VetLed Collaborator Earns International Patient Safety Certification
Dr Luiz Santos, veterinary anaesthetist and long-standing collaborator in VetLed’s Human Factors and Patient Safety programmes, has become the second veterinarian worldwide to achieve the Certified Professional in Patient Safety (CPPS™) credential
VetLed is proud to announce that Dr Luiz Santos, veterinary anaesthetist and long-standing collaborator in VetLed’s Human Factors and Patient Safety programmes, has achieved the Certified Professional in Patient Safety (CPPS™) credential—an internationally recognised qualification widely adopted in human healthcare.
Awarded by the Certification Board for Professionals in Patient Safety, the CPPS credential recognises advanced competency in systems thinking, Human Factors engineering, safety culture, learning from incidents, and performance improvement. Although well established in human healthcare, this certification remains exceptionally rare in veterinary healthcare.
Dr Santos is currently the only veterinarian in the UK and only the second veterinarian globally known to hold this credential, joining Dr Lydia Love in the United States, who became the first veterinarian to earn the CPPS.
“Earning this credential attests to Dr Santos’ professional competency in patient safety science and application,” said Patricia McGaffigan, RN, MS, CPPS, President of the Certification Board for Professionals in Patient Safety. “This achievement demonstrates his expertise in this critical discipline and positions him among those committed to and leading patient safety work.”
Dr Santos has been a strong advocate for integrating Human Factors, Just Culture principles, and systems level approaches into everyday veterinary practice—work that aligns closely with VetLed’s mission to improve safety, wellbeing, and team performance across the profession. His contributions have included research and practical initiatives focused on error disclosure, psychological safety, humble leadership, second victim phenomena and strengthening safety culture—work aimed at helping veterinary teams communicate openly, learn more effectively from adverse events, and feel supported in challenging clinical situations.
Speaking about the significance of this milestone, Dr Santos said:
“The CPPS offered a comprehensive and internationally recognised framework that brings together the core elements of modern patient safety science—systems thinking, human factors, safety culture, and learning from adverse events. These areas are well established in human healthcare but still emerging within veterinary medicine. I pursued the CPPS to help translate these principles into practical tools that support veterinary teams.”
Dr Santos earned the credential by successfully completing a demanding examination designed to assess both the theoretical foundations and real world application of patient safety principles.
Reflecting on Dr Santos’ achievement, Dan Typney, Training Director at VetLed, said:
“Luiz’s commitment to patient safety and his dedication to applying Human Factors principles across veterinary practice exemplify the values we champion at VetLed. His achievement marks a significant step forward for the profession, and we are proud to work alongside him as we continue supporting teams to deliver safer, more sustainable veterinary care.”
VetLed will continue to collaborate with clinicians, researchers, and organisations working to strengthen safety culture across the veterinary profession. Dr Santos’ certification marks an important step in expanding the reach of evidence based patient safety practices in veterinary healthcare. If you would like to support us in this work, or you'd like to discuss how VetLed can support you, reach out to hannah@vetled.co.uk.
