Parliamentary activity

Answering body: Department of Health and Social Care

The Department recognises the importance of ensuring that patients have clear information about their care in the National Health Service, whether delivered by NHS providers or independent sector providers. We have recently published a set of patient experience minimum standards setting out our expectations of providers of NHS funded elective care while patients are on the waiting list.

We will provide an update on this commitment in due course.

Answering body: Department of Health and Social Care

The General Medical Council (GMC) is independent of the Government, directly accountable to Parliament, and is responsible for operational matters concerning the discharge of its statutory duties. The United Kingdom’s model of healthcare professional regulation is founded on the principle of regulators operating independently from the Government.

The Department does not hold national datasets on what audits of consent practice have been undertaken in the National Health Service or in the independent sector, since the publication of the Paterson Inquiry Report published on 4 February 2020.

NHS England has integrated decision support tools into elective pathways of care. These tools support two stage shared decision making, which introduces a period of reflection for patients when deciding on treatment options and giving consent. This allows patients to take the time to fully understand the benefits and risks of treatment, talk with friends and family, and decide whether it is the most suitable option for them.

The Medical Practitioners Assurance Framework (MPAF) was developed by the Independent Healthcare Providers Network in response to reviews, including the Paterson Inquiry. The MPAF is designed to provide a basis from which all independent providers can work, giving confidence to patients and regulators, such as the Care Quality Commission, on what good looks like. The MPAF advises that policies need to provide for patients to be given specific time to reflect and make decisions.

Answering body: Department of Health and Social Care

The National Consultant Information Programme (NCIP) is publicly accessible to patients on the Getting It Right First Time website.

The NCIP portal is a free data platform containing consultant and provider-level activity and outcomes data for over 500 procedures in 13 surgical specialties. It covers National Health Service practices, NHS funded work in the independent sector, and privately funded work carried out in the NHS. Over time, the ambition is to add independent sector data, to provide a single repository of whole practice. Currently, patients are not able to access this data.

NCIP allows consultants in 13 surgical specialties to access their individual outcomes data, for personal learning, clinical governance, and appraisals. NCIP does not record practising privileges in the independent sector.

NCIP is a critical part of the response to the Paterson Inquiry, which recommended that there should be a single repository of the whole practice of consultants across England. By sharing high-quality outcome data, consultants, their appraisers, and responsible officers can compare outcomes for their practice or use peer review to improve their performance in a way that is measurable and objective, leading to better safety and efficiency across the NHS.

Answering body: Department of Health and Social Care

In October 2021, the Professional Record Standards Body (PRSB) updated its guidance on standard outpatient letters to make it clear that it is best practice for most outpatient letters to be written directly to the patient. The NHS Standard Contract states that outpatient letters should be consistent with PRSB’s standards. All National Health Service and independent sector providers are regulated by the Care Quality Commission, and assessments include how services ensure that patients understand and are involved in decisions regarding their care. As per the Competition and Markets Authority’s Order, private healthcare providers must send letters to patients prior to consultations or further tests and treatments setting out the costs, reasons, and other relevant information regarding the procedure.

Our records indicate that the Paterson Inquiry Response Programme Board last met virtually in 2023. Membership included representatives from the following bodies; the Department; NHS England; the Care Quality Commission; the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges; the Competition and Markets Authority; the General Medical Council; the Independent Healthcare Providers Network; the Independent Sector Complaints Adjudication Service; the National Consultant Information Programme; NHS Digital; NHS Providers; NHS Resolution; the Professional Standards Authority; the Royal College of Surgeons; Spire; and the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. There are no current plans to publish the boards minutes.

As referenced in the answers to HL960 and HL1431, the Government accepted 13 of the 15 recommendations set out in the 2020 Paterson Inquiry Report. Of these, nine recommendations have been implemented or partially implemented, and four recommendations are in progress. While there is no timeline for full implementation, we are working with NHS England to implement the outstanding recommendations as quickly as possible.

Answering body: Department of Health and Social Care

In October 2021, the Professional Record Standards Body (PRSB) updated its guidance on standard outpatient letters to make it clear that it is best practice for most outpatient letters to be written directly to the patient. The NHS Standard Contract states that outpatient letters should be consistent with PRSB’s standards. All National Health Service and independent sector providers are regulated by the Care Quality Commission, and assessments include how services ensure that patients understand and are involved in decisions regarding their care. As per the Competition and Markets Authority’s Order, private healthcare providers must send letters to patients prior to consultations or further tests and treatments setting out the costs, reasons, and other relevant information regarding the procedure.

Our records indicate that the Paterson Inquiry Response Programme Board last met virtually in 2023. Membership included representatives from the following bodies; the Department; NHS England; the Care Quality Commission; the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges; the Competition and Markets Authority; the General Medical Council; the Independent Healthcare Providers Network; the Independent Sector Complaints Adjudication Service; the National Consultant Information Programme; NHS Digital; NHS Providers; NHS Resolution; the Professional Standards Authority; the Royal College of Surgeons; Spire; and the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. There are no current plans to publish the boards minutes.

As referenced in the answers to HL960 and HL1431, the Government accepted 13 of the 15 recommendations set out in the 2020 Paterson Inquiry Report. Of these, nine recommendations have been implemented or partially implemented, and four recommendations are in progress. While there is no timeline for full implementation, we are working with NHS England to implement the outstanding recommendations as quickly as possible.

Answering body: Department of Health and Social Care

In October 2021, the Professional Record Standards Body (PRSB) updated its guidance on standard outpatient letters to make it clear that it is best practice for most outpatient letters to be written directly to the patient. The NHS Standard Contract states that outpatient letters should be consistent with PRSB’s standards. All National Health Service and independent sector providers are regulated by the Care Quality Commission, and assessments include how services ensure that patients understand and are involved in decisions regarding their care. As per the Competition and Markets Authority’s Order, private healthcare providers must send letters to patients prior to consultations or further tests and treatments setting out the costs, reasons, and other relevant information regarding the procedure.

Our records indicate that the Paterson Inquiry Response Programme Board last met virtually in 2023. Membership included representatives from the following bodies; the Department; NHS England; the Care Quality Commission; the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges; the Competition and Markets Authority; the General Medical Council; the Independent Healthcare Providers Network; the Independent Sector Complaints Adjudication Service; the National Consultant Information Programme; NHS Digital; NHS Providers; NHS Resolution; the Professional Standards Authority; the Royal College of Surgeons; Spire; and the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. There are no current plans to publish the boards minutes.

As referenced in the answers to HL960 and HL1431, the Government accepted 13 of the 15 recommendations set out in the 2020 Paterson Inquiry Report. Of these, nine recommendations have been implemented or partially implemented, and four recommendations are in progress. While there is no timeline for full implementation, we are working with NHS England to implement the outstanding recommendations as quickly as possible.

Answering body: Department of Health and Social Care

As referenced in the answer to HL960, the Government accepted 13 of the 15 recommendations set out in the 2020 Paterson Inquiry Report. Of these, nine recommendations have been implemented or partially implemented, and four recommendations are in progress...

Answering body: Department of Health and Social Care

As referenced in the answer to HL960, the Government accepted 13 of the 15 recommendations set out in the 2020 Paterson Inquiry Report. Of these, nine recommendations have been implemented or partially implemented, and four recommendations are in progress...

Answering body: Department of Health and Social Care

The Medical Practitioners Assurance Framework is designed to provide a basis from which all independent providers can work, giving confidence to patients and regulators, such as the Care Quality Commission (CQC), on ‘what good looks like’. This framework ...

Answering body: Department of Health and Social Care

The Government’s regulatory reform programme will modernise the legislative frameworks for healthcare professionals in the United Kingdom. We are currently consulting on the draft General Medical Council Order, with further information available on the GO...

Answering body: Department of Health and Social Care

Following the Paterson Inquiry recommendations, the Department has worked with the Medical Defence Union, the Medical Protection Society, and the Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland to introduce a sector-led voluntary Code of Practice on 6 Januar...

Answering body: Department of Health and Social Care

The Government has assessed progress against 13 of the 15 recommendations it accepted of the 2020 Paterson Inquiry through its published response in December 2021 and a 12‑month implementation update in December 2022.These assessments found that nine of t...

Answering body: Department of Health and Social Care

All doctors are expected to meet the standards set out in the General Medical Council’s (GMC’s) Good Medical Practice, which states that doctors must ensure patients are given the time and support they need to make informed decisions. Doctors must also fo...

Answering body: Department of Health and Social Care

Under the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) assessment framework, the CQC assesses providers for multidisciplinary teams (MDT) working under the quality statement, How staff, teams and services work together. Where this quality statement is assessed for ind...

Answering body: Department of Health and Social Care

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Answering body: Department of Health and Social Care

The Government is committed to fulfilling the recommendation arising from the Paterson Inquiry. Information will be published in due course.

Answering body: Department of Health and Social Care

The National Consultant Information Programme (NCIP) is a platform that is available to 10,000 National Health Service clinicians in England, providing a single source of robust, nationally benchmarked data at an individual consultant level. Updated quart...