Transitions in care are high-risk moments for patient safety; whether from hospital to home, mental health settings to community, or across specialties. In this episode, our research experts Dr Natasha Tyler, Dr Richard Keers, and Professor Tom Blakeman dive into why transitions in care can present patient safety challenges and the emotional toll on patients and carers. From medication errors to emotional readiness for discharge, we explore research insights that could reshape the future of safer care transitions.

🔗 Show notes, transcript & more

#PatientSafety #NHS #TransitionsInCare #Healthcare #HealthcareWorkforce #MedicalStaff #NIHR #VoicesForSafety #nhsengland #universityofmanchester

To mark World Patient Safety Day 2025, this special episode of Voices for Safety explores the critical but often overlooked role of parents in paediatric medication safety. Drawing on NIHR-funded research and lived experience, the conversation highlights how parents are routinely involved in administering medicines, the risks posed by hospital routines that ignore family expertise, and the emotional impact of medication errors. It calls for greater inclusion of parents in care decisions, improved communication, and systemic changes to ensure safer care for children.

Our host Dr Louise Gorman is joined by:

• Dr Adam Sutherland, Associate Professor in Healthcare Quality and Safety, University of Bradford, and a registered pharmacist who has worked in paediatric critical care since 2005, and
• Heidi Ridgewell, a mum, advocate, and family support worker at Ryedale Special Families.

This study was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Education England Integrated Clinical Academic Programme (CDRF-17-024), and supported by the NIHR Greater Manchester Patient Safety Research Collaboration (GM PSRC). The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.

To mark World Patient Safety Day 2025, this special episode of Voices for Safety explores the how NIHR-funded research is helping improve care for pre-term babies through the PremPath study. The conversation highlights the optimisation pathway, ethnographic insights into neonatal care, and the challenges of coordination, communication, and equity. It also shares practical recommendations to improve care experiences for families and staff, emphasising the emotional and relational aspects of patient safety.

Our host Dr Louise Gorman is joined by:

• Prof Nicola Mackintosh, Professor in Social Science applied to Health at the University of Leicester and research co-lead at the NIHR Greater Manchester Patient Safety Research Collaboration (GM PSRC), and
• Dr Julie Roberts – Research Fellow at the SAPPHIRE group (Social science, APPlied Healthcare and Improvement Research), University of Leicester.

This study/project is funded by the NIHR Policy Research Programme (NIHR204242). The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.