Patient Safety Commissioner

Debate between Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen and Baroness Cumberlege

Thursday 2nd December 2021 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Cumberlege]

To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the process to appoint the Patient Safety Commissioner will commence; and when they expect the Commissioner to be in post.

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen (Con)]

My Lords, we are making good progress towards appointing the first patient safety commissioner for England. We expect the appointment of the postholder by spring 2022. We have publicly consulted on the appointment and role of the patient safety commissioner and have agreement that the role will be regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and subject to pre-appointment scrutiny.

[Baroness Cumberlege (Con)]

My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that very interesting reply and I thank all those who have been involved in establishing the patient safety commissioner—the first in England and, I am told, the world. But my deep concern is that we are setting up the commissioner to fail, with a term of office too short to establish the role, set up a new organisation and get to grips with a very complex task. Three years is too short. Does my noble friend agree that five years would be preferable? Will she please work with colleagues to lengthen the term of office from three to five years, as is the case with the Children’s Commissioner?

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen (Con)]

I thank my noble friend for that Question. The postholder will be offered a three-year term of office and may be reappointed for a further three years, subject to ministerial agreement. This is in line with most other public appointments. We believe that three years, with a possible extension of a further three, subject to ministerial agreement, is the right approach. This means that, if reappointed, the postholder could serve up to six years, which is a good amount of time for the role to become well-established within the healthcare system.