Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by Earl Howe on 19 November (HL Deb, col 868) and their stated intention to avoid creating a blame culture, how they envisage that Ministers, NHS trusts, and NHS staff will be held accountable. [HL3852]
Answer
The measures set out in Hard Truths: the Journey to Putting Patients First, (Cm 8754) a copy of which is available in the Library, aim to ensure a just culture in the
National Health Service where staff are well supported and feel safe to speak up, mistakes are reported and learned from, and patient feedback is central to improving services. This will be accompanied by clear accountability, greater transparency and a new duty of candour. These new measures include:
- A statutory duty of candour placed on providers, and a professional duty of candour on individuals through changes to professional codes;
- The Care Quality Commission's (CQC's) new inspections include consideration of whistleblowers' concerns and how they have been handled;
- Regular publication of 'never events';
- Proposals for the establishment of a network of Patient Safety Collaboratives across England;
- A new criminal offence, proposed in the Care Bill, applicable to care providers who supply, publish or otherwise make available certain types of false or misleading information;
- A new fit and proper persons test for Board level appointments, regulated by the CQC;
- Fundamental standards that will set a clear bar below which standards of care should not fall
- The CQC chief inspectors will make judgements about providers using a set of clear and meaningful ratings;
- Trusts aspiring to Foundation Trust status will have to achieve a 'good' or 'outstanding' rating prior to any successful authorisation;
- Legislation to introduce a responsive and effective failure regime which looks at quality as well as finance; and
- Where foundation trusts are placed in special measures, they will have their freedom to operate as an autonomous body suspended.
Ministers are accountable to Parliament.