Risk of patient safety 'bonfire' with Health Bill changes, Lib Dems say

The Liberal Democrats have urged Andy Burnham to stop the "bonfire of patient safety" as part of the government's plans to modernise the NHS.

Healthwatch England (HWE), an independent body which represents the views of patients at their local health and social care providers, is set to be scrapped under the NHS Modernisation Bill.

The Health Service Safety Investigation Bureau (HSSIB), which carries out patient safety investigations, is also being abolished.

The government says its changes will strip back bureaucracy and improve patient safety.

The Lib Dems warned it risks another Stafford Hospital scandal – where years of abuse and neglect led to hundreds of unnecessary patient deaths.

A Healthcare Commission report found the scandal – one of the biggest in NHS history – involved at least 400 more deaths than expected between 2005 and 2008.

Under the government proposals, Healthwatch's responsibilities will be transferred to integrated care boards (ICBs) and local authorities, meaning they would have to respond to feedback about their own services, rather than being challenged by an independent body.

Separately, HSSIB's functions will be transferred to the government-run Care Quality Commission (CQC), which the Lib Dems argue raises concerns there is no guarantee that staff who raise safety concerns are given anonymity.