Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Health)
Liberal Democrat Peer
I am not sure whether the noble Lord is aware that the GMC duties of a doctor are a legal requirement for a doctor to practise in the UK. The doctor therefore has to go through all those, regardless of what is in this Bill, to ensure that the patient is informed and understands the decision that is being taken by them.
My Lords—
Just to inform the noble Lord, I have tabled no amendments, I have made no point about what I wish or do not wish to see, and I am not the sponsor of the Bill. In relation to what the noble Lord has said about the legal requirements of the GMC, I am pointing out the duties of a doctor and how the GMC as the regulator applies those to the individual practice of a doctor in the UK.
Does the noble Baroness accept that, under the GMC, for any intervention that a doctor takes, they must explain to the patient the risks and the benefits and then ensure that the patient understands them? It is normal medical practice and has been written in the Bill to make sure that is the case and is written within the report.
Will the noble Lord point out in the Bill any clause that moves away from the normal GMC duties of a doctor in terms of either consent or capacity? If the noble Lord could explain that, it would be very helpful when he continues his argument.
The noble Baroness is absolutely correct that it is the process. In the Bill, there would be two doctors who, after sitting down and discussing with the patient their understanding, have to write an independent report that details the very things that the noble Baroness has noted, which are within the provisions of the Bill, and then goes to the independent commissioner. What is missing in...
My Lords, what confidence do the Government have in the agency when the software upgrade that led to this issue took place in 2019 yet the Department for Transport was informed only last September, some six years later?
My Lords, recent Health Service Journal investigative journalism has found that the Chief Midwifery Officer wrote to trusts last year identifying gross failures in home births safety, yet the Government have chosen to keep this information private while women are pushed into unsupported births. Is it acceptable for NHS England to hide this evidence of systematic safety risk from the public...
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the value for money of public investment in the reopening of Doncaster Sheffield Airport, in particular the clause in the proposed lease agreement that would grant the landowner 20 per cent of the airport's future annual turnover; and whether that 20 per cent will apply to revenue from government grants and other public funding...
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the circumstances surrounding the death of six-month-old Mohamed Abdisamad following a non-therapeutic male circumcision; and whether this has implications for the regulation or oversight of such practices.
To ask His Majesty's Government how many child deaths between 2001 to 2025 in England and Wales have resulted from (1) female genital mutilation, and (2) non-therapeutic male circumcision.
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to prevent future deaths related to non-therapeutic male circumcision.
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the decision not to introduce legislative change following the 2015 death of Oliver Asante-Yeboah after a non-therapeutic male circumcision.
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish an impact summary of the Foundation Programme 2026 recruitment cycle, including (1) the projected breakdown of priority versus non-priority eligible applicant numbers, (2) an assessment of the expected displacement of applicants, and (3) the associated mitigation plan to ensure workforce stability.
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Care Quality Commission report published on 28 March 2024 into the Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; and what steps they are taking to ensure that NHS whistleblowers in Doncaster are protected from professional detriment.
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the dismissal of the executive medical director at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, what oversight they are exercising to ensure that there is not a culture of suppressing clinical concerns regarding patient safety and staffing pressures.
