Publication of NHS Transition Risk Register and Implementation of Key Francis Recommendations — 17 Jul 2013 at 18:51

The majority of MPs voted against the publication of the NHS transition risk register and against the implementation of key recommendations from the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry.

The content of the NHS transition risk register has been described in an article from the Guardian^[1]:

• "The edited risk register describes each of the nine areas of concern identified by health officials and discussed with ministers, including problems of co-ordinating the planning and implementation of the complex network of old NHS organisations being phased out and new bodies being created, such as Primary Care Trusts being replaced by GP commissioning groups. Other issues covered are the risk of damaging staff morale and the danger that widespread opposition will lead to the bill being delayed from becoming law while the reforms are already under way."

The Francis recommendations derive from The Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry chaired by Robert Francis QC. 290 recommendations are included in the inquiry report^[2].

The text of the rejected motion read:

• That this House
• is concerned about the Government’s approach to managing risk in the NHS;
• notes that the Government is still to respond fully to the Francis Report, despite the Prime Minister promising on 6 February 2013, Hansard, column 281, a detailed response by the end of March 2013;
• believes that the Government is in danger of ignoring the lessons of recent failures by cutting thousands of nursing staff;
• is concerned at recent reports revealing pressure to roll out the NHS 111 telephone service despite serious concerns about it not being safe to do so;
• is further concerned at recent reports that plans are not in place to avert an Accident and Emergency crisis next winter;
• recognises that the 14 Trusts investigated by Sir Bruce Keogh have seen increasing problems since May 2010;
• further believes that the Government’s failure to implement the key recommendations of the Francis Report, combined with the disruption of the recent NHS reorganisation, risks making it more likely that failures of care will happen in future;
• further notes the Government’s recent commitment to openness and transparency in the NHS; therefore
• calls on the Government to publish the NHS transition risk register as ordered by the Information Commissioner and Information Rights Tribunal; and
• further calls on the Government to bring forward urgent implementation of key Francis recommendations to improve patient safety, including a duty of candour, benchmarks on safe staffing and the regulation of healthcare assistants.

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• [1] Edited NHS risk register is published in partial climbdown - Juliette Jowit - The Guardian - 10 May 2012
• [2] Final report of the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry - published on Wednesday 6 February 2013

Debate in Parliament | Source |