World Patient Safety Day: Technology, Teamwork and Putting Patients First
Every year, the World Health Organization marks World Patient Safety Day (17 September 2025) to remind us that safe care is a universal right. This year’s theme, “Safer care for every newborn and every child,” highlights the critical importance of protecting the most vulnerable. But as Rachael Ellis, Scan4Safety Programme Director at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (HUTH), reminds us, “patient safety is our top priority every day – for every patient.”
In a world where healthcare is becoming ever more complex, technology and teamwork are proving vital allies in delivering that promise.
“First, do no harm” – powered by digital
The guiding principle of the NHS has always been clear: first, do no harm. That message was underscored in Baroness Cumberlege’s 2020 Report of the same name, which revealed systemic failures to hear patient voices, act quickly on safety concerns and maintain reliable records of devices and treatments. One of its strongest recommendations was the creation of robust data registries and traceability systems to prevent harm.
At HUTH, this vision is already reality. Through GS1 UK's Scan4Safety, the Trust uses barcodes and radio frequency identification (RFID) to locate products and equipment. That means clinicians always know who used what, where and when.
“At HUTH, we use the Four Ps: the right patient, the right product, the right place, and the right process,” explains Rachael.
That means if a product is recalled, the Trust can instantly identify the surgeon, the theatre, the patient and the implant used, for example. Live scanning also prevents errors in real time: “If during a left hip procedure staff pick up a right hip implant, the system flags it before it reaches the surgeon. It’s a massive patient safety benefit that manual systems simply can’t match.” Rachael adds.
The power of visibility and data
At HUTH, Scan4Safety has created one of the largest RFID implementations in Europe: 72,000 assets labelled and 3,000 sterile trays reprocessed every week. This scale of visibility ensures that equipment and products can be traced seamlessly across both hospital and community health settings.
The solution was created by The Barcode Warehouse and implemented in partnership with trusted technology providers including Tagnos and Zebra ensuring the infrastructure was robust, scalable and tailored to clinical needs.
The benefits are tangible. Respiratory equipment used by patients at home can be located and recalled quickly if needed. Staff can trace sterile trays across theatres in minutes. “We no longer need to extract patient records manually,” Rachael explains. “If it’s scanned, it’s visible. When it’s visible, we have great data. And with great data, we make better decisions.”
This ability to act at speed has transformed recalls from days of manual paper-based work into same-day duty of candour notifications – giving patients confidence that safety always comes first.
The human side of safety
Technology may provide the tools, but it is people who make care safe. At HUTH, Scan4Safety supports multidisciplinary teams – surgeons, anaesthetists, recovery nurses, ICU staff, pharmacists – by giving them the same reliable information.
Equally important is communication. HUTH’s Speak Up Guardians encourage staff to raise concerns, while personalised discharge planning ensures patients get the support they need. “An 80-year-old living alone may need mobility aids and a care package, while a 29-year-old with family support may not,” Rachael notes. “These conversations happen every day, whether we realise it or not.”
Rachael also stresses the importance of teamwork: “Everyone has a role in patient safety. From the porter moving equipment, to the pharmacist checking stock to the surgeon in theatre – safety depends on people working together and sharing information. Technology helps us do that better, but it’s the team that makes it real.”
Lessons for others
For other NHS Trusts or digital transformation teams considering similar programmes, Rachael’s advice is straightforward: start with what matters.
“Patient safety drives this programme,” she says. “Read your hospital’s quality statement – it reveals executive priorities. Map the entire pathway to spot duplication and improvement opportunities. Keep it simple: we use pocket cards with messages like ‘No scan, no stock.’ And engage clinical teams early.”
Equally vital is choosing the right technology partner. It’s not just about the product; it’s about having a team with the technical know-how to support implementation and the communication skills to work alongside busy clinicians and nursing staff. Strong partnerships with the right digital technology partners ensure that when challenges arise, they are solved quickly and collaboratively.
As Rachael puts it, “we focused on what the tech needed to do, not how it did it”! Our success depended on working with the right digital transformation and technology solutions partner and people who could translate those needs into reality.
More than one day
World Patient Safety Day shines a spotlight on a global challenge, but as Rachael reminds us, “patient safety is our top priority every day.” From finding a nebuliser for a newborn in under four minutes to preventing incompatible implants in surgery, HUTH is showing how technology and teamwork make safety real and save lives.
Because in the end, safer care is not about systems or scanners. It’s about people, protecting them and the value of working with trusted technology solutions partners who can help make that digital transformation a reality.
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More about Scan4Safety
The GS1 UK Scan4Safety initiative is a healthcare programme that uses GS1 global standards and barcode scanning to uniquely identify products and places within NHS Trusts, aiming to improve patient safety, reduce clinical errors and enhance operational efficiency.
You can read more about it on GS1 UK's official page: How GS1 UK enables Scan4Safety for the NHS[1]
