the need for a transformation in our approach to patient safety and consider this year’s theme, “Safe care for every newborn and every child”. www.pslhub.org/learn/patien... #WorldPatientSafetyDay2025 #WPSD2025 #WPSD

Patient Safety Learning: World Patient Safety Day 2025

Patient Safety Learning reflects on World Patient Safety Day 2025

Helen Hughes @helenh49.bsky.social · Aug 6

‘By involving frontline staff in the design, testing and implementation phases of introducing a new electronic system—or any new procedure, policy or tool—you may uncover these workarounds much sooner and be able to design them out.’

Patient Safety Learning @patientsafetylearning.org · Aug 6

🆕In a new blog on the hub today, our Associate Director @safetynurse999.bsky.social talks about the opportunities to improve patient safety and the risks associated with the use of barcode technology in healthcare. www.pslhub.org/learn/improv... #patientsafety

Patient barcode scanning in NHS hospitals: safety, snags and workarounds. A nurse’s perspective

Claire Cox, Patient Safety Learning’s Associate Director, talks about the opportunities to improve patient safety and the risks associated with the use of barcode technology in healthcare

Helen Hughes @helenh49.bsky.social · Jul 23

Great to be able to collaborate and support this important #patientsafety issue

Patient Safety Learning @patientsafetylearning.org · Jul 23

(5/5) You can find out more about the work of @thereforme.bsky.social over the past year, and their plans for the future, in the blog below⬇️
www.thereforme.uk/p/thereforme...

#ThereForME’s first birthday

We had a busy day yesterday at #ThereForME HQ responding to the Delivery Plan publication.

www.thereforme.uk

Helen Hughes @helenh49.bsky.social · Jun 27

A Trust in Cornwall said to their board that cyber security of health systems underwrites #patientsafety. Absolutely and an avoidable death sadly proves that 😥

Patient Safety Learning @patientsafetylearning.org · Jun 27

Featured on the hub today, an interview on BBC London yesterday with our Chief Executive @helenh49.bsky.social, in the wake of the news that a patient’s death was contributed to by a cyber attack on NHS pathology provider last year. www.pslhub.org/learn/commis... #patientsafety

Interview with Helen Hughes on the cyber attack on a NHS pathology provider (26 June 2025)

Interview with Helen Hughes on BBC London on the death of a patient due to the cyber attack on a NHS pathology provider

Reposted by Helen Hughes

Patient Safety Learning @patientsafetylearning.org · Jun 26

In this she talks about collaborating with the Patient Safety Partners Network, hosted on our patient safety platform the hub, in the past year. Read more about this in the blog below⬇️
www.pslhub.org/learn/leader...

Championing the patient voice: a recent discussion with the Patient Safety Commissioner at the Patient Safety Partners Network

This blog provides an overview of a Patient Safety Partners Network where the Patient Safety Commissioner presented

Helen Hughes @helenh49.bsky.social · Jun 27

Is there a playbook of tactics used by Trusts to ‘manage’ whistleblowers? Yes, say the interviewees from our speaking up series.

Patient Safety Learning @patientsafetylearning.org · Jun 26

The whistleblower playbook: Commons tactics that some organisations use when dealing with people who speak up or blow the whistle.

Link: www.pslhub.org/learn/cultur... #patientsafety

This infographic, titled 'The whistleblower playbook', outlines some of the common tactics used by some organisations when staff raise patient safety concerns. These including public messaging, casting doubt on mental state, isolation, silence, compromised investigations, retaliatory referrals, HR processes and employment tribunal tactics.

Helen Hughes @helenh49.bsky.social · Jun 18

Impressive networking and sharing on all things #patientsafety. If you’re UK based, do join!

Patient Safety Learning @patientsafetylearning.org · Jun 18

🆕The Patient Safety Management Network 4 years on: "Not just a network but a movement"🆕

A new blog by @safetynurse999.bsky.social featured on the hub today. www.pslhub.org/learn/profes... #patientsafety

The Patient Safety Management Network 4 years on: "Not just a network but a movement"

PSMN founder Claire Cox reflects on its achievements over the past year, the impact it is having and how its evolving

Reposted by Helen Hughes

Patient Safety Learning @patientsafetylearning.org · Jun 2

News article on the hub today - Pennsylvania’s patient safety database tops 300,000 reports, a first in 2024. www.pslhub.org/blogs/entry/... (via Betsy Lehman Center)

Pennsylvania’s patient safety database tops 300,000 reports, a first in 2024

With more than 300,000 patient safety incidents and serious events reported, Pennsylvania’s patient safety database reached a new milestone in 2024. Analysis by the state’s Patient Safety Authority (P...

Reposted by Helen Hughes

Patient Safety Learning @patientsafetylearning.org · Jun 3

(1/4) Corridor care is increasingly being used in the NHS as demand for emergency care grows and hospital departments struggle with patient numbers. On the hub you can find a series of blogs highlighting key #patientsafety concerns relating to corridor care. www.pslhub.org/learn/improv...

Corridor care and patient safety

Corridor care is increasingly being used in the NHS as demand for emergency care grows and hospital departments struggle with patient numbers. In a series of blogs for the hub, we shine a light on som...

Helen Hughes @helenh49.bsky.social · May 12

Excellent interview with a leading ergonomics, culture and healthcare leader

Patient Safety Learning @patientsafetylearning.org · Apr 23

🆕NHS non-executive director and ergonomist Beatrice Fraenkel speaks to @helenh49.bsky.social and Peter Duffy about how fear affects behaviour and why it's important to understand the factors leading to poor culture and harm in healthcare.

🔗 www.pslhub.org/learn/cultur... #patientsafety

Reposted by Helen Hughes

NIHR Yorkshire and Humber PSRC @yhpsrc.bsky.social · Apr 25

We’re thrilled to launch our new podcast series; Stories of Safety!

Join us for exclusive conversations with leading figures on what #patientsafety means, how it’s been shaped, & what the future holds.

🎙️Listen now to Episode 1 with @shaunlintern.bsky.social :
psrc-yh.nihr.ac.uk/latest/podca...

Reposted by Helen Hughes

Patient Safety Learning @patientsafetylearning.org · May 7

🆕In this report we analyse a sample of 13 Patient Safety Incident Response Plans, reflecting on what these tell us about the implementation of new Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF) in the NHS. www.pslhub.org/learn/patien...

What do Patient Safety Incident Response Plans tell us about how the NHS is approaching safety investigations?

Patient Safety Learning analysis of Patient Safety Incident Response Plans

Helen Hughes @helenh49.bsky.social · Mar 19

Powerful and often shocking ‘must view/read’ whistleblowing testimony in the NHS. This led to Bernie’s career change and the most fulfilling work of her life—supporting others to speak up and be heard. For this she has received an MBE and a Churchill Fellowship award.

Patient Safety Learning @patientsafetylearning.org · Mar 19

🆕Bernie Rochford MBE talks to @helenh49.bsky.social and Peter Duffy about how speaking up about anomalies in health records destroyed her career but led her to become a Freedom to Speak Up (FTSU) Guardian and research international approaches to whistleblowing.

Link: www.pslhub.org/learn/cultur...

Helen Hughes @helenh49.bsky.social · Mar 19

Powerful and often shocking ‘must view/read’ whistleblowing testimony in the NHS. This led to Bernie’s career change and the most fulfilling work of her life—supporting others to speak up and be heard. For this she has received an MBE and a Churchill Fellowship award.

Patient Safety Learning @patientsafetylearning.org · Mar 19

🆕Bernie Rochford MBE talks to @helenh49.bsky.social and Peter Duffy about how speaking up about anomalies in health records destroyed her career but led her to become a Freedom to Speak Up (FTSU) Guardian and research international approaches to whistleblowing.

Link: www.pslhub.org/learn/cultur...

Helen Hughes @helenh49.bsky.social · Mar 18

Just announced. Please share widely

Patient Safety Learning @patientsafetylearning.org · Mar 18

🆕The @who.int has announced that the theme of World Patient Safety Day 2025 will be “Safe care for every newborn and every child”, emphasising the need for stronger measures to protect children from preventable harm. Read more below⬇️
www.pslhub.org/learn/organi... #patientsafety

World Patient Safety Day 2025

This year’s World Patient Safety Day 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.

Helen Hughes @helenh49.bsky.social · Mar 14

It is difficult to imagine that this type of results in other safety-critical industries—where the consequences of incidents may also be serious injury or loss of life—would be considered acceptable.

Patient Safety Learning @patientsafetylearning.org · Mar 14

What NHS staff think about patient safety—it’s still not safe: Our response to the NHS Staff Survey Results 2024 www.pslhub.org/learn/patien...

What NHS staff think about patient safety—it’s still not safe: Patient Safety Learning’s response to the NHS Staff Survey Results 2024

Patient Safety Learning's response to the latest NHS staff survey

Helen Hughes @helenh49.bsky.social · Mar 13

There still remains a significant gap between what NHS organisations say to employees about speaking up and creating the actual conditions where they feel safe to follow this advice. No significant improvement this year. As previous years. This matters

Patient Safety Learning @patientsafetylearning.org · Mar 13

🧵NHS Staff Survey Results 2024🧵

(1/6) Today's latest staff survey results show no significant change from recent years in responses to questions on reporting incidents, clinical safety and speaking up on #patientsafety issues www.pslhub.org/learn/cultur...

NHS Staff Survey National Results 2024 (13 March 2025)

The 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...

Helen Hughes @helenh49.bsky.social · Mar 13

It was a fantastic event. Planning 2026 already!

Patient Safety Learning @patientsafetylearning.org · Mar 7

Featured on the hub, a new blog by our Chief Executive Helen Hughes and Director Clare Wade reflecting on last week's Patient Safety Forum 2025, part of our patient safety policy programme with Public Policy Projects www.pslhub.org/learn/patien... @helenh49.bsky.social

Prioritising patient safety: Reflections on the Patient Safety Forum 2025

Patient Safety Learning's Helen Hughes and Clare Wade reflect on the Patient Safety Forum 2025

Helen Hughes @helenh49.bsky.social · Mar 13

Valuable local-level learning prompts for acute hospitals. A complex set of factors that could apply broadly. Could they affect your organisation, your patients?

Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) @hssib.bsky.social · Mar 13

🆕 REPORT. Medication not given: anticoagulation before and after a procedure. We’ve published a report that examines a patient safety event involving an 87-year-old man on anticoagulation medication and outlines learning prompts for NHS trusts. Read the report: buff.ly/CPIeFQC

A female nurse speaks with an elderly male patient laying in a hospital bed. She is using a digital tablet device.

Helen Hughes @helenh49.bsky.social · Mar 13

This blog highlights the challenges that patients have in raising concerns about what makes them safe

Patient Safety Learning @patientsafetylearning.org · Mar 13

🆕Laura Evans discusses the lack of protection against Covid for vulnerable patients when going for a GP appointment or into hospital and shares her personal experience of being dismissed when asking for basic patient safety measures to be put in place. www.pslhub.org/learn/corona... #patientsafety

"Why should a vulnerable person be expected to tolerate lack of protections against Covid?"

n this blog, Laura Evans discusses the lack of protection against Covid for vulnerable patients when going for a GP appointment or into hospital

Reposted by Helen Hughes

Roger Kline @rogerkline.bsky.social · Mar 5

Why policies, procedures and training in isolation will not change culture or employment relations. Much of HR needs a rethink bmjleader.bmj.com/content/7/4/...

Paradigm lost? Reflections on the effectiveness of NHS approaches to improving employment relations

The National Health Service in England has largely relied on a human resources trilogy of policies, procedures and training to improve organisational culture. Evidence from four interventions using th...

bmjleader.bmj.com

Reposted by Helen Hughes

Patient Safety Learning @patientsafetylearning.org · Mar 3

Are you a patient, relative or carer frustrated with navigating the healthcare system? Or is your GP practice or Trust doing something innovative to make it easier for patients? Share your experience with us on the hub. www.pslhub.org/forums/topic... #patientsafety

The challenges of navigating the healthcare system

In a new series of blogs on the hub, patients and their relatives describe the challenges and barriers they have faced when trying to navigate the healthcare system. What has been your experience of n...

Reposted by Helen Hughes

Patient Safety Learning @patientsafetylearning.org · Mar 3

Upcoming Safety For All webinar featured on the hub:

▶️The Invisible Hazard: Tackling Surgical Smoke for Healthcare Worker and Patient Safety
🗓️Wednesday 2 April 2025
⏰12:00 - 13:00 BST

More details below⬇️
www.pslhub.org/events/event...

Safety For All webinar - The Invisible Hazard: Tackling Surgical Smoke for Healthcare Worker and Patient Safety

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 ...