Francis Report: Update and Response

Debate between Jeremy Hunt and Sarah Champion

Wednesday 11th February 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hunt]

I do agree, and I have had many discussions with my hon. Friend about how local health care services can be improved. It shows real courage to raise a concern about patient care at one’s own local hospital. Basildon is a fantastic hospital—it is very well run, and it has really turned a corner—but that does not mean it is perfect, as I am sure its chief executive would be the first to accept. It is possible to have a sensible debate about improving care while being honest about the problems. That is the big change we need to make, and my hon. Friend has given us an example.

[Sarah Champion (Rotherham) (Lab)]

I welcome the focus on whistleblowers and the support package, but the Francis report also said that patients’ complaints should be viewed as the canary for failing hospitals. What support is the Secretary of State giving to patients who make complaints, and can he reassure us that the hospitals and the Care Quality Commission will take the issue very seriously?

[Mr Hunt]

Yes. We have set out new guidelines. The right hon. Member for Cynon Valley (Ann Clwyd) helped us a great deal when we were looking into how to improve the NHS complaints procedure, in particular advising people about how to complain and ensuring they knew that they could talk to someone independent if they needed to. I try to look at a letter of complaint about something that has gone wrong in the NHS every day before I start my work, and I make sure that the trusts are aware of that.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jeremy Hunt and Sarah Champion

Tuesday 16th July 2013 Commons Chamber

[Mr Jeremy Hunt]

We will, of course, give every support to the management at Basildon to turn around their hospitals. The wonders of modern technology have informed us that the shadow Health Secretary was wrong to say that there has been a decline in nursing numbers in Basildon: they have actually gone up by nearly 100 since the last election.

[Sarah Champion (Rotherham) (Lab)]

T3. The Francis report recommended that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence draw up minimum safe staffing levels that would be policed by the Care Quality Commission. It stated that NICE should develop“evidence-based tools for establishing”the staffing needs of each service in the NHS which is likely to be required“as a minimum in terms of staff numbers and skill mix.”Will the Minister tell us when the Government will act on this and all the recommendations in the report?

[Mr Hunt]

If the hon. Lady heard the exchange earlier, she will know that what Robert Francis was recommending was evidence-based tools, not a national minimum staffing level. The reason for that is that the number of nurses needed varies from hospital to hospital and ward to ward. We need to make sure that that happens. In the best hospitals it already does. The system that we have—this was supported by the shadow Health Secretary in his evidence to the Francis review—is not one where the Secretary of State sits behind his desk and dictates the number of nurses required in every hospital. If we did that, we would not be able to run the NHS properly, but we need to make sure that there are proper standards in place, which is why we have a chief inspector of hospitals to make sure that that happens.

Hospital Mortality Rates

Debate between Jeremy Hunt and Sarah Champion

Tuesday 16th July 2013 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hunt]

We will quite simply do what it takes to ensure that we implement the recommendations of the Keogh review for north Lincolnshire hospitals. We owe my hon. Friend’s constituents nothing less. The first step is to be honest about the problems. The big difference between the two sides of the House is illustrated by the fact that we will restore morale not by pretending that the problems do not exist but by being honest about them and confronting them. That is what we will do in my hon. Friend’s constituency.

[Sarah Champion (Rotherham) (Lab)]

I should like to start by offering my deepest sympathy to the patients and families. We are talking about mortality statistics, but these are actually loved ones who have been lost. For the second time today, I ask the Secretary of State whether he will accept, adopt and implement the recommendations in the Francis report.

[Mr Hunt]

And for the second time, I say yes.