World Patient Safety Day 2026

Today marks World Patient Safety Day, a global initiative that brings together governments, healthcare organisations, professionals and patients to focus attention on patient safety and action to reduce avoidable harm in healthcare.  

This year’s theme focuses on safe care for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), such as cardiovascular disease (heart attacks, strokes), cancers, chronic respiratory diseases (COPD and asthma), and diabetes.  

More patients undergoing surgery are living with long-term underlying health conditions like diabetes, heart disease, respiratory illnesses and cancer. Anaesthetists play a vital role in helping patients prepare for surgery, assessing and managing risk, and supporting safer care throughout the perioperative pathway. Through education, research, audit and quality improvement, the Royal College of Anaesthetists is committed to supporting our members to deliver the highest standards of care and improve outcomes for patients.

Patient information  

Our Fitter Better Sooner resource provides information for patients – including those with long-term health conditions – to help them prepare for surgery, optimise their health and manage existing medical conditions before their operation.       

We also champion shared decision-making between patients and healthcare professionals. Our risk information series helps support these discussions, particularly for patients whose long-term health conditions may increase the risks associated with surgery and anaesthesia. By helping patients better understand their choices and risks, these discussions support safer and more personalised care.  

Delivering measurable improvements in patient safety  

Patient safety is further supported through our national clinical audits and quality improvement programmes, many of which have demonstrated tangible benefits for patients. These include:  

• National Audit Projects (NAPS), which have driven improvements in anaesthetic practice. For example, evidence suggests airway management has become safer over the last decare, supported by our sustained work following recommendations from our 4th National Audit Project.  
• Sprint National Anaesthesia Projects (SNAP), which generate evidence to improve patient care. The most recently published SNAP was the most comprehensive study to date on frailty and multimorbidity in the UK and is helping influence discussion around routine frailty screening.  
• National Emergency Laparotomy Audit (NELA), which has contributed to significant improvements in outcomes following emergency surgery. Since the audit began in 2013, deaths following emergency laparotomy have fallen by 3.6 percentage points, equating to around 1,150 fewer deaths per year.  
• NoLap, which examines the care and outcomes of patients who meet the criteria for emergency laparotomy, but do not undergo surgery. The first NoLap report published earlier this year, is helping to improve understanding of this patient group and identify opportunities to enhance care.  
• Anaesthesia Clinical Services Accreditation (ACSA), which has helped improve service quality across the UK. In the 12 years since its introduction, accredited department have reported benefits including increased use of capnography and improved preoperative assessment services.  
• The Safe Anaesthesia Liaison Group (SALG) – a collaborative project between the College, the Association of Anaesthetists and the NHS, also improves patient safety across the surgical pathway by sharing learning and promoting safer practice.  

Supporting informed and personalised care  

Our Centre for Perioperative Care (CPOC) develops guidance and resources that support safer care for people living with long-term conditions.

Professor Denny Levett, Director of the Centre for Perioperative Care, said: “Patient safety is not solely about clinical processes and protocols. It also means ensuring that patients are informed, involved and empowered. Patients must understand their choices and be active partners in their care.  

“The World Patient Safety Day campaign highlights the importance of meaningful patient engagement, and this aligns closely with CPOC's commitment to shared decision-making. High-quality, honest conversations help people make informed choices and are an essential component of safe, personalised care.”  

Key CPOC resources include:

• Prepared for Surgery, Ready for Recovery: Supporting Patients from Pre-op to Discharge – a patient-focused resource designed to support people from pre-operative assessment through to recovery and discharge.
• Perioperative Care of People with Diabetes Undergoing Surgery – national guidance that supports healthcare teams in delivering safe and effective care for patients with diabetes before, during and after surgery.

Together, these resources help ensure that people with chronic health conditions receive coordinated, personalised care throughout their surgical journey.

Upcoming event  

The Safe Anaesthesia Liaison Group Patient Safety Conference takes place online on Wednesday 21 October 2026.  

The day will provide valuable knowledge for doctors engaged in clinical anaesthesia, pain management and intensive care medicine, and who have an interest in improving patient safety.