Ep 5 - World Patient Safety Day Special | The Hidden Role of Parents in Paediatric Medication Safety

To mark World Patient Safety Day 2025, this special episode of Voices for Safety explores the critical but often overlooked role of parents in paediatric medication safety. Drawing on NIHR-funded research and lived experience, the conversation highlights how parents are routinely involved in administering medicines, the risks posed by hospital routines that ignore family expertise, and the emotional impact of medication errors. It calls for greater inclusion of parents in care decisions, improved communication, and systemic changes to ensure safer care for children.Our host Dr Louise Gorman is joined by:Dr Adam Sutherland, Associate Professor in Healthcare Quality and Safety, University of Bradford, and a registered pharmacist who has worked in paediatric critical care since 2005, andHeidi Ridgewell, a mum, advocate, and family support worker at Ryedale Special Families.This study was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Education England Integrated Clinical Academic Programme (CDRF-17-024), and supported by the NIHR Greater Manchester Patient Safety Research Collaboration (GM PSRC). The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.