Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent representations he has received on possible links between quality of care, operational productivity and safe staffing levels from (a) Lord Carter, (b) Robert Francis and (c) others.

The Secretary of State for Health has received no correspondence or other written representations from Lord Carter on the possible links between quality of care, operational productivity and safe staffing levels. The Secretary of State met Lord Carter on 13 May 2015 and 18 May 2015 to discuss procurement. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for NHS Productivity (Lord Prior) met with Lord Carter on 8 June 2015 and 1 July 2015 and had a telephone call with him on 21 May. In each case it was to receive an update on the work on improving operational productivity that Lord Carter is doing on behalf of the Department. I also met with Lord Carter very briefly on 29 June 2015 to discuss the work. On 11 June 2015 Lord Carter published his Interim report, Review of Operational Productivity in NHS providers.

The Secretary of State has received no correspondence or other written representations from Sir Robert Francis QC on the possible links between quality of care, operational productivity and safe staffing levels. The Secretary of State met Robert Francis on 19 January 2015 to discuss the Freedom to Speak Up report and on 9 February 2015 when the report was formally handed over.

The Secretary of State and other Ministers regularly meet healthcare leaders and receive correspondence and other written representations on a wide range of issues, including safe staffing.