Written question WQ93002

When Baroness Cumberlege first made her recommendation for a Patient Safety Commissioner in the Independent Review of Medicines and Medical Device Safety Report, we were in the process of introducing several patient safety and quality measures, having already strengthened the powers of the Public Services Ombudsman

The range of measures introduced as part of the Health and Social Care (Quality and Engagement) (Wales) Act 2020 included setting up the new citizen voice body – now known as Llais – introducing the Duty of Quality and the Duty of Candour. Taken together these have strengthened patient advocacy and people’s ability to have their voices heard and to be responded to in an open and transparent way.

Llais provides a representative voice and advocacy for people as they use health and social care services and has a role in identifying themes in what people are communicating about services, this includes safety and quality concerns. Llais is developing its role alongside the inspectorates and other assurance functions within Welsh healthcare to ensure these themes are addressed.

The Health and Care Quality Standards (introduced with the Duty of Quality) set out the requirements for safety and quality within the provision of NHS services in Wales.

My officials are keeping the recommendation for a Patient Safety Commissioner under review to understand and learn from the impact of the commissioners in England and Scotland, which operate differently, alongside a review of the impact of those duties and measures implemented in Wales over the last couple of years.