Ministers drop plan to scrap investigations body

The government has U-turned on its plan to abolish an independent health service investigations body after opposition in the House of Lords, HSJ has learned.

Ministers told peers on Wednesday that they would be dropping proposals in the Health Bill to merge the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) into the Care Quality Commission.

It followed concern that clinicians would be less willing to speak candidly to HSSIB investigators, who work under a legally protected “safe space” and a “no blame” approach, if it became part of a regulator. Several parliamentarians have criticised the proposal, including the all-party parliamentary group for patient safety. 

The government’s health minister in the Lords, Baroness Merron, said in a letter seen by HSJ: “I am grateful to colleagues across the House for their constructive engagement on the future of HSSIB. Noble Lords have raised important questions, in particular about the independence of its learning-focused investigation capability from within the CQC.

“We have listened carefully to those representations in considering the best way forward and decided not to proceed with the provisions in the Bill as drafted, and have tabled amendments today that would preserve HSSIB’s current status in legislation.”

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Source: HSJ, 22 October 2026