Care Quality Commission response to Health Committee report on patient safety

3 July 2009

Barbara Young, Chair of the Care Quality Commission, provided evidence to the Health Committee and said CQC would carefully consider the Health Committee’s recommendations.

Commenting on the report, she said:

“It seems obvious that safety of patients should be at the top of the agenda for any healthcare service. Yet our investigations have uncovered too many cases in which patients were harmed because safety was not the number one priority.

“As the independent regulator, we have a clear responsibility to protect the safety of patients. We expect the NHS to meet the essential quality standards and will act swiftly where they do not. Safe care for patients is fundamental to that.”

Barbara Young said the CQC was continuing to develop new and more sophisticated ways to spot problems early and improve safety in the NHS, following on from the work of its predecessor, the Healthcare Commission.

She said there was “no doubt that the NHS is a safer place for patients” because of the work of the former and current quality regulator.

“We are introducing a new registration system for NHS providers from April 2010 and we have a range of new sanctions if trusts aren’t meeting the essential safety standards.

“The annual health check gives us an important picture of overall performance, but we also have other tools to delve further into particular services or aspects of care,” she said.

“We are continuing to develop a world-first early alert system, which identifies and follows-up where death rates are unusually high. It was this tool that triggered the Healthcare Commission’s investigation into Mid Staffordshire and uncovered appalling standards of care.

“Healthcare Commission investigations also uncovered serious failings at other NHS trusts, including at Stoke Mandeville, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells and Cornwall. The lessons on safety and leadership resonated throughout the NHS.

“Focused reviews shone the spotlight on services that previously received little attention such as maternity care, children’s services and care for people with a learning disability.

“There is no doubt that the NHS is a safer place for patients because of the work of the quality regulator.

“We will continue to shine the light on good and poor performance in the NHS, working with other regulators to fulfil our duty to patients and the public.”

Read the report at the Health Committee's website

Ends

For further information please contact Megan Tudehope in the CQC press office on 0207 448 9018 or on 07917 232 143 after hours.

Notes to editors