The Secretary of State for Health talks about the latest milestones in his drive to create a more transparent culture across the NHS.
I have spoken many times about my determination to ensure the highest standards of safety and care throughout our NHS. Well, this week we have achieved some major milestones.
Firstly, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published new guidance on safe and efficient nurse staffing levels on hospital wards. The guidance takes account of the best available evidence, draws on the lessons learned in the aftermath of Mid Staffordshire and follows widespread consultation. We have already increased the number of nurses by 4,000 over this Parliament – this guidance will help us be much more scientific about where additional need may lie.
Meanwhile, Professor Sir Mike Richards, the Chief Inspector of Hospitals, has spoken about the significant improvements in almost all of the 11 trusts that were placed into special measures last summer. The lessons learned from the process include the importance of first-class leadership, proper staff engagement and the value of encouraging organisations to openly acknowledge and address failings. The fundamental change in culture, to one where the NHS listens to and acts quickly on what staff and patients say, is making a real difference. Patient care is now both safer and more compassionate.
The progress made in these trusts is a direct result of the dedication and determination of staff who have worked incredibly hard to turn their hospitals round. On behalf of all patients, thank you.
This week we also announced we are going to extend this proven inspection regime to adult social care services, to make sure that some of the most vulnerable people in the country are being looked after properly. I hope this will be welcomed by many of you involved in discharging people from hospitals.
Finally, I would like to add my congratulations to the winners and finalists of the Nursing Times and Health Service Journal’s Patient Safety and Care Awards 2014 announced this week. Everyone involved has been recognised for delivering safe and high quality care for their patients day in day out. They are an inspiration to us all – congratulations!
SHARMILA CHOWDHURY 
if one trust this lot in whot they say and and do then doctors cant see the wood for the trees hust look at his statement of We have already increased the number of nurses by 4,000 over this Parliament yet he doesn’t say whot nurses has now we now they nurses in such a way with a company called atos and sodtware called lima to make one walk on water so I would ask this man were did these nurses go I bet not the nhs but atos crapita and salus you see they talk better never tell you the truth has for his hospitals improving has he given back their funding in so many cases they cut it so hospitals will fail has of lack of funding jeff3
I agree. Where have these nurses been recruited? I certainly haven’t seen any evidences in hospitals. They are desperately short staffed. My father was in an elderly ward, where he was lucky to get his medication on time. Mum & I went in for meal times to ensure we were to feed him. Nurses on the ward frequently had their lunches well after 4.00pm as they were so short staffed.
I hope your father is better soon so he can return to your mothers side but has a doctor you now they failing us the government with funding but hope that people wake up to the fact they been lied to sorry about my mistakes in my grammer its my brain hope you find that justice and find piece in oneself over your treatment
just that they never tell the truth and placements of nurses are put into atos a French company working towards government targets of ridden themselves of sick and disabled people through their lima software were nurses ask these question but you have your fight and many disabled people have theirs against this injustice but hope truth prevails alround be good be well Jeffrey with the wonkey brain
I was due to go into hospital years ago but it was cancelled because the equipment had broken they would have been doing a brain operation blind if they continued, I only got 48 hours notice the time I went in was the week I was to sign on, originally for a week, but that turned into over a month I lost my JSA but gained ESA on discharge, from the day after I should have signed on.
There are no ‘lessons learnt’ from tragedies in Healthcare or from NHS whistleblowers. “Lessons learnt” is mere mantra incanted every time an incident or series of incidents occur. The concerns any whistleblower raises can be subdued by NHS Organisation Managers who are given the ‘independence’ to ‘recruit’ ‘independent’ experts who they are permitted fund to discredit whatever concern that is raised (by WB’s). Protecting the corporate image and financial flow is more important to Foundation Trusts in particular as opposed to clinical outcome or patient experience. One does wonder how Ian Patterson http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-40815668 was able to function in the Pvt Healthcare and NHS for such a long time to wreck havoc with patients ?