World Patient Safety Day 2025: Theme, History and Practical Steps for Families
World Patient Safety Day is observed on 17 September each year. This page looks back at the 2025 campaign and explains how its message can guide conversations during a consultation, hospital stay or discharge. Patient safety means reducing avoidable harm in health care through reliable systems, clear communication and appropriate clinical care.
The 2025 theme and slogan
The WHO theme was “Safe care for every newborn and every child”, with the slogan “Patient safety from the start!” These belong to the 2025 campaign, rather than being presented as the latest annual theme.
How the day began
The Seventy-second World Health Assembly established World Patient Safety Day in 2019 through resolution WHA72.6 on global action for patient safety. The annual observance encourages public awareness, collaboration and action to reduce avoidable harm. It is an opportunity to improve everyday care, rather than a certification that any particular hospital is free from risk.
Why newborns and children need particular attention
Children’s care must account for age, development, communication needs and changing body size. Newborns may be especially vulnerable and unable to communicate symptoms. Families provide important observations, while clinical teams need suitable equipment, competent staff and dependable processes. Good care also involves listening to children in ways appropriate to their age.
Campaign priorities: from awareness to action
The campaign encouraged stronger engagement by families and health workers, practical improvements in care, and leadership that supports safer services. WHO’s accompanying five goals address these areas:
| Priority | A practical question families can ask |
|---|---|
| Children and family participation | Who is coordinating care, and how can we share a concern? |
| Medication safety | What is this medicine for, and how should it be measured and given? |
| Diagnostic safety | What does the test result mean, and what follow-up is needed? |
| Infection prevention | What hygiene or wound-care steps should we follow? |
| Care for small or sick newborns | What monitoring, specialist support or referral does this baby need? |
Before a consultation or admission
- Bring current prescriptions, medicine bottles when useful, previous reports and relevant vaccination records.
- Explain allergies and what happened during any previous reaction.
- Share recent symptoms, medical conditions and any supplements or medicines bought without a prescription.
- Confirm the patient’s name and other identifying details on reports and prescriptions.
- Ask for an interpreter or an explanation in a language you understand when needed.
During care: ask, confirm and speak up
Ask the team to explain the diagnosis being considered, the benefits and risks of a procedure, alternatives and the expected next steps. If a medicine or report seems unfamiliar, ask the team to check before proceeding. Do not disconnect equipment, change treatment or adjust doses yourself.
For a child’s medicine, confirm the concentration and prescribed amount as well as timing and route. Use the recommended measuring device rather than an ordinary kitchen spoon. Do not assume that an adult dose can simply be reduced without professional advice.
Tell the nurse or doctor promptly if symptoms change or the patient seems significantly worse. Families should feel able to raise concerns, but responsibility for a safe service remains with the care provider. Technology can assist care; it does not replace clinical judgment, staff training or effective communication.
Before going home
- Ask for written instructions and a clear medicine list showing what to start, continue, change or stop.
- Confirm wound care, feeding or activity instructions relevant to the patient.
- Ask which warning signs require urgent help and where to seek it.
- Clarify who will follow up pending test results and when.
- Record the follow-up appointment and contact route for questions.
Repeat the plan back in your own words so the team can correct any misunderstanding. If instructions conflict with an older prescription, ask the treating professional to reconcile them.
Urgent concerns need immediate attention
If a patient develops severe breathing difficulty, becomes unresponsive or deteriorates rapidly, seek emergency help. In hospital, alert staff immediately. Do not wait for a routine appointment or grievance process to report an immediate clinical concern.
Planning a visit to My Health Hospitals
Contact the branch for the service and appointment you need. For newborn or child care, confirm the appropriate specialist, facilities and referral arrangements before a planned visit. The campaign information on this page does not establish NICU capacity, paediatric emergency cover or any particular monitoring technology.
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Ask reception to confirm the relevant department, attending specialist and appointment time.
Call KPHB: 91116 74111Tarnaka
Ask reception to confirm the relevant department, attending specialist and appointment time.
Call Tarnaka: 91000 01201Raising a concern
Start with the treating nurse or doctor for a care concern. If it remains unresolved, ask for the senior clinician or the branch’s patient-relations or grievance contact. Explain what happened, when it happened and what needs clarification. Keep copies of relevant records without sharing another patient’s private information.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is World Patient Safety Day observed?
It is observed annually on 17 September. The World Health Assembly established the day in 2019 through resolution WHA72.6.
What did the 2025 campaign focus on?
The 2025 WHO campaign focused on safer health care for newborns and children, including family participation, medicines, diagnosis, infection prevention and the needs of small or sick newborns.
Is this the current year’s campaign page?
No. This page explains the 2025 campaign. Annual themes change; consult the official WHO campaign website for another year.
Can families help prevent care errors?
Yes. Share allergies and medicine lists, confirm the patient’s identity and ask for clear explanations. Families can contribute, but health services remain responsible for safe systems and care.
What should I check before giving a child medicine?
Confirm the prescribed medicine, concentration, dose, route and timing with the treating professional. Use the recommended measuring device, and ask before combining products or changing a dose.
What should a discharge plan explain?
It should explain medicines, expected recovery, warning signs, pending test results, follow-up arrangements and whom to contact if a problem develops.
Does this article confirm NICU or paediatric emergency services?
No. Contact the relevant branch to confirm the specific service, specialist availability and referral arrangements before a planned visit. An unwell newborn or child needs prompt assessment at an appropriate service.
How can I raise a safety concern?
Tell the treating nurse or doctor promptly and ask for escalation if needed. For unresolved non-urgent concerns, ask reception for the branch’s patient-relations or grievance contact. Immediate symptoms should be reported without waiting for a complaint process.
Sources and further reading
- WHO: World Patient Safety Day 2025
- WHO: five patient safety goals for the 2025 campaign
- WHO: campaign announcement and history
This article provides general health education. Follow the treating team’s advice for an individual patient’s care.