VetLed and VetSafe Co-deliver a Sell-out Patient Safety Event
The two organisations joined forces for the first time for this year’s Veterinary Patient Safety Summit, which sold out in less than 4 weeks!
27th October 2025, Consort E3 Lab, Harper& Keele Vet School
The Veterinary Patient Safety Summit was introduced in 2022by the VetLed team, when around 15 patient safety enthusiasts from the veterinary profession attended. Since then, the annual event has grown year on year. This year’s event, the first co-delivered by VetLed and VetSafe, attracted a sell-out crowd of 60 delegates who spent the day engaged in workshops and small group discussions around the theme ‘Beyond Error: Making it Easy to do the Right Thing.’
‘I loved seeing so many new faces and brilliant minds inthe room sharing ideas, tips, perspectives and enthusiasm with each other –that’s what these events are all about.’ Emma Cathcart, VetSafe
The attendees included vets, vet nurses, practice managers, and QI leads from various organisations, leading to varied perspectives and impactful conversations. Facilitators and hosts worked hard to create a safe space where delegates felt comfortable sharing their insights and experiences within their groups. However, the community were as engaged and welcoming as ever, and connections began forming immediately over morning refreshments.
‘Overall the Summit was fantastic. I really liked the interactive nature of the day, where we facilitated each other to come up with realistic practical solutions and ideas to take back and put into practice. It was fabulous to see so many new faces in the room - a real acknowledgment of the growing interest in this topic. With a sell-out full house, the day was run effectively with the use of the facilitators, so everybody was able to make the most of the time we had. The Eurocontrol Safety Culture cards are great - I am planning on running a session with practice teams next time I talk about human factors and patient safety.’
Rachel Clay, XL Vets
Each delegate was given a pack of EUROCONTROL Safety Culture cards to take home. These cards, used by the NHS and other safety-critical professions, facilitate conversations, reflection, and critical thinking within working teams. The safety culture cards were used within workshops throughout the event, giving delegates inspiration for how to use them with their own team. The event sponsors, Training-Progress Ltd, provided funding for the cards to be printed and packaged so that each delegate could keep a copy.
The final exercise of the day was a ‘goldfish bowl’ exercise, facilitated by Gareth Lock (The Human Diver and Human in the System). During this session, a small group of delegates seated in a circle engaged in a controlled and respectful conversation, while the remaining delegates quietly listened and observed. Delegates were given the opportunity to leave or join the inner circle, and everyone had the chance to speak if they wished. This exercise was a new experience for all of the delegates, and it proved to be a powerful learning tool.
‘People are people, it is just the stories that change.To be involved in a different community to the one I am used to was brilliant.This community recognises the gaps between what should be happening and what ishappening, and by applying Human Factors and System Safety knowledge andpractice, they will close this gap. There is a want to create change, and thiscommunity will help that happen.’ Gareth Lock, The Human Diver
The Veterinary Patient Safety Summit will return in 2026. To be first to hear the event details, join the VetLed (www.vetled.co.uk) and VetSafe (www.vetsafe.org) mailing lists.
