1 The Scope of the Problem. John Sandars. 2 The Nature of Error. Jenny Firth-Cozens, John Sandars. 3 Diagnosis. John Sandars. 4 Use of Medication. Darren M Ashcroft, Judith A Cantrill. 5 Communication and Patient Safety. Martin Beyer, Julia Rohe, Keith Haynes, Peter J Nicklin. 6 Patient Safety Culture. Tanya Claridge, John Sandars. 7 Principles of Clinical Risk Management. Julie Price, Keith Haynes, Peter J Nicklin. 8 Learning from Threats to Patient Safety. Maureen Baker, Richard Thomson, John Sandars. 9 Patient Safety and the Law. Michael Jones, Gary Cook. 10 The Healthcare Policy Context. Robert L Phillips. 11 The Impact on Patients and Healthcare Professionals. Amanda Howe, Peter Walsh. 12 Future Directions. Aziz Sheikh, Maureen Baker, Richard Thomson