Health experts warn over ministers’ new powers to control patient safety watchdog

Experts have warned that plans underway to allow the health secretary control over a patient safety watchdog risks “massive untold consequences” for the NHS.

Under the new proposals, Matt Hanock could determine which incidents the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) should investigate, while also being able to take away protections for NHS staff, which mean they are able to provide evidence without fear of reprisals.

The new move, which has been outlined as part of wider NHS reforms, would allow the health secretary much greater control over the HSIB than ministers currently have over the Air Accident Investigation Branch, which the watchdog was modelled on.

Martin Bromiley, chair of the Clinical Human Factors Group, said he was seriously concerned over the plans.

He said “I am concerned about the reference to lifting safe space. As it stands with the Air Accident Investigation Branch, people can apply to the High Court for it to be lifted and that makes sense because a judge can consider the whole case and the longer-term impact.

“Politicians are by nature short term; we have to allow for whoever might be in the role of secretary of state in the future. This would create a situation where patients would be able to lobby for safe space to be lifted and it might be politically expedient to allow that. The long term damage could be absolutely enormous.”

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Posted by Karen Motley, Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

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