Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to ensure that the recommendations of the Francis Report are still implemented in local NHS organisations.

We have implemented a statutory duty of candour which requires all hospital trusts to inform patients if their safety has been compromised and to apologise. This is overseen by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) which can take enforcement action in cases of non-compliance. We have reviewed the CQC’s quality and safety regulations to increase its powers, including the introduction of the CQC’s rating system to provide the public with greater clarity on the safety and quality of services. There are also legal protections for whistle-blowers who raise safety concerns, in addition to Freedom to Speak Up Guardians in all hospital trusts supported by a National Guardian.

In addition to the implementation of these recommendations, we are establishing the Health Services Safety Investigations Body in 2022 as a new independent arm’s length body to conduct safety investigations into the most serious patient safety incidents in the National Health Service and the independent sector. We are implementing a NHS Patient Safety Strategy to create a safety and learning culture in the NHS work and appointing Patient Safety Commissioner in relation to medicines and medical devices.