By PhD Student Liyuan Zhu
On 17th October 2025, I was very excited to present my research poster at the NIHR SafetyNet Symposium in Manchester. SafetyNet is a group of six NIHR Patient Safety Research Collaborations (PSRCs) across England. This year’s event had a special theme: “Tackling Inequities in Patient Safety.” It was the first time to bring together researchers, doctors, and patient representatives from across the country to share ideas and thoughts.
The symposium included inspiring talks, research showcases, discussions, and poster sessions. I was especially interested in two keynote talks, one about moving away from a “blame culture” in healthcare, and another about ethnic inequalities in patient safety.
I also learned about many areas I had never thought deeply about before, such as healthcare harms in prisons, inequality in perioperative and respiratory care, and access to medicines for people experiencing homelessness.
These sessions made me realise that inequality in health is a very complex issue. It is shaped by factors like race, social background, environment, and language, and also by how society responds to unfairness itself. These issues are linked together, often trapping those already at a disadvantage. To change this, what we can do is to build a strong “safety net” that supports everyone, especially people who are underrepresented or face extra barriers.
My poster was titled “Predicting Diabetic Eye Disease with AI: Trajectory Embedding and Causal Exploration of Statin Effects.” In simple terms, my study looked at how artificial intelligence (AI) can help predict who might develop diabetic eye disease, a leading cause of sight loss in people with diabetes. I also explored whether statins, common cholesterol-lowering medicines, can help reduce this risk. In addition, we found that there are inequalities between males and females, and among diabetes types. These results suggest that healthcare can be more personalised and fairer for each person.
Attending this symposium was a great experience. I met many passionate researchers who share the same goal: to make healthcare safer and more equal. It reminded me that technology like AI should not only make predictions but also help reduce health inequalities and improve care for everyone.
By Kamil, NIHR Newcastle PSRC Patient, Public Contributor
Lured by the promise of good food and new acquaintances, on Friday 17 October I made my way to Manchester for the NIHR SafetyNet Symposium – a gathering of clinicians, researchers and public contributors united by a single mission: tackling inequities in patient safety. Hosted by the Greater Manchester Patient Safety Research Collaboration (PSRC), the event brought together colleagues from the six PSRCs across England – Central London, Greater Manchester, Midlands, Newcastle, North West London and Yorkshire & Humber.
The day began with coffee and a bustling lobby filled with poster presentations. From the start, it was clear this wasn’t just an academic exercise. It was a collective effort to bridge the gap between policy, practice and lived experience.
One of the first things that struck me was the keynote by Dr Rosie Benneyworth from the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB). I hadn’t heard of HSSIB before and I found its mission fascinating. The organisation investigates systemic issues in healthcare topics such as sepsis, prison health and fatigue without focusing on blame. Instead, it looks for learning and improvement. This shift from a ‘who’s to blame’ culture to one of collective accountability resonated deeply with me.
A presentation on avoidable healthcare-associated harm in prisons was another eye-opener. While I wasn’t surprised to hear that prisoners and people experiencing homelessness suffer significantly worse health outcomes, it was sobering to see how these inequities manifest in daily practice e.g. medication shortages, missed appointments and institutional barriers that make basic care difficult. As someone finishing reading a book on health promotion, I could connect the dots between theory and reality: these are not abstract inequalities, they are lived injustices.
One reflection that stayed with me came from a discussion about adoption and breaking cycles of poverty and violence. Even in systems that often feel broken, there are ways to create safety and opportunity through compassion and action.
Several sessions focused on the intersection of communication and safety, including translation and interpreting services. This hit particularly close to home. As a qualified Polish interpreter, I know how vital accurate translation is for patient safety, yet the pay rates offered by NHS providers are often so low that professionals can’t afford to take the work. Hearing that language access was being discussed as a safety issue, not just a convenience, was both encouraging and frustrating. We have the knowledge; now the system needs the will to act.
The Patient Safety Healthcare Inequalities Reduction Framework, presented by Dr Hester Wain, outlined five principles for change: communication and information, training and resources, data, co-production, and research. I was especially struck by her emphasis that the experiences informing the framework are what make it powerful.
By the end of the day, after many conversations in the poster corridor and a moving talk on ethnic inequities in patient safety by Professor Dawn Edge, I left Manchester feeling both hopeful and challenged. The message was clear: health doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Tackling inequity requires empathy, collaboration, and, above all, a commitment to listen to those whose voices are too often ignored. For me, as a patient-cum-public contributor, the symposium was a reminder that my lived experience isn’t just welcome in research – it’s essential.
The PSRC PhD SafetyNet Networking Event was held on the 4th March 2024 in Leeds, bringing together students and supervisors from across the 6 PSRCs in England. It was a fabulous day with an opportunity to learn from one another and grow collaborations in a supportive, nourishing environment.
Before the event, I was excited to meet fellow PhD students and learn more about the work that other PSRCs are doing. However, like other new PhD students that I had spoken to, I didn’t really know what to expect or what I would gain from the event. Quite adventurously, after discussion with my supervisors, I decided to take the leap, and submit an abstract for a protocol that I had just written up for developing logic models on step-down virtual wards. Imposter syndrome kicks in, “I am only a few months into a PhD- what have I got to talk about?” On the other hand, I knew that delivering presentations and the thought of public speaking were my worst nightmare. That said, I also knew that I needed to fight my fears and start somewhere!
When the email came back saying my abstract was accepted – an inner shriek of excitement, surprise and panic kicked in! “Where do I start?” Amidst the feeling of anxiety and perceived inexperience, I procrastinated and delayed even thinking about the presentation. With some reassurance and moral encouragement from peers and supervisors, I knew that this was the ideal opportunity to share my plans for the PhD. The event was a supportive environment of like-minded people, many of whom were likely to be on, or had been through, the same journey making this a perfect forum for feedback, sharing knowledge and developing key skills. It was great knowing that many other students were presenting their work (or planned work) at the event via a poster or oral presentation.
Everyone is at a different stage of their journey, but it was great to see how people support each other and in research this should not be under-estimated. Personally, listening to more advanced PhD students gave me the inspiration to see the future and that ‘I can do this!’. Similarly, talking to newer PhD students gave me the confidence to see how far I had come in my experience to date and that in fact, I may have some bits of wisdom to share which may help others.
Great Opportunities
In my opinion, I found that the PhD SafetyNet event opened the door to shared learning practices, a community of peer support in patient safety research and great opportunities, such as:
- Networking
- Learn Together Discussions
Prior to starting my PhD, I was jokingly dubbed by my fellow research interns as ‘the networking queen’, however I never truly thought about why networking was so important. Reflecting on my journey so far, I would not have started my PhD without networking and speaking to people who were happy to share their experiences. I have come to realise that often these little informal chats and introductions can lead to great connections, bringing wisdom and expertise further down the line.
Whilst some experts suggest that networking is a start to building connections for your long-term career1, it is vitally important to recognise that networking is a mutual ground for positive exchange of knowledge and support. Conferences and events such as these are vital in enabling trainees to develop and apply competency in key skills such as presentations, communication, dissemination of their work and equally networking.2 We are fortunate within the NIHR PSRCs to have these networks of peer support and building communities of practice together in patient safety. The saying goes ‘it is a small world’ but on reflection, in the research world you can’t really work in isolation. It is often the work of great teams and collaborations that is needed to make an impact.
These discussion workshops were valuable and allowed people to connect and share experiences. I found the ones I attended useful, and I chose the sessions that were relevant to me. In particular, I was keen to attend the session on ‘Navigating the first 6 months of your PhD’ as it was unlikely that I would get this experience elsewhere, other than rich discussions with the people who have just experienced it or experiencing it currently. This was potentially the start of building great academic networks, peer support and collaborations in patient safety moving forward. I learnt helpful tips from the other students, namely technical tips and basic key skills that are essential. For example, some discussions revolved around how to organise your literature, how to make notes, and several types of software that may be useful. Other workshops explored various aspects of research such as the importance of Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE), Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), co-design in research, writing effectively and Impact and Dissemination.
In summary, events like the PhD SafetyNet Event provide a fantastic opportunity for PhD students and their supervisors to share work, learn from each other or establish connections. I look forward to attending more of these events throughout my PhD and beyond.
Acknowledgements and thanks go to the Yorkshire and Humber PSRC for hosting the event this year.
References
- Pickman, A., & Chauveron, L. Networking: How to market yourself and your PhD. In J. B. Urban & M. R. Linver (Eds.), Building a career outside academia: A guide for doctoral students in the behavioral and social sciences. pp. 151–160. American Psychological Association; 2019. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000110-014
- Subramanian S. The importance of conferences and networking in PhD and postdoctoral training. Current Protocols Essential Laboratory Techniques. 2020 Dec;21(1):e44