Held in partnership with the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) and generously funded by The Della Fish Foundation, the landmark event brought together medical schools from across the UK, medical educators, healthcare organisations, patient safety experts and Edge Hill medical students.
Designed to support the next generation of doctors and medical professionals, the conference focused on sharing best practice to help medical students and Foundation doctors navigate challenging patient encounters and complaints with confidence, compassion, and professionalism.
Attendees heard engaging presentations and guest talks from the PHSO, the General Medical Council (GMC), patients and medical students, highlighting the vital importance of placing the patient voice at the heart of care.
Project Lead and Senior Lecturer in Medical Education at Edge Hill, Dr June Jones said:
“This event demonstrated the power of bringing together patients, educators, healthcare organisations and regulators to support future doctors at a pivotal stage in their careers. By helping students and foundation doctors understand, value and learn from patient concerns, we can improve patient safety, strengthen professional resilience and foster a culture of compassion, curiosity and continuous improvement across healthcare.”
The day also celebrated the long-standing partnership between Edge Hill’s Medical School and the PHSO, featuring immersive workshops and discussions exploring transition, preparation for practice, and self-regulation.
The conference concluded with a dynamic panel discussion, reinforcing a shared ambition to build a growing network of educators, clinicians and patient safety partners committed to collaborating on new resources, research projects and funding opportunities for future healthcare professionals.
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, Paula Sussex CBE, said:
“A failure to listen to the patient voice is the most common theme we see in health complaints referred to the Ombudsman.
“We believe that one of the factors contributing to these communications failures is the training clinicians receive, which is why we are working to bring complaint and patient experience insight into medical schools to help ensure that future doctors are equipped to listen, communicate and respond compassionately when concerns are raised.”
Find out more about Edge Hill University’s Faculty of Health, Social Care and Medicine.
September 24, 2026
