Exploring how professional regulation can promote a safety culture

Regulatory Developments and the Welsh Context Seminar 2025 

On 25 March, the PSA and Welsh Government hosted the eighth annual seminar, Regulatory developments and the Welsh Context, focusing on how professional regulation can promote a safety culture. There were over 100 delegates present to listen to presentations and discussions on:

• How can regulators, employers and professional groups collaborate to improve safety?
• How can education and training promote a safety culture? 
• How can data be used to improve safety and how can we best engage the public with data?

The keynote address was delivered by Sue Tranka, Chief Nursing Officer for Wales and Nurse Director of NHS Wales. 

In the first session, Jeremy Miles MS, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, set out his vision for the NHS in Wales and the role professional regulation can play in achieving this.

Jeremy Miles concluded his session with two observations unique to Wales: firstly, close collaboration between policymakers, staff, and the public are required to develop effective and inclusive regulations; and secondly, effective system leadership is important to inspire and motivate better outcomes.

Using Data to Drive Safety Improvements

The second session highlighted the pivotal role of data in enhancing safety across healthcare services. This included:

• Effective data collection is important but not easy
• Clinical coding is the bedrock of quality monitoring but are we measuring the right things?
• Patient perspectives matter

How Can Regulators, Employers, and Professional Groups Collaborate to Improve Safety?

The third session focused on collaboration among regulators, employers, and professional groups to improve safety. Discussions centred on empowering individuals to speak up and fostering a culture of collaboration.

Speakers from the General Medical Council (GMC) and Unison emphasised the importance of collaboration as well as the challenges healthcare staff face related to their own and patients' safety and how to encourage a speak up culture.

The session concluded with a Q&A, where the sustainability of a two-tier system of statutory regulation for some, but voluntary registration for others, was discussed. 

How Can Education and Training Promote a Safety Culture?

In the final session, we explored how education and training can promote a safety culture. The overarching theme emphasised by speakers during their presentations was the need for compassionate leadership as well as an open, collaborative culture in which regulation and education support each other to improve patient safety. Topics included:

• What role does compassionate leadership play in promoting a safety culture?
• What is regulation’s role in creating a collaborative culture?

Each session was followed by a Q&A to give delegates the opportunity to ask questions and further discuss points raised during the presentations.