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Mid Staffordshire: we will use the voices of patients to change the NHS, pledges NHS England

NHS England – formerly the NHS Commissioning Board – pledged to use all its powers to ensure that everything the NHS does is driven by the best interests of patients.

As the Government published its initial response to the Mid Staffordshire Public Inquiry, NHS England said it aims to help build an NHS that is safer, more compassionate and constantly improving.

It plans to do this by radically improving transparency, giving patients a stronger voice and putting clinicians in charge of key decisions about services.

NHS England will from next month take responsibility for ensuring the NHS uses its £95 billion budget effectively to get the best outcomes for individuals, communities and society.  The Government announced its name change today.

Jane Cummings, the Chief Nursing Officer, NHS England, said: “We have to respond to Mid Staffs with clear action and not just with words in order to benefits all of the patients who need our care.

“The culture change we all want must be evident in every ward, clinic, consulting room and community setting, as well as every board room. It must run through the veins of a new NHS that is safer, more compassionate and constantly improving.

“There are so many NHS staff doing brilliant work for their patients.  But we all know there is a serious job to be done to rebuild public confidence.  The NHS must grasp this positively and seize the opportunity to drive change.”

Ms Cummings highlighted examples of how NHS England would contribute.

“We will use the voices of patients to change the NHS, starting with the friends-and-family test.  We are planning to drive compassionate values into every corner, starting with implementation of the nursing strategy.

“We will bring a new focus on safety, drawing on the best international expertise and scrutinising NHS trusts with high death rates.  And we are acting to make transparency the organising principle of the service, helping to raise standards.

“We are also putting power and funds in the hands of local clinicians, helping them provide the services they believe their patients need.”

2 comments

  1. David Gregory says:

    Its like you read my mind! You seem to know a lot about this,
    like you wrote the book in it or something.
    I think that you could do with some pics to drive the message home a bit, but instead of that, this is great blog.
    A great read. I’ll certainly be back.

  2. david poulten says:

    All very commendable,the words have all been heard before,thats the easy part.Translating that into reality is the hard part..It’s the culture that needs to change and that starts at the very top.The ‘End of Life ‘ Care Strategy set out very clearly how a person should be looked after in the final stages of life, with care,compassion and dignity and a choice of where to die.All one would hope for and expect.For my wife in the nine months she lived from diagnosis with terminal cancer on 3rd January to her death on 6thOctober2008 at the hands of Southend HUFT it was anything but.Read the Francis Report without drinking the dirty water or sleeping in soiled sheets, everything in there we encountered from bullying indifferent nurses,one went before the NMC, to arrogant indifferent doctors who couldn’t be bothered,failed discharge,failed procedures medical and administrative, perscription found on patients file not given ,pain relief not given ,nurses sitting round giggling reading papers then claiming they were dealing with emergencies.NMC panel saw through that.26 days in hospital unnecessarily as a result or errors by the Hospital at what cost all round? A complaints process that was a minefield with obstructions ,lies and deceit at every turn.The mantra uttered at every opportunity’Patient safety is our priority’If it was ,why did all this happen? They were so deluded they believed it!!!The RCA found 8 serious errors and 15 areas of concern identified bythe PCT.Some things that happened and chains of events couldn’t be explained, it was systemic and endemic ,more widesptread than realised .The incident with the Niurse was not a one off ,12 charges over 21/2 years and it emerged the Hospital had prior knowledge ,that was documented during the NMC hearing..Southend being just down the road from Basildon, it’s only because issues where forced and regime change instigated they dont find themselves in the same position.The god nurses and doctors were failed by the incompetence of those around them.One consultant early on said something disgraceful to us ,’Its a game’.Three words that spoke volumes about attituide and arrogance ,but the system as a whole.Then denied at one enquiry he’d said it.I proved he did which was accepted and the circumstances under which he said it.
    There is a lot more all documented ,including her being put on the LCP without any discussion with me .Me getting her off it and her walking talking ,eating ,drinking and holding rational conversations.That shook them!! Another real story to go with the Mid Staffs ,LIincolns ,Barrow in Furness etc ,etc.So many people raising alarms ,being ignored or sidelined by all Govts ,Ministers ,Civil Servants ,Executives,Managers ,Clincians ,Nursing and Medical Staff at all levels.There is collective responsibility and collective guilt.