UK Ranked Behind Western Counterparts in Patient Safety: Report

Data show that 15,773 patients, lost to treatable mortality in 2019, could have been saved if Britain had better safety standards.

A general view of staff on a NHS hospital ward on Jan. 18, 2023. Jeff Moore/PA

More than 17,000 deaths could have been saved in the UK annually had the country performed at the level of the top OECD countries, a study has revealed.

Research conducted by the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London showed that Britain is lagging behind other nations in providing safe and effective care for patients.