---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If we are going to keep patients safe…"
description: "\"If we are going to keep patients safe, then we have to make sure that doctors are able to learn from mistakes.\" — Jeremy Hunt"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fb/jeremy-hunt-19521_doctor_if-we-are-going-to-keep-patients-safe-th_2750722.jpg"
---

#  If we are going to keep patients safe, then we have to…

![“If we are going to keep patients safe, then we have to make sure that doctors are able to learn from mistakes.” quote by Jeremy Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fb/jeremy-hunt-19521_doctor_if-we-are-going-to-keep-patients-safe-th_2750722.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fb/jeremy-hunt-19521_doctor_if-we-are-going-to-keep-patients-safe-th_2750722.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fb/jeremy-hunt-19521_doctor_if-we-are-going-to-keep-patients-safe-th_2750722.jpg)

> “If we are going to keep patients safe, then we have to make sure that doctors are able to learn from mistakes.”

[Jeremy Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-hunt/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Patient safety depends on doctors learning from errors.

**In simple terms:** Doctors must learn from mistakes.

Key Takeaway

Improve systems for learning.

Themes

patient safety medical education error analysis

Mood

concerned professional

Type

medical ethical

When to use this quote

- hospital management
- quality improvement

Key Concepts

healthcare policy clinical training

Questions to Reflect On

- How to foster open error reporting?
- What incentives encourage learning?

A Different Perspective

Learning may be hindered by blame culture.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Doctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctor/) [Learn from mistakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learn-from-mistakes/) [Medicine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medicine/) [Mistakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistakes/) [Patience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patience/)

## Related quotes

> [For patients to be safe, we need doctors to be able to reflect completely openly and freely about what they have done, to learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-hunt/for-patients-to-be-safe-we-need-doctors-to-be-able-to-reflect/)

[Jeremy Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-hunt/)

> [Moist was sure doctors keep skeletons around to cow patients. Nyer, nyer, we know what you look underneath ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/moist-was-sure-doctors-keep-skeletons-around-to-cow-patients-nyer/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [We can learn from mistakes of others, whether they're kings or our parents. When we do learn those lessons, we're better equipped to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/we-can-learn-from-mistakes-of-others-whether-they-re-kings-or-our/)

[Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/)

> [A typical software project can present more opportunities to learn from mistakes than some people get in a lifetime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-mcconnell/a-typical-software-project-can-present-more-opportunities-to-learn/)

[Steve McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-mcconnell/)

> [“If you don’t review the progress, you can’t make adjustments. You can’t learn from mistakes. You can’t get better, and ultimately, you can’t finish.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-acuff/if-you-don-t-review-the-progress-you-can-t-make-adjustments-you-can-t/)

[Jon Acuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-acuff/)

> [We all make the wrong choices and decisions. We don't learn what to do right we just learn no one is ever always right.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-all-make-the-wrong-choices-and-decisions-we-don-t-learn-what-to-do/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [They say we learn from mistakes, thats why they mistake me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-wayne/they-say-we-learn-from-mistakes-thats-why-they-mistake-me/)

[Lil Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-wayne/)

> [Everything that we know in the business we've had to learn from mistakes. No one sat us down and taught us or even said,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-lopes/everything-that-we-know-in-the-business-we-ve-had-to-learn-from/)

[Lisa Lopes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-lopes/)

> [You get to a stage in life where you wish you could stop and rewind and start a chapter again, but as they say,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-j-lloyd/you-get-to-a-stage-in-life-where-you-wish-you-could-stop-and-rewind/)

[Rob J Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-j-lloyd/)

> [When you dont learn from mistakes, you make them again. Ive had to learn the same lesson numerous times; each time was more painful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stankyrich/when-you-dont-learn-from-mistakes-you-make-them-again-ive-had-to/)

Stankyrich

> [Life is too short to live in the past regret nothing learn from mistakes and keep moving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-too-short-to-live-in-the-past-regret-nothing-learn-from/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Everybody learns from their own mistakes. The wise learn from mistakes others make.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manoj-vaz/everybody-learns-from-their-own-mistakes-the-wise-learn-from-mistakes/)

[Manoj Vaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manoj-vaz/)

> [Another common misconception: You need to learn from your mistakes. What do you really learn from mistakes? You might learn what not to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rework/another-common-misconception-you-need-to-learn-from-your-mistakes/)

ReWork

> [“You can learn from mistakes only when you realize you made one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-tajuddin/you-can-learn-from-mistakes-only-when-you-realize-you-made-one/)

Yasmin Tajuddin

> [I always learn from mistakes of others, who took my advice ;) :D...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mac/i-always-learn-from-mistakes-of-others-who-took-my-advice-d/)

[Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mac/)

## More by Jeremy Hunt

> [Theresa May has made a decision that we want our economic future to remain close to Europe: it's the biggest single market in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-hunt/theresa-may-has-made-a-decision-that-we-want-our-economic-future-to/)

[Jeremy Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-hunt/)

> [If Iran has a policy of detaining dual nationals as a tool of diplomatic leverage, then there will be consequences for Iran. We will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-hunt/if-iran-has-a-policy-of-detaining-dual-nationals-as-a-tool-of/)

[Jeremy Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-hunt/)

> [I get involved in lots of Twitter spats with lots of people when I think they're not being fair about the progress the NHS…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-hunt/i-get-involved-in-lots-of-twitter-spats-with-lots-of-people-when-i/)

[Jeremy Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-hunt/)

> [For patients to be safe, we need doctors to be able to reflect completely openly and freely about what they have done, to learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-hunt/for-patients-to-be-safe-we-need-doctors-to-be-able-to-reflect/)

[Jeremy Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-hunt/)

> [I've noticed that a lot of people, subsequently, when they introduce me are very careful not to say the Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-hunt/i-ve-noticed-that-a-lot-of-people-subsequently-when-they-introduce-me/)

[Jeremy Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-hunt/)

> [We have to show the E.U. and show Ireland that our commitment to the Belfast Good Friday agreement is absolutely unconditional.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-hunt/we-have-to-show-the-e-u-and-show-ireland-that-our-commitment-to-the/)

[Jeremy Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-hunt/)

> [I have decided that now is not the right time for me to run for the leadership - though I remain completely committed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-hunt/i-have-decided-that-now-is-not-the-right-time-for-me-to-run-for-the/)

[Jeremy Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-hunt/)

> [When there are things that don't go according to plan, London will cope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-hunt/when-there-are-things-that-don-t-go-according-to-plan-london-will-cope/)

[Jeremy Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-hunt/)

> [If you're going to be involved in Syria, then you need to make sure that there really is peace in Syria. And that means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-hunt/if-you-re-going-to-be-involved-in-syria-then-you-need-to-make-sure/)

[Jeremy Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-hunt/)

> [I'm no apologist for Russia or the Assad regime, but actually, this has been staring us in the face for a number of years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-hunt/i-m-no-apologist-for-russia-or-the-assad-regime-but-actually-this-has/)

[Jeremy Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-hunt/)

> [President Trump has a unique way of doing things different to his predecessors, but what I would say is that don't underestimate his ability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-hunt/president-trump-has-a-unique-way-of-doing-things-different-to-his/)

[Jeremy Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-hunt/)

> [I've always been someone who believed that if we ended up with No Deal, we would find a way to thrive economically because we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-hunt/i-ve-always-been-someone-who-believed-that-if-we-ended-up-with-no/)

[Jeremy Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-hunt/)

> [I think the person who has the experience, the depth and the values to take us forward is Theresa May who I think will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-hunt/i-think-the-person-who-has-the-experience-the-depth-and-the-values-to/)

[Jeremy Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-hunt/)

> [I don't think the BBC supporting digital switchover is top slicing. Top slicing is putting the license fee up for grabs for other broadcasters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-hunt/i-don-t-think-the-bbc-supporting-digital-switchover-is-top-slicing/)

[Jeremy Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-hunt/)

> [People have had certain assumptions in the past about Conservative governments, partly because of some of the things that happened in the 1980s, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-hunt/people-have-had-certain-assumptions-in-the-past-about-conservative/)

[Jeremy Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-hunt/)

[Explore all 32 Jeremy Hunt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-hunt/)

## More Doctor quotes

> [Many patients imagine that they have tried everything. True, they have used many remedies, but they have never had the cause of their infirmity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-d-palmer/many-patients-imagine-that-they-have-tried-everything-true-they-have/)

[Daniel D. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-d-palmer/)

> [I think people need to be comfortable questioning the authority of a doctor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susannah-cahalan/i-think-people-need-to-be-comfortable-questioning-the-authority-of-a/)

[Susannah Cahalan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susannah-cahalan/)

> [The doctor who diagnosed me with ALS, or motor neuron disease, told me that it would kill me in two or three years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/the-doctor-who-diagnosed-me-with-als-or-motor-neuron-disease-told-me/)

[Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/)

> [Every patient carries her or his own doctor inside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-schweitzer/every-patient-carries-her-or-his-own-doctor-inside/)

[Albert Schweitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-schweitzer/)

> [“As a special branch of general philosophy, pathogenesis had never been explored. In my opinion it had never been approached in a strictly scientific…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-cendrars/as-a-special-branch-of-general-philosophy-pathogenesis-had-never-been/)

[Blaise Cendrars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-cendrars/)

> [A creative space is an important thing. There are so many studios that feel like doctor's offices in Nashville. I couldn't write there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-paisley/a-creative-space-is-an-important-thing-there-are-so-many-studios-that/)

[Brad Paisley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-paisley/)

> [We ought to observe that practice which is the hardest of all-especially for young physicians-we ought to throw in no medicine at all-to abstain-to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-randolph-of-roanoke/we-ought-to-observe-that-practice-which-is-the-hardest-of-all/)

John Randolph of Roanoke

> [The miracle drugs (neuroleptics) cause the worst plague of brain damage in medical history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-breggin/the-miracle-drugs-neuroleptics-cause-the-worst-plague-of-brain-damage/)

[Peter Breggin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-breggin/)

> [“old-fashioned, gentle Scottish physician, unmoved by the considerations of profit and personal gain that could so disfigure medicine. That doctors should consider themselves businessmen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/old-fashioned-gentle-scottish-physician-unmoved-by-the-considerations/)

[Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/)

> [I've never bought this idea of taking a therapeutic distance. If I see a student or house staff cry, I take great faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-verghese/i-ve-never-bought-this-idea-of-taking-a-therapeutic-distance-if-i-see/)

[Abraham Verghese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-verghese/)

> [Heart surgeons do not have the world's smallest egos: when you ask them to name the world's three leading practitioners, they never can remember…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-paretsky/heart-surgeons-do-not-have-the-world-s-smallest-egos-when-you-ask/)

[Sara Paretsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-paretsky/)

> [Thankfully, I found a doctor at Presbyterian Hospital in New York, Scott Hammer, who diagnosed my chronic fatigue as the Epstein-Barr virus, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tucker-halpern/thankfully-i-found-a-doctor-at-presbyterian-hospital-in-new-york/)

[Tucker Halpern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tucker-halpern/)

> [My parents are so supportive of whatever we want to do and completely nurtured that, and they're so proud of that as well. My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-john-kamen/my-parents-are-so-supportive-of-whatever-we-want-to-do-and-completely/)

[Hannah John-Kamen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-john-kamen/)

> [Before we can wave the handkerchief, we have to have a cold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-d-dangoor/before-we-can-wave-the-handkerchief-we-have-to-have-a-cold/)

[Robert D Dangoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-d-dangoor/)

> [Tuberculosis, starvation, fatigue, and there are many who have no desire to live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-r-murrow/tuberculosis-starvation-fatigue-and-there-are-many-who-have-no-desire/)

[Edward R. Murrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-r-murrow/)

[Browse all 3,922 Doctor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctor/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "If we are going to keep patients safe, then we have to make sure that doctors are able to learn from mistakes.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jeremy Hunt"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-hunt/if-we-are-going-to-keep-patients-safe-then-we-have-to-make-sure-that/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Doctor"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-hunt/if-we-are-going-to-keep-patients-safe-then-we-have-to-make-sure-that/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fb/jeremy-hunt-19521_doctor_if-we-are-going-to-keep-patients-safe-th_2750722.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fb/jeremy-hunt-19521_doctor_if-we-are-going-to-keep-patients-safe-th_2750722.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fb/jeremy-hunt-19521_doctor_if-we-are-going-to-keep-patients-safe-th_2750722.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“If we are going to keep patients safe, then we have to make sure that doctors are able to learn from mistakes.” — Jeremy Hunt",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Jeremy Hunt",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-hunt/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "If we are going to keep...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-hunt/if-we-are-going-to-keep-patients-safe-then-we-have-to-make-sure-that/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-hunt/if-we-are-going-to-keep-patients-safe-then-we-have-to-make-sure-that/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
