Learning from error: Leading a culture of safety

Abstract

A recent shift towards more collective leadership in the NHS can help to achieve a culture of safety, particularly through encouraging frontline staff to participate and take responsibility for improving safety through learning from error and near misses. Leaders must ensure that they provide psychological safety, organizational fairness and learning systems for staff to feel confident in raising concerns, that they have the autonomy and skills to lead continual improvement, and that they have responsibility for spreading this learning within and across organizations.