Patient Safety Report

 

“This report makes for alarming reading-but none of the findings are new.”

 

“I hope now, at last, with such a damning report from the Committee that the Government and the Department of Health will say enough is enough-they need to show that they will not rest until patient safety is the number one priority throughout the NHS.”

 

“As we have been let down for so long, now we are asking local patients to start driving the change themselves.”

 

“The results of our 100 Day Challenge Survey, to be released on Monday will be the latest research that shows the NHS has a long way to go.”

 

“All of the issues highlighted are well known to the Department of Health and the Patients Association and others has been highlighting them for years.”

 

“How can the public have trust in the systems that continue to fail them time after time? How long is it until there is another Mid-Staffordshire? How many times do we have to listen to these basics being regurgitated before action is taken?”

 

“The NHS Constitution says patients have a right to be treated by organisations meeting required levels of safety. This isn’t happening.”

 

“The report confirms that staffing levels are key to patient safety. Budget cuts cannot be allowed to compound this problem-frontline staff must be protected.”

 

  

 

In response to the Health Select Committee report into Patient Safety the Patients Association today calls on members of the public to take matters into their own hands.

Director of the Patients Association Katherine Murphy said “The Health Select Committee report shows widespread failings in nearly every aspect of the systems and processes designed to improve patient safety. All of the issues highlighted are well known to the Department of Health and the Patients Association and others has been highlighting them for years. How can the public have trust in the systems that continue to fail them time after time. How long is it until there is another Mid-Staffordshire? How many times do we have to listen to these basics being regurgitated before action is taken? The NHS Constitution says patients have a right to be treated by organisations meeting required levels of safety. This isn’t happening.”

 

“This report makes for alarming reading-but none of the findings are new. The Committee state correctly that patient safety is still not the number one priority throughout the NHS, Government targets are undermining patient safety,  many Strategic Health Authorities are failing in their duty to performance manage the NHS, there are widespread shortcomings in the work of NHS Boards, safety alerts are routinely ignored by frontline staff,  the Foundation Trust application process is flawed, the complaints process often makes things worse for patients and removing the independent review stage from the complaints process will probably exacerbate the problem.”

 

“From our own event in October 2008 where we challenged the NHS to put patient safety at the top of their Board agendas, from our complaints report and survey of frontline staff both released last year to our submissions to MPS and the Committee following the appalling case of Mid-Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust we have been highlighting all of these failures. The results of our 100 Day Challenge Survey, to be released on Monday 6^th July 2009 will be the latest research that shows the NHS has a long way to  go.”

 

“I hope now, at last, with such damning report from the Committee, that the Government and the Department of Health will say enough is enough-they need to show that they will not rest until patient safety is the number one priority throughout the NHS.”

 

“But, as we have been let down for so long, now we are asking local patients to start driving the change themselves. Download the report, read the recommendations and go to your local Board meetings and patient group meetings. Make them explain to you what they are doing on patient safety. Ask them to put it at the top of their agenda. Ask them to tell a story of patient harm at every meeting. The Patients Association would be happy to support people in whatever way we can. If they won’t cooperate get in touch with us.”

 

“The report confirms that staffing levels are key to patient safety. Budget cuts cannot be allowed to compound this problem-frontline staff must be protected.”