PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Independent Inquiry (5 December 2014)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he plans to issue an oral or written statement on the Government's progress on implementing proposals set out in Hard Truths: the journey to putting patients first.

Asked by:
Debbie Abrahams (Labour)

Since the publication of Hard Truths: The Journey to Putting Patients First, the Government has taken huge strides to boost safety, transparency, compassion and accountability in the National Health Service. We have legislated to make the Care Quality Commission independent, and a new rigorous inspection regime for hospitals, primary care and adult social care has been introduced, resulting in a clear rating on the quality of care. We have also introduced a robust special measures regime for struggling hospitals, so that poor care is both identified and rectified. In addition, we have legislated to place a new duty of candour on provider organisations and to put in place a fit and proper person requirement for directors of NHS bodies, as well as to create a new offence of wilful neglect and ill treatment. This Government has also placed an unprecedented amount of data on the MyNHS website, so that the public can see how their local services perform.

We will be publishing an update and summary of this progress in the New Year as part of the Government response to Freedom to Speak Out, the independent review being led by Sir Robert Francis, QC.

Answered by:
Dr Dan Poulter (Labour)
10 December 2014