Latest News

Healthcare workers’ exposure to hazardous medicinal products features in The Sun

07/10/2026

Earlier this year, The Sun reported on the protection of healthcare workers who handle hazardous medicinal products (HMPs) as part of their roles. We are pleased to share the coverage below. ‘INADEQUATE’ Thousands of NHS nurses… Read more

SHBN takes the case for safer handling of hazardous medicinal products to BOPA 2026

05/10/2026

SHBN Secretary Josh Cobb joined oncology pharmacy leaders at the BOPA Annual Conference in London to set out why the UK’s current regulatory framework is not doing enough to protect staff who handle hazardous medicinal products. SHBN presented… Read more

A renewed National Cancer Board must protect those who deliver cancer care

30/09/2026

The SHBN welcomes the first meeting of the reformed National Cancer Board and the renewed scrutiny it will bring to the National Cancer Plan. A plan this important needs regular, independent assessment of where delivery is on… Read more

HMP Safety Webinar – Safer Handling of Hazardous Medicinal Products: Pharmacy Practice and the Case for Change

21/09/2026

Join us for a webinar exploring the safe handling of hazardous medicinal products (HMPs) in UK pharmacy on Thursday 8 October, 12:00 – 13:00. Held on Zoom, this webinar will explore the pharmacy practice and implementation challenges shaping… Read more

SHBN meeting presentations from Richard Yates and David Osborn on 31 July 2026

16/09/2026

Healthcare workers across UK healthcare settings are routinely exposed to formalin and formaldehyde, with serious potential health consequences and little in the way of adequate occupational protection or safety regulation. At our SHBN meeting on 31 July 2026,… Read more

The HMP Safety Podcast: Episode 4 with Professor Karen Campbell Immediate Past President Of UK Oncology Nursing Society

14/09/2026

The SHBN is delighted to share that the fourth episode of the HMP Safety Podcast is now live: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5X9GGYsWcmYgEjkpdFVgj0 In this episode, Dr Paul Robert, podcast host and chair of the SHBN, is joined by Professor Karen… Read more

The SHBN Hosts Parliamentary Roundtable on the Safer Handling of Hazardous Medicinal Products

04/09/2026

On Thursday 3 September, the Safer Healthcare and Biosafety Network hosted the first parliamentary roundtable on occupational exposure to hazardous medicinal products, bringing together Members of Parliament, clinical experts, campaign partners and industry representatives for a structured debate on… Read more

The SHBN Endorses First UK Coalition Position Paper on Safer Handling of Hazardous Medicinal Products

01/09/2026

The Safer Healthcare Biosafety Network (SHBN) today welcomes Safe Management of Hazardous Medicinal Products in UK Healthcare Settings, a joint position paper published by a multidisciplinary group, including the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS), the British Oncology Pharmacy… Read more

The HMP Safety Podcast: Episode 3 with Sam Toland, Nurse Consultant in Cancer Care and Lead SACT Nurse, Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust

10/08/2026

The SHBN is pleased to share that the third episode of the HMP Safety Podcast is now live: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3u3aLyQm9YuHc5lcnOykIf In this episode Dr Paul Roberts, podcast host and chair of the SHBN, is joined by Sam… Read more

The HMP Safety Podcast: Episode 2 with Alison Simons, Senior Lecturer in Nursing & Midwifery at Birmingham City University

30/07/2026

The SHBN is delighted to share that the second episode of the HMP Safety Podcast is now live: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7o6r9pwSTdK70YwSB5ExvH In this episode Dr Paul Roberts, host and chair of the SHBN, is joined by Alison Simons,… Read more

The HMP Safety Podcast: Episode 1 with Louise Church from the Royal College of Nursing

22/07/2026

The UK’s HMP Safety campaign launches a new podcast series called the HMP Safety Podcast. The HMP Safety Podcast is a new series produced and released by the SHBN and hosted by Dr Paul Grime, Chairman of the… Read more

The SHBN Launches the HMP Safety Podcast Series

14/07/2026

The SHBN is thrilled to launch the HMP Safety Podcast Series; a platform for discussions on the risks of occupational exposure to Hazardous Medicinal Products (HMPs), featuring perspectives from researchers, policymakers and frontline healthcare workers. In March 2026,… Read more

SHBN Webinar Safer Handling of Hazardous Medicinal Products: Evidence, Practice and Policy Change

29/06/2026

We are delighted to share that our Safer Handling of Hazardous Medicinal Products Webinar: Frontline Pressures, Education and Culture webinar had over 100 attendees across a range of professions. Attendees heard from two outstanding speakers: Sam Toland, Nurse… Read more

HMP Webinar: Safer Handling of Hazardous Medicinal Products: Frontline Pressures, Education and Culture

04/06/2026

Join us for a webinar exploring the safe handling of hazardous medicinal products (HMPs) in UK healthcare. This webinar will bring together frontline clinical expertise and academic insight to examine the growing pressures facing healthcare workers who handle… Read more

BBC: More than 100 maternity staff sue NHS over gas exposure

19/05/2026

The BBC have reported that more than 100 maternity staff are taking legal action against the NHS after being exposed to “hazardous” levels of nitrous oxide, leaving them with symptoms including fatigue, anxiety, headaches, and brain… Read more

The Independent: Investigating Effects of Workplace Exposure to Hazardous Medicinal Products

07/05/2026

We are pleased to share the the following coverage from The Independent investigating the effects of workplace exposure to hazardous medicinal products (HMPs). The Independent: NHS cancer nurses exposed to toxic chemicals linked to miscarriage due… Read more

Channel 4 News: Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Medicinal Products

07/05/2026

We are delighted to share that Channel 4 News has today published a landmark feature on occupational exposure to Hazardous Medicinal Products, highlighting the urgent need for closed-system transfer devices across the NHS. This is a… Read more

MHRA Appoints New Chief Digital and Technology Officer to Transform Regulation of Medicines and Medical Devices

30/04/2026

The SHBN welcomes the appointment of Jason Bonander as the new Chief Digital and Technology Officer of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Bonander joins from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where he… Read more

SHBN Webinar Safer Handling of Hazardous Medicinal Products: Evidence, Practice and Policy Change

24/04/2026

We are delighted to share that our Safer Handling of Hazardous Medicinal Products: Evidence, Practice and Policy Change webinar had over 170 attendees across a range of professions. Attendees heard from two outstanding speakers: Dr Karen Campbell, Immediate… Read more

HMP Webinar: Safer Handling of Hazardous Medicinal Products: Evidence, Practice and Policy Change

02/04/2026

Join us for an important discussion on the safe handling of hazardous medicinal in UK healthcare. This webinar will bring together leading research and policy perspectives on the safe handling of hazardous medicinal products (HMPs) in healthcare, exploring… Read more

SHBN’s HMP Safety Campaign features in leading nursing and pharmacist publications

18/03/2026

We are delighted to share that, following the launch of the SHBN HMP Campaign in Parliament last week, we have secured excellent coverage in Nursing Times, Hospital Pharmacy Europe and Nursing Practice. Nursing Times: https://www.nursingtimes.net/nurse-wellbeing/campaign-to-protect-nurses-from-exposure-to-hazardous-medicinal-products-13-03-2026/ Hospital Pharmacy Europe:… Read more

The SHBN launches UK’s first campaign to protect healthcare workers from occupational exposure to hazardous medicinal products (HMPs)

16/03/2026

We are delighted to share that the SHBN has officially launched a new campaign Protecting Healthcare Workers: Safer Handling of Hazardous Medicinal Products to raise awareness of the dangers of occupational exposure to hazardous medicinal products (HMPs). Read more

BOPA and PASG publish joint statement on the Safer Handling of Hazardous SACT Drugs

22/12/2025

The Joint BOPA and PASG Position Statement on Safer Handling of Hazardous SACT Drugs outlines a shared commitment to ensuring safe and effective practices in the preparation, handling, administration, and disposal of Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (SACT) and cytotoxic medicines. Read more

The SHBN & RCN Parliamentary Reception on the Safer Handling of Hazardous Medicinal Products

22/12/2025

We are very pleased to share that the SHBN and RCN’s recent Parliamentary Reception marked a historic milestone, the first time the issue of occupational exposure to hazardous medicinal products (HMPs) has been formally raised in Parliament. Read more

Workload Pressure is a Patient Safety Risk

20/10/2025

New polling from the Royal College of General Practitioners warns that excessive GP workloads are putting patient safety at risk, underscoring the urgent need for investment and safe staffing across primary care. Read more

What are hazardous medicinal products, and why do they matter for staff safety?

25/08/2025

Hazardous medicinal products (HMPs) include a wide range of drugs used to treat cancer, autoimmune diseases, and other serious conditions. These medicines are often lifesaving for patients but can pose significant health risks to the healthcare professionals… Read more

SHBN Comments on nurse strike action and rejected pay offer

28/07/2025

28 July, London – Nurses across England appear likely to reject the government’s 3.6 % pay award, and union leaders warn that a formal strike ballot is likely to follow later this year if negotiations do not resume. The indicative… Read more

Human Factors Training Course

20/03/2025

The Safer Healthcare and Biosafety Network is calling for improvements in, and between, patient and healthcare worker safety to prevent safety incidents and deliver better outcomes for all. Join us and Professor Rob Galloway, A&E Consultant… Read more

SFA Webinar – The Invisible Hazard: Tackling Surgical Smoke for Healthcare Worker and Patient Safety

24/02/2025

Join us for a crucial discussion on an often-overlooked threat in surgical settings—surgical smoke exposure. The Invisible Hazard: Tackling Surgical Smoke for Healthcare Worker and Patient Safety will delve into the risks posed by surgical smoke, its impact on both healthcare… Read more

Safety For All Conference 2024

09/01/2025

The third annual Safety For All Conference was held at the Royal College of Physicians in London on Tuesday 10th December 2024.  Safety For All is campaigning for patient safety and healthcare worker safety as two sides of the… Read more

Protecting Perioperative Practitioners Webinar

06/12/2024

On 4th December 2024, Safety For All hosted a pivotal webinar titled “Protecting Perioperative Practitioners – A Deep Dive into PPE Standards for Safety in the Operating Theatre”. This event convened over 50 leading experts to discuss the latest… Read more

Safety Talks… The Drive to Net Zero

05/08/2024

The Safety for All campaign has published the fourth episode in the series; Safety Talks – A Safety For All podcast. Safety Talks is a series of podcasts produced and released under the Safety For All banner, hosted by… Read more

Webinar: Clinical Communications

11/07/2024

On Thursday 11th July, the Safety For All campaign hosted a webinar focused on clinical communications. With over 50 attendees, the event emphasised the crucial role of effective communication in healthcare settings, providing invaluable insights… Read more

Safety Talks… Workplace Identity & Teamwork

24/06/2024

The Safety for All campaign has published the third episode in the series; Safety Talks – A Safety For All podcast. Read more

Webinar: Clinical Communications

17/06/2024

The Safety For All campaign is hosting a webinar on clinical communications on 11th July. Read more

Webinar: Violence at Work

23/05/2024

The Safety for All Campaign will be hosting a webinar to present findings from a survey on violence and aggression sustained by nursing and midwifery students in a UK university. Read more

Safety Talks… Antibiotic Research and AMR

02/04/2024

The Safety for All campaign has published the second episode in the series; Safety Talks – A Safety For All podcast. Read more

Safety Talks… Return to work for healthcare workers

04/03/2024

The Safety for All campaign has launched a new podcast series; Safety Talks – A Safety For All podcast. Read more

Safety Talks – A Safety For All podcast

08/02/2024

The Safety For All campaign is excited to introduce the Safety Talks podcast series; a platform for discussions on crucial contemporary healthcare safety issues, featuring perspectives from both patients and healthcare professionals. In 2021… Read more

Webinar: Why we need to more about Sepsis – in partnership with the UK Sepsis Trust

02/02/2024

The Safety For All campaign is calling for a greater discussion around sepsis. 5 people die with sepsis every hour in the UK. Without quick treatment it can lead to multiple organ failure and death. Sepsis often goes… Read more

Safety for All Conference 2023

12/12/2023

The second annual Safety For All conference was held at the Royal College of Physicians in London on Tuesday 5th December 2023 Read more

Safety For All – Sustainability Webinar Summary

28/11/2023

The healthcare sector is responsible for almost 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions and has a carbon footprint equivalent to 514 coal-fired power plants. Healthcare is one of the most significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and there are… Read more

SHBN presents at the Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance and Technical Services Symposium 2023

02/10/2023

On 29th September at the Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance and Technical Services Symposium at the International Convention Centre in Newport, Wales, informative presentations from Louisa Knowles, Advanced Pharmacist for Technical Services at University Hospitals Birmingham, and Ian Lindsley, Chairman SHBN,… Read more

Safety for All Parliamentary Reception

13/07/2023

Carolyn Harris MP hosted a Parliamentary reception with MPs, Peers and representatives of the wider patient safety and healthcare community Read more

Safety For All – Sustainability Webinar Summary

20/04/2023

On 19th April the Safety For All (SFA) campaign hosted a webinar on the topic of sustainability Read more

Further decline in staff experience of NHS staff

09/03/2023

The results highlight the ongoing challenges within the NHS Read more

Human Factors and Patient Safety Webinar: 3rd May 2023

07/03/2023

The webinar will take place on 3rd May from 12:00-13:30 Read more

Sustainability Webinar: 19th April 2023

07/03/2023

The sustainability webinar will take place on 19th April from 13:00-14:00 Read more

Safety For All Conference Report

09/02/2023

On Wednesday 7 December 2022 the inaugural Safety for All conference was held at the Royal College of Physicians in London. Read more

Safety For All Conference 2022 – Summary

12/12/2022

The inaugural Safety For All conference was held at the Royal College of Physicians on 7th December 2022 Read more

Safety For All Conference 2022

26/10/2022

The Safety for All Conference 2022 will be held at the Royal College of Physicians from 09:00 - 16:00 on 7th December 2022 Read more

Monkeypox: Nurse Tests Positive After Needlestick Incident

21/10/2022

A nurse acquired a monkeypox infection after an incident with a needle Read more

Webinar – Prevention of Sharps Injuries & Theatre Safety

05/10/2022

Summary of Safety For All webinar on the prevention of sharps injuries and theatre safety – 5 October 2022 Read more

System-wide action needed to improve safety in healthcare

29/06/2022

Parliamentary reception with MPs, Peers and representatives of the wider patient safety and healthcare community Read more

UK National Blood and Body Fluid Exposure Annual Survey

07/06/2022

The UK’s first National BBFE Survey has been launched and OH Managers are encouraged to respond Read more

Webinar: Update on ISO 23908 standard

12/05/2022

Webinar to report on progress with updating the ISO 23908 standard on safety mechanisms in the design and manufacture of devices and the prevention of sharps injuries Read more

Online workshops: Guidance document for the safe management of hazardous medicinal products at work

12/05/2022

Guidelines for managing hazardous medicinal products (HMPs) will be published by December 2022 Read more

Mind the implementation gap: The persistence of avoidable harm in the NHS

07/04/2022

Patients continue to die and be harmed by the failure to learn from unsafe care Read more

Webinar: Challenges and solutions in healthcare procurement and supply chain that prioritise patient and staff safety

30/03/2022

The webinar took place on Wednesday 30 March and featured around 50 attendees Read more

Summary – Ockenden Report

30/03/2022

The Ockenden report has raised 15 areas for “immediate and essential action” Read more

Challenges in Healthcare Supply Chain and Patient and Staff Safety Webinar

01/03/2022

The webinar will take place from 10-12.00 on Wednesday 30 March in partnership with NHS Supply Chain and Patient Safety Learning Read more

Patients will be endangered by flaws in health bill, says NHS ombudsman

01/03/2022

Victims of medical negligence could be denied justice because of ‘curtain of secrecy’ Read more

A UK National Blood and Body fluid Exposure Annual Survey

22/02/2022

New survey launched into BBFE in healthcare personnel. Read more

Stop Cancer at Work Campaign welcomes progress made in protecting workers from cancer and reproductive problems at work

04/01/2022

European Parliament and European Council agree on greater protection and reference to reprotoxic substances and hazardous medicinal products Read more

G7 presidency statement – patient safety: from vision to reality

25/11/2021

The UK convened a meeting on ‘Patient safety: from vision to reality’ Read more

NHS is at breaking point and putting patients at high risk, bosses warn

11/11/2021

9 in 10 leaders say work pressures and lack of staff are unsustainable in England Read more

‘Safety for All’ white paper published

20/10/2021

‘Safety for All’ white paper published to prioritise improvement in both patient and healthcare worker safety. Read more

One in six most critically ill NHS patients are unvaccinated pregnant women with Covid

11/10/2021

Unvaccinated pregnant women at high risk. Read more

Maria Caulfield MP confirmed as new Minister for Patient Safety

22/09/2021

Former cancer nurse announced as new Minster for Patient Safety Read more

Troubled maternity wards still jeopardising patients

21/09/2021

Mothers and babies remain at risk from poor care and closed systems. Read more

New patient coalition launched for digital health technology

17/09/2021

A new coalition has come together to ensure the interests of patients are at the heart of the development of policy in digital health technology. Read more

7 key resources for maternity safety

17/09/2021

The theme of World Patient Safety Day 2021 is ‘Safe maternal and newborn care’. Read more

World Patient Safety Day 2021

13/09/2021

The theme of World Patient Safety Day 2021 is "safe maternal and newborn care” Read more

Upcoming Patient Safety Events

09/09/2021

Patient Safety in Focus and the HSJ Patient Safety Congress. Read more

Hospitals told to remove toxic chemical after children left with burns and patients injected by mistake

31/08/2021

Confusion over similar looking bottles led to some mistakes that left patients needing intensive care. Read more

MPs say 1,000 babies die preventable deaths in England each year

06/07/2021

Commons health committee says NHS has reduced baby deaths significantly but could do more to improve safety. Read more

Government guidance continues to put staff and patients at risk from the airborne nature of Covid-19

06/07/2021

Fresh Air NHS, Patient Safety Learning and the SHBN calling for urgent change to the UK government’s guidelines on PPE Read more

Covid: Masks upgrade cuts infection risk, research finds

02/07/2021

The quality of face masks healthcare workers wear makes a huge difference to their risk of coronavirus infection, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust research has found. Wearing a high grade mask known as an FFP3 can provide… Read more

NHS trusts hiring non-nurses for nursing roles

09/06/2021

Royal College of Nursing says recruiting people without the correct qualifications puts patients at risk. The RCN said the employment of non-nurses to work as nurses in hospitals and mental health facilities “should set alarm bells ringing with… Read more

PPE guidance continues to put staff and patients at risk

08/06/2021

Dr David Tomlinson has written a piece today on the hub of Patient Safety Learning describing that approximately 1,000 healthcare and care workers died from COVID-19 in the UK and 122,000 workers are suffering from Long COVID. Read more

Safety put at risk by staff burnout in health and social care

08/06/2021

NHS and care staff in England are so burnt out that it has become an “emergency” and risks the future of the health service, MPs have warned. A highly critical report said workers were exhausted and overstretched because… Read more

RCN publishes survey into sharps injuries and mucocutaneous exposures in 2020

28/05/2021

Sharps injuries (SI) and mucocutaneous exposures (MCE), collectively termed “blood and body fluid exposure” (BBFE), pose a diseases-transmission risk and a psychological stress to health care workers (HCW) and a responsibility on employers to prevent their occurrence. Read more

How will NHS staff with Long Covid be supported?

27/05/2021

In a recent blog post, Patient Safety Learning interviewed Asad Khan, a doctor who has been suffering with persistent symptoms of Covid-19 for more than six months. This is also commonly referred to as Long Covid.  Asad highlights… Read more

US Nurses to Picket Over Failure to Create Safer Patient Care Conditions

25/05/2021

Registered nurses represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association at Falmouth Hospital will hold an informational picket on May 26 to call attention to Cape Cod Healthcare executives refusing to negotiate a new contract that creates safer patient care conditions. A… Read more

UK Hospitals Accused of Burying Dozens of Patient Safety Reports

19/05/2021

UK hospitals have been accused of hiding nearly 100 secret reports written by expert doctors and investigating patient safety problems. BBC’s Panorama is to reveal on Wednesday that of the 111 ‘invited reviews’ requested from medical royal colleges by… Read more

COVID-19 vaccinations prompt CDC guidance on sharps disposal

05/05/2021

Two new fact sheets from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are intended to help health care workers, managers and purchase agents ensure the safe handling and disposal of sharps during the nation’s COVID-19 mass vaccination effort. The agency… Read more

European Biosafety Network publishes new guidance to prevent sharps injuries

28/04/2021

Europe must act now to stop the spread of deadly diseases due to COVID-19 Healthcare workers and patients are being put at risk not only from COVID-19 but other deadly diseases as a result of an increase in… Read more

European Parliament votes to stop cancer at work and include hazardous drugs and reprotoxins in the Carcinogens and Mutagens Directive (CMD)

26/03/2021

Stop Cancer at Work Campaign calls on the European Commission to work with the Parliament and Council to legislate now to prevent workplace cancer  The European Parliament voted yesterday late afternoon to support the Stop Cancer at Work… Read more

Staff safety and wellbeing in the NHS: The difference between vision and reality

19/03/2021

very year, the NHS surveys its staff to find out about their experiences of working for their respective organisations. This week saw the publication of the 2020 NHS Staff Survey, which had almost 600,000 respondents representing 47% of NHS… Read more

Healthcare Worker Safety and Patient Safety ‘Two Sides of the Same Coin’ says Jeremy Hunt

18/03/2021

Speaking today at a webinar for the Clinical Human Factors Group, Jeremy Hunt MP, Chair of the Health and Social Committee for the House of Commons, has said that Healthcare Worker Safety and Patient Safety and ‘two sides of… Read more

Virtual Conference on Hospital Workers Wellbeing Matters

15/03/2021

On 23rd February 2021, the International Society for Quality in Healthcare (ISQa) and the International Hospital Federation (IHF) held a virtual conference on hospital workers wellbeing matters. The event provided ISQa’s and IHF’s members and the wider community… Read more

NHSE/I publish update to Patient Safety Strategy

10/03/2021

NHS England and Improvement have published an update to their joint paper The NHS Patient Safety Strategy. The strategy which was first published in June 2019 set out the NHS’s strategy for achieving its vision of continuously improve patient… Read more

The Clinical Human Factors Group is holding a conference on the impact of staff well-being on creating safety on 18th March

08/03/2021

On 18th March 2021, The Clinical Human Factors Group will be holding a virtual conference on the impact of staff well-being on creating safety. The Clinical Human Factors Group is a charity that works with healthcare professionals, managers… Read more