Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve patient safety across the NHS in Greater Manchester.

The Department has been informed that, in 2023, the Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board (ICB) reviewed its approach to quality assurance and provider oversight and developed the Greater Manchester Quality Assurance and Escalation Framework. As a commissioner, the ICB has a provider oversight framework that operates alongside NHS England’s provider oversight framework to ensure that there is strong oversight in relation to patient safety. All providers’ boards are accountable for their workforce and organisational culture and report on areas such as safer staffing and workforce planning.

We have been informed by the ICB that the measures being taken to improve patient safety across Greater Manchester are focused on the areas of quality assurance and provider oversight, winter planning, maternity and neonatal oversight, and mental health oversight.

The Government is committed to advancing patient safety and a learning culture across the National Health Service. The changes we are making as part of the 10-Year Health Plan will improve quality and safety by making it clear where responsibility and accountability sits at all levels of the system. This will be reinforced by a new era of transparency, a rigorous focus on high-quality care, and a renewed focus on patient and staff voice.