Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) patient safety in the Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, and (2) the procedures to ensure that whistle-blowers are protected and that any medical negligence is exposed.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has advised us that it conducted a comprehensive inspection of the Trust in March 2015, a focused inspection in September 2016, and these were followed by the CQC issuing requirement notices regarding breaches of regulations.

The CQC carried out an unannounced inspection of eight core services and two additional services in April 2018 at University Hospital, Coventry, and three core services at Hospital St Cross, Rugby in May 2018, as well as further unannounced inspections in May 2018. The CQC is compiling its report findings with a view to publishing the inspection report in August or September 2018.

The Government supports the right of staff working in the National Health Service to raise concerns and expects all NHS organisations to support staff that wish to do so. All NHS trusts and foundation trusts are required to have Freedom to Speak up Guardians to whom employees can raise concerns about patient safety in confidence.

In May 2018, the Government introduced legislation to further protect prospective employees into the NHS from discrimination if the individual is perceived to have been a whistleblower. This legislation was a recommendation from Sir Robert Francis’ Freedom to Speak Up review, published in February 2015.