Impact assessment of policy changes
Morecambe Bay Investigation · Report of the Morecambe Bay Investigation · Issued 3 March 2015 · Addressed to: Department of Health and Social Care
Source — verbatim from the inquiry
●Inquiry recommendation
The cumulative impact of new policies and processes, particularly the perceived pressure to achieve Foundation Trust status, together with organisational reconfiguration, placed significant pressure on the management capacity of the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust to deliver against changing requirements whilst maintaining day-to-day needs, including safeguarding patient safety. Whilst we do not absolve Trusts from responsibility for prioritising limited capability safely and effectively, we recommend that the Department of Health should review how it carries out impact assessments of new policies to identify the risks as well as the resources and time required. Action: the Department of Health.
Morecambe Bay Investigation, Report of the Morecambe Bay Investigation · 3 Mar 2015 Source PDF →
Published evidence summary
Publicly available evidence relating to this recommendation:
- The government described improvements to the Foundation Trust application process, requiring a strong focus on quality of care, and stated that formal impact assessments would "continue to be an important part of how new policies are considered" (Learning Not Blaming, Cm 9113, Department of Health, July 2015).
- No published evidence of a specific revised impact assessment process for policy burden on NHS trusts has been identified to March 2026.
Sources
Response — verbatim from government
●Department of Health and Social Care
97. We accept this recommendation in principle.
We acknowledge the
Investigation’s findings that the pursuit of Foundation Trust status distorted
management capacity and priorities at Morecambe Bay.
98. In response to the failings at both Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust and
University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust:
• the Foundation Trust application process has now been significantly
improved, requiring a strong focus on quality of care as well as on governance
and good financial control.
• The Care Quality Commission now works closely with Monitor and the NHS
Trust Development Authority to share intelligence about the Trusts’
performance capacity and capability.
• Under the Care Quality Commission’s new ratings system, NHS Trusts need
an overall rating of “good” or “outstanding” to progress to the next stage of the
Foundation Trust assessment process
• The Care Quality Commission’s new inspection model, including the
development of its intelligent monitoring tool, ensures that issues of concern
are picked up earlier and can be addressed.
99. The Department of Health will continue work with its Arms’ Length Bodies to
develop policy in partnership, and ensure that oversight and regulatory mechanisms
are as effective as possible in ensuring sustainable high quality care. Formal impact
assessments are and will continue to be an important part of how new policies are
considered and implemented.
Department of Health and Social Care · 16 Jul 2015 Written response →
Evidence trail — what's actually happened since
- 31 Dec 2015 Department of Health strengthened impact assessment processes for major policy changes. Source →
Each entry above links to a primary source — gov.uk written statement, consultation response document, or inspection report. The Index does not characterise government intent; it tracks what has been published.
How this page is built
Source and Response are verbatim from primary documents. The Evidence trail records published activity since — written statements, consultation outcomes, inspection findings, parliamentary references. The Index does not paraphrase or characterise intent; it tracks what has been published. Where the evidence is the absence of action (a missed deadline, a slipped timetable), that absence is documented from primary sources rather than inferred.
This recommendation's data is verified periodically against primary sources. The Index is monitored for staleness weekly.