Moving beyond the rhetoric to a sustainable NHS patient safety culture

The annual World Patient Safety Day took place on 17 September 2021. Iconic buildings in many parts of the world were lit up in orange in support of the day, and special lectures, seminars and other events took place. This year's theme was patient safety issues in mothers and newborns. Stakeholders were encouraged to look at solutions to the problem, undertake research and adopt best practices. Public engagement was also a focus.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated some very stark statistics:

‘Approximately 810 women die every day from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. In addition, around 6700 newborns die every day, amounting to 47% of all under-5 deaths. Moreover, about 2 million babies are stillborn every year, with over 40% occurring during labour.’

WHO, 2021

Most stillbirths and maternal and newborn deaths are avoidable, WHO states, provided safe and quality care is given by skilled health professionals working in supportive environments (WHO, 2021).