Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to reduce instances of clinical negligence by NHS medical staff.

The Government is committed to advancing patient safety and creating a safety learning culture across the health system to stop harmful events from ever happening.

Our commitment is demonstrated by the ongoing implementation of key programmes under the NHS Patient Safety Strategy, to support continuous improvement in patient safety across the National Health Service. The Government has also introduced death certification reform and medical examiners, is committed to introducing professional standards for and regulating NHS managers, is reviewing the statutory duty of candour on providers, and is improving maternity safety. This includes investing almost £7.8 million in the Avoiding Brain Injury in Childbirth programme and supporting all trusts to implement the third version of the Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle, which provides maternity units with detailed guidance to reduce stillbirths and neonatal deaths.

We are taking a fresh look at how to make the current system effective and efficient, to protect quality of care and improve patient safety. Following last year’s review by Dr Penny Dash into the operational effectiveness of the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the CQC is rebuilding its approach and trust in its regulation. Dr Dash is conducting a second review of patient safety across the health and care landscape. The conclusions of the review will be published shortly and will inform our 10-Year Health Plan to transform the NHS and social care system.