Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of never events in NHS trusts.

My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State has commissioned the Care Quality Commission to carry out a Thematic Review into Never Events and this work will be supported by NHS Improvement.

The thematic review will examine what can be done to reduce Never Events, and explore what further support and guidance the National Health Service needs to overcome the barriers that prevent the correct implementation of existing guidance. The review will also identify good practice happening throughout the NHS around Never Events and look to embed this throughout the NHS.