Government announces plans to appoint an independent Patient Safety Commissioner

The government has announced that it will accept one of the key recommendations from The Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review, ‘First do no harm’, which was chaired by Baroness Cumberlidge.
The review was announced in February 2018 with the aim to focus on how the health system responds when patients and their families raise concerns about the safety of treatments.

The review found that the system was not good enough at spotting trends in practise and outcomes that give rise to safety concerns. To help overcome this system challenge one of the reviews principal recommendations was the appointment of an independent Patient Safety Commissioner.

Naddine Dories MP, Minister for Patient Safety, Suicide Prevention and Mental Health has now announced that the government tabled an amendment to the Medicines and Medical Devices Bill to establish the role of an independent Patient Safety Commissioner.

Dorries stated:

“The commissioner will act as an independent advocate for patients, and strengthen the ability of our health services to listen to the voice of patients. The commissioner will be established as a statutory office holder, appointed by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, and will act independently on behalf of patients.

The commissioner’s core duties will be to promote the safety of patients and the importance of the views of patients in relation to medicines and medical devices. To help in carrying out these duties, the commissioner will have a number of powers and functions, including the ability to make reports and recommendations to the NHS and independent sector, and to request and share information with these bodies.”

Naddine Dories MP, Minister for Patient Safety, Suicide Prevention and Mental Health