Government publishes its response to the Mid Staffs inquiry

Posted 20/11/2013

Yesterday the Government published its response to the Mid Staffs Inquiry vowing to implement changes to the current system to protect public safety.The response has numerous recommendations however some of the main issues are as follows:Push for openness and transparency by making it easier for whistleblowers to report poor patient care and ensuring the Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection ensure that whistleblowing processes are in placeThe existing individual duty of candour on doctors and nurses to report mistakes when they happen are to be further strengthened by changes to guidance and advice given by their own professional bodiesFurther development of an appropriate standard of end of life care to minimise sufferingThe NHS complaints system should be overhauled to make it easier for patients to complain about care and for those complaints to be properly reviewed and acted uponStaffing ratio information to be collated and published which can be monitored and analysedTraining and regulation for health care assistants including a recommendation for certification to show competency.Sharon Allison, a medical injury lawyer at Ashtons Legal Solicitors, welcomes the recommendations and says: “No-one could fail to be moved by the awful accounts of poor patient care at the Mid Staffs Hospital. A radical change to the way patient care is approached has been necessary for some considerable time but I do wonder whether the recommendations go far enough.I agree that all of these principles are a positive step towards better patient care, but there really does need to be tight scrutiny to ensure that the recommendations have the desired effect. Can the CQC/Monitor realistically evaluate all of this data to ensure compliance as well provide regular inspections to maintain high standards? It will be a matter of wait and see.”