Key Summary
- NHS Confederation chief says it is vital that when things do go wrong there are ways for patients to report it and for NHS organisations to learn from mistakes.
- Dr Penny Dash’s reviewed six organisations that were established to improve patient safety
- The review stated the current system for complaints and concerns is confusing and lacks responsiveness
- However, Taylor said the government should not forget "the failings in care that led to these bodies being set up in the first place and tread carefully"
NHS Confederation chief executive Matthew Taylor has said that his organisation welcomes Dr Penny Dash’s review of patient safety across the health and care landscape.
“Patient empowerment is crucial to the success of the government’s Ten-Year Health Plan. It is absolutely vital that when things do go wrong there are ways for patients to report it and for NHS organisations to learn from mistakes," he added.
This review of patient safety was commissioned by health secretary Wes Streeting to look at six specific organisations that were established to improve patients' safety.
The organisations are Care Quality Commission (CQC), Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB), Patient Safety Commissioner, National Guardian’s Office, Healthwatch England and Local Healthwatch, and the patient safety learning aspects of NHS Resolution.
Dr Penny Dash, a former doctor and management consultant, told The Times that inconsistent care for patients throughout England was “a stain on our country” and vowed to transform the NHS for millions of people.
She will work with Streeting and the NHS England chief executive, Sir Jim Mackey, to overhaul the service and deliver on the reforms in a ten-year plan unveiled last week by prime minister Keir Starmer.
Dash's review had stated the current system for complaints and concerns is confusing and lacks responsiveness.
It noted that there are over 20 different organisations that offer a place for patients or users to share feedback, either formally or informally, but these complaints are poorly handled.
Patients and user groups describe a confusing landscape where they do not understand who to complain to and how to do it.
The system is particularly challenging for those who have, or believe they have, been harmed or suffered poor outcomes as a result of care, it added.
Taylor said NHS Confederation recognises the importance of making sure that the voice of patients and their wider communities is listened to with regards to how their services are planned and delivered.
“The government has already announced plans to reduce costs from within the NHS, so it is understandable that some consolidation may be needed around the way national standards are set too. Any opportunity to reduce duplication should be welcomed, particularly where any money saved can be invested back into frontline care," Taylor said.
Dash's review has called for the need to streamline, simplify and consolidate functions where considerable duplication and overlap currently exist.
However, sounding a note of caution, Taylor said the government should not forget "the failings in care that led to these bodies being set up in the first place and tread carefully so as to ensure their vital missions continue in future."
He said in the wake of the abolition of Healthwatch England, the government should ensure that Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) and local authorities taking on these functions "are adequately supported and resourced to do so effectively.”
