Big changes to the NHS patient safety landscape expected in 2025

Forecasting for the coming year always takes place around this time of year. Journalists and other commentators highlight the significant events of the past year and lay out their vision for what may be on the horizon. Those with an interest in NHS patient safety and care quality face a mammoth task ahead doing this given the size and complexity of the NHS.

The year 2024 was a busy one, patient safety wise, with a raft of several important consultations on topics including the Duty of Candour, Never Events, and the NHS Constitution (Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), 2024a; 2024b; NHS England, 2024a). Consultations have closed in these areas, and we await government responses. We also await the response to the report of the Health and Social Care Committee (2022) NHS Litigation Reform Inquiry. Furthermore, we can add Martha's Rule (NHS England, 2024b) and the Dash Review (DHSC, 2024c) to the list of seminal events. Taken together the NHS patient safety landscape could look very different this time next year.