Patient safety in health care has been the subject of international focus, research and debate since around the turn of the century, and is now a serious global concern. The experience of countries that are engaged in national efforts demonstrates that, although health systems differ from country to country, many threats to patient safety have similar causes and often be addressed by similar solutions. There are many forums for academic and expert debate of the subject but limited opportunities for international experts to engage with Ministers of Health and other high-ranking political decision-makers and health care leaders or for effective collaboration between countries.

In 2015-16 the United Kingdom's Department of Health and the German Federal Ministry of Health joined efforts to initiate a series of annual Global Ministerial Summits dedicated to Patient Safety to close this gap, bringing together international experts with political decision-makers and health care leaders. The first two Summits were held in London in March 2016 and in Bonn in March 2017. This Summit series ultimately aim to generate and promote a global movement for patient safety. 

The Patient Safety Global Action Summit held in London in March 2016, aspired to galvanize international policy and governmental actors to prioritize patient safety at all levels. The Second Global Ministerial Summit on Patient Safety held in Bonn in March 2017, identified that safety must be a key theme in taking our health care system further internationally, and elevated patient safety as a global health priority. The Third Global Ministerial Summit on Patient Safety held in Tokyo in April 2018, focused on the theme of universal health coverage and patient safety. “Tokyo Declaration on Patient Safety” was released at this summit which reaffirms the commitment to patient safety globally. The Fourth Global Ministerial Summit on Patient Safety was held in March 2019 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The event focused on promoting patient safety in low- and middle-income countries, which have 2/3 of the global patient harm burden. During the Summit “Jeddah Declaration on Patient Safety” was released which provides key recommendations to maintain the momentum of the global patient safety movement, especially for low- and middle-income countries. These efforts will be further revived with the 5th Global Ministerial Summit on Patient Safety, which will be hosted by the Swiss Government and is planned to be held on 23-24 February 2023, in Montreux, Switzerland. In this event, emphasis will be placed on implementation to concretely strengthen Patient Safety and sustain action.