Evidence to the Health Committee’s patient safety inquiry

The inquiry

In July 2008 the House of Commons’ Health Committee announced that it would undertake an inquiry into patient safety. The inquiry covers three main areas:

• The risks to patient safety and the extent to which they are avoidable
• The effectiveness of current mechanisms for ensuring patient safety including NHS providers, reporting systems and national policy 
• What the NHS should do next regarding patient safety

For further information about the Health Committee, including the full remit of the inquiry, visit the UK Parliament website.

The Health Foundation’s memorandum of evidence

In its written evidence the Foundation calls on the managerial and clinical leaders of all acute hospitals in England to make patient safety their top priority, implementing proven changes in clinical practice to reduce harm; banishing the blame culture; and changing the way they identify risks and measure performance.

The Health Foundation urges Ministers and NHS top management to aid this by ensuring a coordinated use of managerial, commissioning and regulatory levers. They should lead by example, putting patient safety, visibly and practically, at the very top of their agendas. 

Responsibility for patient safety at the Department of Health should be clarified and backed with sufficiently senior and experienced technical expertise. In the context of High Quality Care for All: NHS Next Stage Review Final Report, they should act to build a cadre of expert clinical leaders in patient safety.

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