Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that NHS Resolution responds to cases in an appropriate timeframe.

The Department agrees an annual business plan and balanced set of key performance indicators with NHS Resolution against which its performance is monitored through established sponsorship arrangements with the Department including quarterly accountability meetings.

NHS Resolution is tasked with resolving valid claims promptly and fairly but also to ensure that cases are appropriately investigated in order to guard against excessive or invalid claims. In 2017, Ministers approved a five year strategy for NHS Resolution, ‘Fair Resolution and Learning from Harm’ which set out plans to deliver alternative ways of resolving cases without lengthy court proceedings. NHS Resolution is increasing the use of mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution and has also asked trusts to report cases involving a potential brain injury at birth within 30 days of the incident. It has been working to reduce the number claims going into formal court proceedings, where delays can set in, and will report on its performance against this objective in its 2017-18 Annual Report and Accounts.