We’re proud to announce that our Learning Loop initiative has been shortlisted for a Patient Safety Education and Training Award as part of the HSJ Patient Safety Awards 2025.
The Learning Loop was developed from a collaboration between our operational teams in Fylde and Greater Manchester and our quality improvement and patient safety teams. It was designed as an improvement initiative to ensure that critical learning from patient safety incidents, investigations, and Coroner’s Court outcomes reaches our dispersed frontline teams in a meaningful and engaging way. It combines innovative communication channels, such as posters, team huddles, social media, and CPD platforms, using language that is familiar and easy to read, to close the gap between learning and practice.
Since its pilot launch in Fylde, Lancashire, the initiative has seen a dramatic increase in staff engagement and awareness, with 76% of staff reporting a change in their practice and 100% finding the content helpful. By empowering clinicians with timely, accessible learning, the Learning Loop is driving real change, improving patient safety, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. It went onto be piloted in one area of Cheshire and Mersey and the central sector of Greater Manchester. It is now being rolled out across NWAS with the next phase of the project being to understand the impact and how it changes practice.
Clinical Support Manager Stuart Lee, says: “We’re continuously learning from safety incidents, and we have a wealth of knowledge from investigations and Coroners Courts and this initiative assures that this learning reaches operational staff across the whole organisation, which can be a proven challenge for large organisations
“By addressing both local and regional patient safety issues, it has fostered a culture of continuous improvement, leading to more informed decision-making and safer practices in patient care. The Learning Loop has proven to be a simple but effective method to reduce patient harm and save lives.
“This has been enabled through a collaboration of clinical staff of all grades, and patient safety and quality improvement teams, with support from learning and organisational development, and communications teams. This was initially co-ordinated through the quality improvement team, with design help from the sector clinical leads, clinical support managers and patient safety team members to ensure it is as effective as possible.”
Congratulations to the team for this well-deserved national recognition. The award ceremony will take place later in the year on 15 September in Manchester. Good luck teams!