Consultation on a Patient Safety Commissioner Role for Scotland

Overview

The Scottish Government's Programme for Government 2020-21 commits the Government to establishing a Patient Safety Commissioner for Scotland. This paper therefore seeks views on what that role should look like; who the Patient Safety Commissioner should report to; and how the role should interact with existing legislation and policies, as well as with the various organisations involved in providing and improving health and care services in Scotland.

Why your views matter

At theThe decision to establish a Patient Safety Commissioner role for Scotland came about as a result of recommendation 2 in 'First Do No Harm: The Report of the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review' (the Cumberlege Review), published in July 2020. The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport accepted all of the recommendations in the review, and the recommendation to establish a Patient Safety Commissioner for Scotland was included in the Programme for Government.

However, there is already legislation and underpinning policies in place, together with a number of organisations, that aim to continuously improve patient safety and ensure that the patient voice is heard in Scotland. It is key that the Patient Safety Commissioner role adds value for patients in Scotland, rather than replicating what already exists. With this in mind, this consultation seeks to gain a better understanding of what patients and members of the public feel the Patient Safety Commissioner role can add, and how it can do this.

Responses to the consultation will be analysed and used, along with a range of other available information and evidence, to inform the development of proposals on the role of the Patient Safety Commissioner.

Read the consultation paper.

What happens next

Once the consultation has closed, we will analyse the responses and publish an analysis report. We will then discuss the outcomes of the consultation with our Patient Reference Group and Specialist Reference Group - the terms of reference and membership of which may be revised to better reflect the scope and functions of the Patient Safety Commissioner role, dependent upon what respondents say they would like this to look like. These groups will help us to develop a full range of proposals for the role.