Patient safety from the start: World Patient Safety Day 2025 dedicated to "Safe care for every newborn and every child"

World Patient Safety Day, celebrated every year on 17 September, was established by Resolution WHA72.6, approved at the World Health Organisation Assembly on 28 May 2019.

The theme selected for World Patient Safety Day 2025 is "Safe care for every newborn and every child"with the slogan "Patient safety from the start". The World Health Organisation thus highlights the priority of guaranteeing patient safety from the earliest stages of life, particularly with regard to the first care given to newborns and children.

Through this slogan, the WHO is calling on all sectors to commit to the continuous improvement of the quality and safety of care, focussing on evidence-based practices, safe environments and the active participation of families and health professionals from the earliest moments of life.

The objectives proposed by the WHO are:

1. Raising awareness of the risks to patient safety in neonatal and paediatric care, recognising the specific needs of children;
2. Involving governments, health centres, professionals and society in the adoption of effective measures that promote safe care from the beginning of life;
3. Strengthening the active role and autonomy of parents, carers and the children themselves, promoting their informed participation and the sharing of responsibilities;
4. Encouraging research and the collection of scientific data to help improve safety in the care of newborns and children.

As early as 2021, the WHO emphasised the importance of this issue by dedicating World Patient Safety Day to safe maternal and neonatal care, drawing attention to the intrinsic vulnerability of early life.

The Order of Physiotherapists joins in celebrating this day, reinforcing its commitment to safe care from the beginning of life. Physiotherapists play an essential role in providing safe care in paediatric settings, from assessment and clinical intervention to effective communication with families and interdisciplinary teams, always promoting the well-being and protection of children. To mark the date, the Order of Physiotherapists' Patient Safety and Paediatric Physiotherapy Working Groups have jointly developed specific materials to raise awareness and support clinical practice.

Check out the recommendations and checklist for for safe physiotherapy practices in paediatrics.