Clause 12 - Further functions of the Commission for Health Improvement
NHS Reform & Health Care Professions
4:30 pm
Mr John Hutton (Minister of State, Department of Health; Barrow and Furness, Labour)
That is precisely the point that I have just made, so I hope that we can move on. I have spent the best part of 45 minutes answering that question in a variety of ways, and I hope that we have now put the issue to bed.
The hon. Gentleman asked about confidential inquiries. In the main, the CHI's role will be to follow up specific issues relating to service provision that can be traced to individual providers, when it can make sensible recommendations. As the hon. Gentleman probably knows, the information from confidential inquiries is anonymised. Such inquiries do not state, ''This hospital is doing X and that hospital is doing Y, and it is all terrible.'' It is anonymised information, so the issues raised by those inquiries are different from issues relating to individual service performance in individual trusts, hospitals or units.
The responsibility for oversight of confidential inquiries lies with the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, which makes sense, given that organisation's other responsibilities. There is no prospect of confidential inquiries coming within the remit of the clause, because CHI's purpose and function is different.
The issues that the hon. Gentleman raised relating to the confidential enquiry report on cancer services will be addressed differently, in ways that will involve the Commission for Health Improvement. For
example, the Government have published their cancer plan, which earmarks investment for improved cancer services. The NHS plan addresses the issue of cancer services and the importance of speed of access to specialist care in the event of suspected cancer. The Commission for Health Improvement will have an expanded role in relation to the performance of the NHS, the cancer plan and meeting the plan's objectives. It will be able to pursue the issues of quality care provided to patients who have cancer with a similar jurisdiction or remit in relation to other hospital-based service provision. The CHI will have an obvious role to play in the areas to which he referred, but is unlikely to develop responsibilities as regards confidential inquiries.