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25
May 2021
Serious patient safety issues buried in unpublished hospital reports
An investigation by the BBC has found that serious patient safety issues are being buried in confidential hospital reports.
Freedom of Information (FoI) requests revealed over one hundred reports, written by medical royal colleges, which NHS trusts have a duty to share. Eighty reports were provided to the BBC, but only 26 had been shared in full with regulators, and 16 published.
Dr Bill Kirkup, who led the 2015 investigation into the Morecombe Bay scandal, said the findings were a “great disappointment.”
“People should know that there is something that is important enough to be looked at and they should know what the results of that scrutiny are.
“I can’t understand what the rationale would be for withholding the existence of a report or the findings of the report. These are important matters of accountability in the public service.”
FoI requests were delivered to all UK NHS trusts, requesting any Royal College reviews of services in the last five years. The colleges set standards of care and can be commissioned to review how a health care provider is performing.
Chair of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, said she was “dismayed” that report summaries were not being made public, adding that the Academy had published guidance in 2016 saying reports dealing with care concerns or safety should be made public.
She went on to say “If things are not being shared, and if that has implications for patients safety, that must be put right. The fact that a review is done should never be secret and indeed a summary of the findings should always be published.”
Chadwick Lawrence’s specialist team of clinical negligence lawyers have years of experience in medical negligence claims, providing support and guidance after life-changing events. Not only do we represent clients in Yorkshire, but because of our reputation we also represent clients nationally.
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Posted by Tony May, Partner/head of 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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