In November, the NIHR Greater Manchester Patient Safety Research Collaboration (GM PSRC) celebrated its launch with two remarkable events that took place in Manchester (6^th), and Nottingham (14^th). Both events were a resounding success, setting the stage for a future where patient safety is at the forefront of healthcare initiatives. Moreover, they served as a platform to bring together a diverse group of individuals committed to improving patient safety across health and social care.

“Our hearts are filled with gratitude for everyone who joined us at these launch events. The overwhelming support and enthusiasm demonstrated by our attendees, speakers, and collaborators are a testament to our shared commitment to creating a safer and more equitable healthcare environment. We extend our heartfelt thanks to each and every individual who contributed to the success of these events” said Professor Darren Ashcroft, Director of the GM PSRC at the University of Manchester.

The launch events provided an invaluable opportunity for our team, colleagues, friends, and collaborators to come together and celebrate the collaborative spirit that defines the GM PSRC and all six PSRCs across England. The power of collaboration cannot be overstated, and we are excited to embark on this journey with a network of individuals dedicated to delivering high quality research to improve patient safety.

We are immensely grateful to all who attended the events. It was a joy to share our vision with a diverse audience and witness the enthusiasm for the meaningful work that lies ahead. These launch events marked the beginning of a journey to strengthen connections, foster collaborations, and create lasting networks that will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of patient safety research in Greater Manchester and the East Midlands.

In brief, here’s how each event unfolded:

Manchester launch – 6th Nov, at the Manchester Museum

Dr Owen Williams OBE

We were delighted to welcome Dr Owen Williams OBE, chief executive officer of the Northern Care Alliance (NCA) NHS Foundation Trust, as our keynote speaker at our launch in Manchester. His speech provided an inspiring overview of his experience in patient safety, the importance of addressing inequalities and his vision for the future.

This was followed by the Director of the GM PSRC, Prof Darren Ashcroft, presenting an overview of the PSRC’s vision, considering its past achievements, which builds on the success of the NIHR Greater Manchester Patient Safety Translational Research Centre (GM PSTRC). Darren also discussed the current challenges and opportunities we face ahead, outlining the GM PSRC’s plans and goals for the next five years. Darren’s presentation was followed by Dr Penny Lewis, GM PSRC Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) lead, and Dr Louise Gorman, GM PSRC Patient and Community Involvement and Engagement (PCIE) Manager, presenting on our EDI and PCIE strategy to strengthen patient safety through inclusive involvement.

In the presentations that followed, our research theme leads presented a glimpse into the outstanding work that is currently taking place in each research theme, as well as an overview of the themes’ goals and objectives for the future. The presentations were led by Prof Tony Avery OBE (University of Nottingham) on Improving Medication Safety, Prof Nav Kapur (University of Manchester) on Preventing Suicide and Self-harm, Prof Natalie Armstrong (University of Leicester) on Enhancing Cultures of Safety, and Prof Caroline Sanders on Developing safer health and care systems. In addition, Prof Rachel Elliott, GM PSRC Health Economics lead, presented on GM PSRC’s plans and aims for Patient Safety and Health Economics.

Nazir Afzal OBE

Lastly, we were honoured to listen to a final message from the Chancellor of the University of Manchester, Nazir Afzal OBE, who delivered a touching and inspiring speech on the importance of embracing diversity and inclusion in all the work we do, ensuring that everyone is heard and engaged.

Here are some photos from the launch in Manchester:

East Midlands launch – 14th Nov, at the University of Nottingham

Prof Tony Avery OBE and Prof Sir Jonathan Van-Tam MBE

The keynote speech at our East Midlands launch was delivered by Professor Sir Jonathan Van-Tam, Senior Strategy Adviser in Medicine for the University of Nottingham and a former Deputy Chief Medical Officer at NHS England, who played a key role in the UK’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly in vaccine development and distribution.

The day continued with the GM PSRC’s Director, Prof Darren, presenting an overview of the GM PSRC’s plans and vision for the next five years. Followed by Dr Louise Gorman who presented on our EDI and PPIE strategy and, next, two of our research themes were introduced by our research leads: Prof Natalie Armstrong on the theme Enhancing Cultures of Safety, and Prof Tony Avery OBE on the theme Improving Medication Safety.

After the presentations, we had plenty of time for group discussions and networking. It was rewarding to see all delegates discussing with each other what are their most pressing patient safety concerns and how to overcome these challenges. It was certainly a taste of all the collaborative work that lies ahead.

Here are some photos from the launch in Nottingham:

About NIHR GM PSRC

The National Institute for Health and Care Research Greater Manchester Patient Safety Research Collaboration (NIHR GM PSRC) is one of six collaborations located across England and is hosted by the Northern Care Alliance (NCA) NHS Foundation Trust. Our primary goal is to improve patient safety across health and social care, along with narrowing the gap in health inequalities to deliver safer health and social care for everyone. By working closely with patients, carers, and healthcare professionals, our research spans four key themes, strategically aligned with the priorities outlined by NHS England. Our research is led by patient safety experts from the Universities of Manchester, Nottingham, and Leicester.

The GM PSRC focuses on the following research themes:

• Improving medication safety, led by Prof Tony Avery (University of Nottingham) and Prof Darren Ashcroft (University of Manchester)
• Enhancing cultures of safety, led by Prof Natalie Armstrong and Prof Carolyn Tarrant (University of Leicester)
• Developing safer health and care systems, led by Prof Caroline Sanders and Dr Tom Blakeman (University of Manchester)
• Preventing suicide and self-harm, led by Prof Nav Kapur and Prof Roger Webb (University of Manchester)

As narrowing the gap in health inequalities is central to our research, we will aim to focus our work on underserved patient groups with complex health and care needs. The experiences of staff, carers and patients are central to our approach; therefore, our research is designed with patients, carers and staff. Our four themes are closely linked and work together to improve the safety of care for patients and those in contact with health and social care services.

Our collaboration works closely with charities, industry and other research organisations across Greater Manchester and the East Midlands. The NIHR GM PSRC builds on the success of the NIHR Greater Manchester Patient Safety Translational Research Centre (GM PSTRC).

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