Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to hold discussions with leaders of mental health services on meeting the requirements of the statutory duty of candour.

The Government is supportive of the review it inherited into the effectiveness of the statutory duty of candour for health and social care providers. Our aim is to ensure that all providers, including mental health trusts, and their leaders act upon the duty consistently and effectively to improve openness, coupled with effective enforcement by the Care Quality Commission.

The review included a call for evidence, and the Government published its findings on 26 November 2024. These findings are available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/findings-of-the-call-for-evidence-on-the-statutory-duty-of-candour/findings-of-the-call-for-evidence-on-the-statutory-duty-of-candour

The Government also launched a public consultation on 26 November 2024, on proposals to regulate National Health Service managers. This sought views on making managers, including those in mental health providers, accountable for ensuring that the statutory duty is correctly followed in their organisation. In finalising the review on the statutory duty of candour, we are considering our proposals on candour set out in the Government’s response to the consultation, which was published on 21 July 2024, and other areas including recommendations made by the Infected Blood Inquiry. The consultation response is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/leading-the-nhs-proposals-to-regulate-nhs-managers/outcome/leading-the-nhs-proposals-to-regulate-nhs-managers-consultation-response