The Right to Life, Health and Patient Safety: Universal Human Rights 1948 – 2024

World Health Organisation: Patient Safety

18 Apr 2024 - WHO launches first ever Patient Safety Rights Charter

“Patient safety speaks to the first, fundamental principle of health care – ‘Do no harm’. Assuring patient safety is a global priority, and a critical component needed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Patient safety can be seen as an indicator of countries’ broader commitment to respect, protect and fulfil health-related human rights” said WHO Director of Integrated Health Services, Dr Rudi Eggers.


16 Apr 2024 - Patient safety rights charter (who.int)


"Dedication

In memory of the patients who have lost their lives or suffered from avoidable harm in health care. May this Charter stand as a beacon of hope and commitment, ensuring that the right of every patient to safe care is protected, and their voices heard and valued"


The 10 fundamental patient safety rights outlined in the Charter are the right to:

1. Timely, effective and appropriate care;
2. Safe health care processes and practices;
3. Qualified and competent health workers;
4. Safe medical products and their safe and rational use;
5. Safe and secure health care facilities;
6. Dignity, respect, non-discrimination, privacy and confidentiality;
7. Information, education and supported decision making
8. Access medical records;
9. To be heard and fair resolution;
10. Patient and family engagement.

14 Sept 2023 - Global stakeholders agree to a new charter on patient safety rights (who.int)

"Patient safety is an ethical and moral imperative grounded in the health care principle ‘First, do no harm!’, which lies at the heart of efforts to ensure high-quality health care systems and achieve universal health coverage. Yet, an estimated one in every 10 patients experience harm in health care facilities and each year there are more than three million deaths globally due to unsafe health care."


“Patient safety is a collective responsibility. Health systems must work hand-in-hand with patients, families, and communities, so that patients can be informed advocates in their own care, and every person can receive the safe, dignified, and compassionate care they deserve,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.

“Because if it’s not safe, it’s not care.”​

"Our health systems are stronger, our work is empowered, and our care is safer when patients and families are alongside us,” said Sir Liam Donaldson, WHO Patient Safety Envoy. “The journey to eliminate avoidable harm in health care has been a long one, and the stories of courage and compassion from patients and families who have suffered harm are pivotal to driving change and learning to be even safer."


26 Oct 2011 - WHO Director-General names Sir Liam Donaldson envoy for patient safety


World Alliance for Patient Safety (who.int)

"In May 2002 the World Health Assembly passed resolution WHA55.18, which urged countries to pay the greatest possible attention to patient safety and requested the Director-General of WHO to carry out a series of actions to promote patient safety, including:

• development of global norms and standards;
• promotion of evidenced-based policies;
• promotion of mechanisms to recognize excellence in patient safety internationally;
• encouragement of research;
• provision of assistance to countries in several key areas.

​

The resolution has ensured that the drive for safer health care is now becoming a worldwide endeavour, bringing significant benefits to patients in countries rich and poor, developed and developing, in all corners of the globe."


"In November 2003, WHO collaborated with the United Kingdom to convene a meeting of senior policy-makers and international experts from all WHO regions to discuss future international collaboration on patient safety. At the meeting Sir Liam Donaldson proposed the establishment of a world alliance.


The proposal was unanimously supported and the meeting agreed that a number of working groups and activities should be established to consider the potential functions that the World Alliance for Patient Safety could deliver."


2009 - A review on cognitive behavorial therapy (CBT) and graded exercise therapy (GET) in myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) / chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS): CBT/GET is not only ineffective and not evidence-based, but also potentially harmful for many patients with ME/CFS - PubMed (nih.gov) Twisk, F and Maes, M

" We conclude that it is unethical to treat patients with ME/CFS with ineffective, non-evidence-based and potentially harmful "rehabilitation therapies", such as CBT/GET."​

2002 - CMO-Report-2002.pdf (meresearch.org.uk) Sir Liam Donaldson

The report of the Chief Medical Officer's CFS/ME working group: what does it say and will it help? - PubMed (nih.gov) Sharpe, M

“To the extent that this report is a step towards highlighting the needs not only of patients with CFS but the larger group of patients with symptom-defined conditions, it is to be welcomed. As a guide to management it raises as many questions as it answers. Much remains to be resolved before guidance that is both evidence based and acceptable to all parties is achieved.”​

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

1948 If it's not care then it's a breach of this - Universal Declaration of Human Rights | OHCHR

“The power of the Universal Declaration is the power of ideas to change the world. It inspires us to continue working to ensure all people can gain freedom, equality and dignity." The video is a 6m 10s watch.

1948 - NHS was founded.

NHS Patient Safety Timeline NHS Patient Safety Timeline (warwick.ac.uk)

There's a lot more to this at a country level with their own specific wording of their internal human rights legislation but these are the basics globally.