On behalf of a committee convened by NHS Improvement on Healthcare Communication, Professor Rick Iedema and colleagues recently published a short report on spoken communication and patient safety - based upon the 2018 'Much more than words' research report produced by NHSI's Patient Safety Initiative Group. The publication highlights the most important features of the group's findings including the importance of ensuring the healthcare communication context is appropriate for and supportive of what is said, active listening and relationship dynamics are central, team communication that manages care complexity is paramount, and communicating effectively with unique patient groups is critical.

'Spoken communication and patient safety: a new direction for healthcare communication policy, research, education and practice?' is a BMJ Open Quality publication.