The Human in Health and Care

Welcome to Episode 5 of the Human Factors in Health and Care Podcast. In this episode, the hosts unpack the concept of resilient healthcare—what it means, how it differs from traditional “Safety‑I” approaches, and how it connects with ideas like Safety‑II and resilience engineering.

Through practical examples and educational insights, the discussion explores how everyday work is adapted to keep systems functioning, why this adaptability is essential in complex care environments, and how a modernised approach to safety can strengthen learning, performance, and wellbeing. Access more information on our Human Factors hub. 

Welcome to Episode 4 of the Human Factors in Health and Care Podcast. In this episode, the hosts explore why work procedures—policies, SOPs, pathways, checklists and all other cognitive aids—so often fall short in practice, and how a human‑centred design approach can make them more usable, more realistic, and safer.

Drawing on real examples and evidence, the discussion examines the gap between work as imagined and work as done, the importance of co‑design, and why involving the right people at the right time is essential for procedures that genuinely support safe, efficient work. Access more information on our Human Factors hub. 

Welcome to Episode 3 of the Human Factors in Health and Care Podcast. In this episode, the hosts explore the complex concept of safety culture—what it means, why it matters, and how it shapes everyday work, performance, and wellbeing across health and social care.

Through discussion and real-world examples, the episode unpacks why safety culture is hard to define, how it influences behaviour at all levels, and how tools like the NES Safety Culture Discussion Cards can support more meaningful conversations about how work is really done. Access more information on our Human Factors hub. 

Welcome to Episode 2 of the Human Factors in Health and Care Podcast. In this episode, our hosts explore what a systems approach really means in Human Factors—why it matters, how it differs from traditional ways of thinking about safety, and how it helps us understand the complex reality of work in health and social care.

Through practical examples and discussion, the episode highlights how systems thinking supports better design, safer work environments, and more meaningful learning and improvement. Access more information on our Human Factors hub. 

What is Human Factors? Join Dr Paul Bowie, Dr Al Ross & Dr Helen Vosper as they explore this fascinating world of Human Factors!  

Our hosts discuss and explain that Human Factors is a multidisciplinary field that focuses on understanding human capabilities, limitations, and behaviours in the design of systems, products, environments, and interfaces. The goal of human factors is to optimise the interaction between humans and the systems they interact with, ultimately enhancing efficiency, usability, safety, and overall performance. Access more information on our Human Factors hub. 

The information contained in this podcast is current at the point of publication, with no guarantee of future relevance.