At Icon Group, patient safety is fundamental to providing the best care possible.
Across our global network, we invest in the people, systems and governance needed to provide consistently safe, high-quality care.
World Patient Safety Day 2026: Delivering best care possible for every patient
Today, on World Patient Safety Day, we come together with healthcare organisations around the world to recognise the shared responsibility of delivering safe, high-quality care.
Creating a culture where safety comes first
Delivering safe care requires more than robust systems and processes.
Icon Group Executive Manager – Clinical Care, Cath Di Stasi explains it relies on a culture where people feel empowered to speak up, share ideas, learn from experiences and continuously improve.
“Patient safety is not a programme or a project,” Cath said.
“It is a commitment that must be embedded in every decision, every interaction and every level of an organisation.
“When leaders create environments where people feel safe to speak up, learn and improve, better outcomes for patients naturally follow.”
Our 2026 Patient Safety Culture Survey provides a clear proof point. With participation expanded across every region for the first time, 92% of respondents said they feel able to speak up about patient safety concerns, while the same proportion said our teams work effectively together to put patient safety first.
These results reflect a strong culture of collaboration, transparency and shared accountability for safe care.
Global excellence
This commitment is reflected in the results of Icon Group’s 2026 Patient Safety Culture Survey.
Achieving participation across all clinical services globally for the first time, the results highlighted strong engagement in patient safety initiatives and positive improvements in areas such as leadership support, collaboration and continuous improvement.
The survey also showed continued excellence in leadership support for patient safety and greater consideration of staff ideas, reinforcing the importance of collaboration and open communication in creating safe care environments.
Safety through partnership
Patient safety is strongest when patients, carers and healthcare professionals work together. Through Icon Group’s Consumer Engagement Framework, patient perspectives help shape decisions and improve care across our services.
For consumer representative Mike, this means considering the practical details that influence a patient’s experience – from centre design, accessibility and signage to clear treatment information that helps people feel comfortable and safe.
Fellow consumer representative Alicia highlights the importance of trust and communication.
“Patient safety means making sure every person feels safe, heard and cared for. Sometimes, just knowing someone genuinely cares and is there beside you can make all the difference,” Alicia said.
Supporting safer care through innovation and improvement
Safe care depends on both people and systems.
Across Icon Group, teams are continuously working to improve the processes, technology and governance frameworks that support patient safety.
One recent example is the introduction of iCARE, Icon’s clinical incident and feedback management system.
Introduced across Australia and New Zealand in 2025 and expanded into Singapore in 2026, the Group plans to extend the system to Malaysia, Indonesia and the UK in 2027.
iCARE strengthens the way Icon Group captures, analyses and learns from clinical incidents and patient feedback, helping teams identify risks earlier, share learnings more effectively and continuously improve the safety and quality of care delivered to patients.
Alongside continued investment in clinical governance, accreditation, quality improvement and workforce education, initiatives such as iCARE help strengthen a culture of safety across Icon Group’s global network.
Everyone has a role to play
Icon Nurse Educator, Jade Fitzgerald, says patient safety begins with recognising the person at the centre of care.
“Patient safety means ensuring every patient receives the best care possible, in a way that is most meaningful to them, while feeling heard, respected and supported throughout their cancer journey,” Jade said.
“It’s everyone’s responsibility, and it starts with speaking up, working together and never losing sight of the person behind the diagnosis.”
Similarly, Pamela Salveen, Clinical Governance & Quality Specialist, highlights the importance of creating environments where learning and improvement are encouraged.
“Patient safety is more than preventing harm – it is about creating systems and cultures that support safe, reliable and person-centred care, where patients are included as partners and staff are encouraged to learn, speak up and continuously improve,” Pamela said.
To learn more about World Patient Safety Day 2026, visit the World Health Organisation website.
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