Host of political leaders join campaign for patients’ safety commissioner

A FORMER first minister, leaders of opposition parties and ex-health secretaries are among the signatories of an open letter calling for an NHS patients’ safety commissioner to be appointed.

It is part of a campaign by the Sunday Post to appoint an official to deal with complaints and be able to liaise with patients.

The drive follows a recent report by the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review, chaired by Baroness Julia Cumberlege, which called for the official to be put in place to be the “golden thread” to tie the system together.

During the two-year review, which led to the near-300 page report, Baroness Cumberlege and her team met people who had suffered avoidable harm in the health service.

She concluded that the service as a whole, including the NHS, private providers, regulators, professional bodies and others, “is disjointed, siloed, unresponsive and defensive”.

Henry Mcleish, who served as first minister between 2000 and 2001, and Alex Neil, who was health secretary under Alex Salmond from 2012 to 2014, both signed the letter, as did Malcolm Chisholm, who was health secretary from 2001 to 2004.

Tory leader Jackson Carlaw, Labour leader Richard Leonard and Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie all put their names to the letter, as did the co-leader of the Green Party in Holyrood, Alison Johnstone.

The letter, addressed to Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said:

“Today, we urge you to rise to the challenge laid down by Baroness Julia Cumberlege in her report, First Do No Harm... She recommended a patients’ safety commissioner is appointed in England but believes Scotland can lead the way.

“We agree and, further, believe a Scottish Patients’ Commissioner should be appointed to listen to and advocate for all patients, help shape and direct their complaints, and hold a system, which can appear complex, daunting and unresponsive, properly to account.”

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “The Government is considering the recommendations in the report.

“It is, however, important to recognise our commitment to patient safety has been and remains key to delivering healthcare in Scotland.

“This commitment is demonstrated through the work of the Scottish Patient Safety Programme.

“We are also continuing to develop a person-centred approach to openness and learning in health and social care.”