Dash Review on Patient Safety Published
The report, which examined six key organisations involved in promoting and safeguarding patient safety, including Healthwatch England and Local Healthwatch, calls for a more strategic, streamlined and accountable approach to delivering safe and high-quality care across the NHS and social care sectors.
The review highlights the increasing complexity of the current safety landscape and makes strong recommendations to reduce duplication, prioritise user experience, and put patients and service users at the centre of decision-making.
This report confirms the government's intention to change the law to:
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Transfer the work of Healthwatch England to the Department of Health and Social Care.
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Transfer the work of local Healthwatch services to the NHS and local authorities.
DASH review Summary
- The review, commissioned by DHSC, examined six national bodies involved in patient safety, including Healthwatch England and Local Healthwatch.
- It found duplication, gaps, and confusion in responsibilities across the safety and quality landscape.
- Despite significant investment in safety over the past decade, improvements have been limited and uneven.
- There is no unified national strategy for improving quality, and key areas like effectiveness and user experience are often neglected.
- The system for complaints and user feedback is fragmented, with over 20 organisations involved.
Recommendations include:
- Creating a stronger National Quality Board to lead a strategic, evidence-based approach.
- Disbanding Healthwatch in its current form, with its core feedback gathering and user engagement functions redistributed across ICBs, local authorities, and a new Directorate for Patient Experience within DHSC.
- Moving the Patient Safety Commissioner’s functions to more appropriate bodies (e.g. MHRA).
- Streamlining investigations and embedding responsibility for safety within providers and commissioners.
- Enhancing the role of data, AI, and governance in driving improvement.
The Government has accepted all recommendations and will pass legislation to enable it 'when time allows'.
What this means for Healthwatch Stockport
We're still here for you!
While these changes will happen over time, the law has not yet been changed. This means we are still here, open, and supporting you in Stockport!
We continue to:
- Listen to your experiences of health and social care.
- Share what we hear with those in power to help improve services.
- Provide advice and information to help you find the support you need.
We will therefore continue to champion the needs and concerns of our diverse local communities and ensure the voices of people in Stockport are heard where health and care decisions are made.
We will keep you updated as more details become available.
In the meantime, thank you for the messages of support we’ve received from people across the NHS, local councils, voluntary organisations, and the public.
