World Patient Safety Day

17/09/2026

World Patient Safety Day is celebrated on 17 September. The day is promoted by the World Health Organization and aims to raise awareness of the discipline that seeks to prevent and reduce the risks, errors and unnecessary harm that people may experience during medical care.

In many aspects of our daily lives, we are aware that a series of tasks need to be carried out to ensure that everything goes correctly. For example, at the airport, before boarding the plane, our identity is checked several times to make sure that we are travelling to the correct destination. If at the Barraquer Ophthalmology Centre we ask for your full name or date of birth more than once before a test or medical treatment, this is not an oversight; it is a quality control measure to verify that the information is correct and to avoid possible confusion between patients. In medicine, in order to provide appropriate care and ensure patients’ wellbeing, it is essential to follow guidelines and protocols that guarantee that the diagnosis and treatment provided are the most appropriate at all times.

At the Barraquer Ophthalmology Centre, we know that everyone has the right to receive appropriate care while minimising possible errors, which is why we promote a culture of safety among our staff to guarantee care that helps reduce possible incidents during their visit. The centre is certified in accordance with the UNE 179003 standard, focused on risk management for patient safety, and ISO 9001 for quality management systems, which guarantee safe, high-quality care. In addition, the centre is accredited by the Departament de Salut de la Generalitat de Catalunya in accordance with the standards of the acute care hospital model, which include specific patient safety requirements. Within our integrated quality and clinical safety management system, we organise monthly patient safety and care committees where incidents and possible adverse events that have occurred are reviewed in order to continue improving our care processes. In addition, the various multidisciplinary committees and working groups that meet regularly aim to develop methodologies and tools that improve healthcare activity while maintaining the highest levels of safety.

To ensure proper patient safety management, the collaboration of everyone we care for is essential. It is important for each patient to participate actively by asking any questions they may have about their visit and treatment; informing us about any medication they usually take or any allergies they may have, etc., so that, together, we can make healthcare as safe as possible. Every patient should know and understand their diagnosis and treatment and ask about the benefits and possible risks related to their visit. Another of the fundamental pillars for continuing to improve our care is satisfaction surveys, through which we evaluate the care provided in consultations, eye emergencies and surgical procedures. For this reason, from the Quality and Clinical Safety Unit, we want to encourage patients to participate through satisfaction questionnaires so that they can give their most honest opinion on the aspects they believe should be improved. This active listening allows us to understand first-hand the needs and expectations of each patient so that we can continue improving all the centre’s processes.

Your opinion is very important. You can send us your suggestion or message so that we can continue improving via the quality email address.

Happy World Patient Safety Day.