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ALLIANCE response: Consultation on the role of a Patient Safety Commissioner for Scotland

  • Area of Work: The ALLIANCE
  • Type: News Item
  • Published: 26th May 2021
Report

Informed by consultation with our members, our response outlines key recommendations for a Patient Safety Commissioner role for Scotland.

The Scottish Government’s Programme for Government 2020-21 commits the Government to establishing a Patient Safety Commissioner for Scotland. The decision to establish a Patient Safety Commissioner role for Scotland came about as a result of the Cumberlege Review (this link will take you away from our website) published in July 2020.

The Scottish Government opened a consultation to gain a better understanding of what members of the public feel the Patient Safety Commissioner role can add to existing legislation and policies in Scotland, and how it can do this.

At the beginning of May, the ALLIANCE held a consultation event with members to collect views on what the role of a Patient Safety Commissioner should look like and inform our response to the consultation.

Our response outlines key recommendations on a number of key areas, including:

  • The scope of the Patient Safety Commissioner role
  • Functions and powers of the Patient Safety Commissioner
  • Independence and accountability of the Patient Safety Commissioner

The introduction of a Patient Safety Commissioner role must be fundamentally and equalities and human rights based, and demonstrate how it will respect, protect and fulfil the human rights of all Scottish citizens. A more accessible, transparent and representative healthcare system is needed to support people, their families, and unpaid carers, and people with lived experience must be meaningfully involved and listened to. However, more detail is needed on the precise role of the Commissioner in terms of the scope of their role, powers and who they would be linked with.

You can read our full response via the link below.

Resources:

ALLIANCE Consultation Response - Patient Safety Commissioner Role for Scotland
Download Word Document (66 KB)

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