NHS: Standards
(asked on 10th November 2025) - View Source
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 maintain levels of (a) quality of care and (b) patient safety following cost improvement plans in the NHS.
The National Quality Board (NQB) published a Quality Impact Assessment (QIA) framework in June 2025. QIAs ensure that quality of care considerations, which incorporates patient safety, clinical effectiveness, and patient experience, are central to decision-making for the design and delivery of health and care services. The new framework is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/quality-impact-assessment-framework/
The new framework updates the guidance from the NQB published in 2012, a copy of which is attached. The updates from the framework recognise the need for QIAs to be carried out in a wider range of circumstances when any service change is proposed, not only those focused on financial efficiencies.
The new framework is intended to be used by commissioners and providers of health and care services to support the development of organisational policy and processes for undertaking QIAs. This may include National Health Service providers, independent sector providers, integrated care boards (ICBs), and local authorities.
The 2025/26 NHS priorities and operational planning guidance also asks ICBs to embed a robust quality and equality impact assessment process into financial and operational decision-making, test all changes with boards, and consider the appropriate involvement by the public, service users, staff, local authorities, and wider stakeholders. Further information on the 2025/26 NHS priorities and operational planning guidance is available at the following link:
In addition, a new Quality Strategy is being developed under the leadership of the NQB, to coordinate key commitments within the 10-Year Health Plan and to support the delivery of high quality care across the NHS, specifically care that is safe, effective, and that provides a positive experience for patients, parents, carers, and service users.