Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what processes his Department has put in place to respond to concerns raised by NHS staff and patients.

• When NHS staff and patients raise concerns, they must be taken seriously.
• The government has enhanced legal protections for whistle-blowers; announced a review of the whistleblowing framework and introduced over 1,000 Freedom to Speak Up Guardians, now covering every Trust.
• Patients can also raise concerns through an NHS-wide complaints system underpinned by legislation. NHS organisations must acknowledge complaints within three days and complete investigations quickly, keeping the patient informed of progress.