National Guardian's Office

(asked on 14th September 2017) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many case reviews have been undertaken by the National Guardian's Office in each of the last 12 months for which figures are available.


Answered by
Philip Dunne Portrait
Philip Dunne
This question was answered on 10th October 2017

The National Guardian’s Office was established in April 2016 and Dr Henrietta Hughes was appointed as National Guardian in October 2016. The National Guardian’s role is to support whistleblowers in the National Health Service and improve reporting culture. The National Guardian advises and supports a network of individuals within NHS trusts, appointed as ‘Freedom to Speak Up Guardians’, who are responsible for developing a culture of openness in NHS trusts and NHS foundations trusts in England. The National Guardian also shares good practice, reports on national or common themes and identifies any barriers that are preventing the NHS from having a truly safe and open culture. The National Guardian is independent in her ability to make recommendations.

The National Guardian’s Office has advised the Department of the following:

The National Guardian’s Office has received two complaints dealt with through its published complaints procedure.

The total operating budget (pay and non-pay) for the National Guardian’s Office in 2016-17 was £993,044. The total operating budget (pay and non-pay) for 2017-18 is £992,409.

A 12-month pilot of the National Guardian’s Office case review process was launched in June 2017. So far, two case reviews have commenced. We expect that findings from both these reviews will be published before the end of the year. Further requests for case reviews are being considered.

The National Guardian’s Office currently employs eight full-time staff; in addition the National Guardian works four days a week, practising as a general practitioner one day a week.

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