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Britain is falling behind nations such as Norway, Switzerland,Spainand Estonia, regarding patient safety, a significant new report has issued a warning.

In a list of the most secure locations for medical treatment, the UK ranked 21st among 38 nations according to Imperial College.LondonThe second Global State of Patient Safety Report.

Norway was at the top of the rankings, followed by the Republic of Korea, Switzerland, and Ireland. Below the UK wereFrance in 29th place, Greecein 31st place and the US in 34th.

Scientists evaluated effectiveness through important metrics, including fatalities from conditions that can be treated such assepsisand blood clots, along with maternal and infant fatalities associated with complications from preterm birth, brain injury during labor, sepsis, and other newborn infections.

The report also cautioned that thousands of fatalities in the UK might be prevented through more secure and quicker medical care.

It is believed that if the UK were to match Switzerland, which has the lowest rate of preventable deaths, 22,789 lives might have been saved.

The UK’s underperformance was also influenced by extended waiting times for more complicated treatments, as the report indicated that Britain experienced longer delays than average when compared to other countries.

It was ranked last among 11 countries in terms of waiting times for heart bypass procedures, and also finished at the bottom for rates of deep vein thrombosis after hip or knee surgery.

As per the British Heart Foundation, 397,478 individuals were awaiting ‘routine’ heart treatment in England by the end of September 2025.

Studies have previously shown that the longer individuals delay receiving treatment, the greater their likelihood of developing disability due to heart failure or experiencing an early death.

The study focused exclusively on nations belonging to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) – a collection of 38 primarily affluent, advanced countries whose healthcare systems and results are frequently evaluated.

James Titcombe, CEO of Patient Safety Watch and one of the report’s writers, stated: ‘Each number in this report represents an individual who could still be living and a family whose lives have been permanently affected.’

The difference between the UK’s current position on patient safety and its potential if it were to match the top-performing healthcare system equates to approximately 22,000 lives lost annually. That translates to about 60 lives each day.

Mr. Titcombe, who lost his son Joshua due to NHS safety issues in 2008 and has since been advocating for patient safety, stated: ‘Avoidable care failures cause waves of hardship across families, communities, and the NHS staff, distressing employees and eroding confidence.’

It redirects limited time and resources from patient care to addressing the effects of preventable harm.

Addressing this gap must now become a top national concern.

Shortcomings in women’s healthcare were also examined, with the UK placing ninth among ten countries in terms of waiting times for hysterectomies. Maternity services also did not perform well when measured against other nations.

The primary reason for newborn deaths in the UK is premature birth, and since 2003, the country has continually ranked lower than the OECD average in this area.

Although the neonatal mortality rate in the UK has decreased since 2000, it has remained stable since 2017, whereas the average mortality rate in other countries has kept declining.

If the United Kingdom had achieved the same neonatal mortality rate as Japan in 2023—the leading OECD nation in this category—there might have been 1,123 fewer newborn deaths.

The United Kingdom was placed last among 10 nations in terms of patients developing sepsis after abdominal or pelvic surgery.

In the meantime, broader data in a related tool – based on information from 205 countries – placed the UK at position 141st in terms of deaths caused by negative events after medical treatments.

These are unexpected harms or issues that occur due to medical treatment, not the patient’s original illness.

Possible adverse events may involve deep vein thrombosis, which is a blood clot developing in a deep vein, pulmonary embolism, characterized by an obstruction in a lung artery, and sepsis.

Although the OECD has seen a decline in four out of five measures related to surgical complications since 2009, the report noted that the UK had the highest rates of complications for three of the indicators with available data.

There was an increasing pattern in cases of pulmonary embolism after hip and knee surgeries in the UK during and following the Covid–19 pandemic.

Operations and anesthesia have been key areas of emphasis for enhancing patient safety over the last 25 years, mainly via standardized procedures before, during, and following surgical procedures.

The publication will be presented by Health Secretary Wes Streeting and former Health Secretary Sir Jeremy Hunt at the House of Lords on Thursday.

Lord Darzi, head of the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London, and one of the report’s contributors, stated: ‘This report highlights where we can achieve quick improvements – minimizing surgical complications, decreasing preventable deaths, and systematically learning from nations that are at the forefront.’

Improved data, enhanced oversight, and patients collaborating as partners form the basis for more secure healthcare.

A representative from the Department of Health and Social Care stated: “This Government took over an NHS that was not meeting the needs of many patients and their families.”

We have swiftly acted to enhance patient safety – restructuring the Care Quality Commission, implementing Martha’s Rule and Jess’s Rule allowing patients to receive a new clinical assessment, and launching hospital league tables to encourage progress.

We have also introduced new maternity safety protocols and are forming a task force to ensure every mother regains trust in NHS care.

We are aware that there is still a lot to accomplish, but we are committed to ensuring that the NHS is the safest in the world.

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