Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Report of the Morecambe Bay Investigation by Dr Bill Kirkup, published in March 2015, what steps his Department has taken to help ensure that a duty is placed on all NHS Boards to openly (a) report the findings of external investigations into (i) clinical services, (ii) governance and (ii) other aspects of the operation of the Trust and (b) promptly notify (A) the Care Quality Commission and (B) Monitor.

Since summer 2018, as part of the Care Quality Commission’s annual Routine Provider Information Return, National Health Service trusts are asked to submit details of the commissioning and conclusion of relevant external reviews or investigations undertaken in the previous 12 months and describe key outcomes. Trusts are prompted to include actions taken resulting from coroner or ombudsman investigations and learning from external reviews of other providers.

NHS England and NHS Improvement have agreed to establish an advisory function for independent reviews which they sponsor, commission or oversee. This will advise on the establishment and best practice management of these types of reviews.