Will the Minister outline the Welsh Government’s response to the UK Government’s ordering of an independent inquiry into the case of Lucy Letby to ensure that mothers and their partners have faith in Wales's healthcare systems, safeguards, preventative measures and procedures in Wales?
I expect the Welsh Government to cooperate fully and transparently with the independent inquiry to ensure we learn every possible lesson from this distressing case.
In advance of any formal inquiry, a joint letter from the NHS Wales Chief Executive, Chief Nursing Officer, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, and Director of Workforce was sent to NHS Wales Chief Executives on 25 August. It asked NHS Wales organisations to assure themselves that they have robust and well implemented quality and safety governance mechanisms in place, not just across neonatal care but also the wider health system and commissioned services. All NHS Wales Boards need to be assured that quality, safety, and governance systems are functioning as intended throughout their organisations.
We have several safeguards for an open safety culture in Wales. The Health and Social Care (Quality and Engagement) (Wales) Act 2020, which came into force on 01 April 2023, introduced the duties of candour and quality. The duties support the ongoing, system-wide approach to quality management and further embed a culture of openness and transparency, building on the Being Open principles of the Putting Things Right process introduced in 2011.
An additional safeguard is the scrutiny of deaths provided by the Medical Examiner service, due to become statutory from April 2024. In Wales this service has the added strength that it is operated at a national level and operates independently of the organisation providing care.
NHS Wales staff are supported to speak up and raise concerns through the Procedure for NHS Staff to Raise Concerns. All NHS Wales Boards should already receive reports regarding the use of the Procedure which has recently been revised following a high-level All-Wales review. As a result of the Letby case, the Welsh Government has issued a Framework for Speaking up Safely in NHS Wales earlier than planned; it will be kept under active review for the next 12 months to ensure it remains fit for purpose. NHS organisations are expected to develop action plans to address any gaps upon considering the Framework. The Framework will be published formally shortly with a written statement.