Watchdog hits out at DHSC ‘ambiguity and delay’

The national patient safety commissioner has hit out at government for failing to confirm her budget a month into the financial year, warning that she is ‘incredibly limited’ in what she can achieve.

In an strongly worded letter released today, Henrietta Hughes states: “Despite it now being the end of April the Department has still not provided me with a budget for this financial year.”

She added: “This ambiguity and delay is impacting on my ability to arrange patient engagement events as these require a budget”.

It appears to be an almost unprecedented public intervention from an official who is appointed and hosted by the DHSC.

In the letter to Commons Health and Social Care Committee chair Steve Brine, she also says she does not have enough resources to fulfil the role, and is only able to employ four members of staff.

Read full story (paywalled)

Source: HSJ, 3 May 2023