Human Factors in Healthcare

‘Whatever your experience, whether you’re working in healthcare already, maybe thinking about a career in healthcare, or simply an interested bystander, this book will change what you do, in your work, and in your life.’

Captain Martin Bromiley OBE, Airline Pilot and Founder of the Clinical Human Factors Group

Healthcare is full of brilliant, dedicated people but the conditions we work in often mean we fall short of the care we want to give. Mistakes aren’t usually the result of bad individuals; they are the predictable outcome of poorly designed systems and cultures that don’t make safety easy. When staff don’t feel supported or listened to, it is almost impossible for them to deliver safe care.

This book was written for the entire multidisciplinary team—doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, managers, educators, students, indeed anyone and everyone involved in delivering or improving care—and is an essential guide to recognising the human and organisational factors that shape our actions and learning how to do better. It draws a straight line from staff well-being and psychological safety, connecting these directly to the techniques needed to deliver safe and effective patient care.

Practical and accessible, and sometimes light-hearted, this book focuses on real clinical stories, reflections from the frontline and a healthy dose of honesty about how tough healthcare can be for staff and patients. It’s also packed with simple, doable changes that anyone can implement, whatever your role or seniority. From improving communication, reducing error or learning how to speak up, these are tools you can start using tomorrow to make care safer for both staff and patients.

If you’re fed up with tick boxes, jargon or lip-service to safety, and you want something to make things better and effect real change, this is the book for you.