To: A New Governmental Agency
Health Care Independent Investigations
There needs to be a new Governmental Agency, maybe called the Health Care Investigation Branch, which would have the expertise and competence to fully look into and give recommendations regarding any serious events that occur in the NHS and private health care.
Why is this important?
If there is a plane accident then the Air Accident Investigation Branch fully investigates. Likewise if there is a train crash the Rail Accident Investigation Branch looks into it. But what happens if things go wrong in Health Care?
The much delayed Thirwell Inquiry, looking into the Countess of Chester Hospital, is believed to recommend that the police get involved much earlier when things go wrong in health care settings. But with due respect to the police they do not have the expertise, competence or manpower to actually investigate what really happens.
This matters to me because there have been a miscarriages of justice in the Health Care sector where the police got involved when it was a breakdown in the system. We can see this at the moment with the case of Lucy Letby, a neonatal nurse, who was found guilty of murdering many young babies. The police got involved when a proper independent medical investigation, that looked at the whole hospital setting, was not carried out. To put this type of investigation onto the police, who are not experienced in medical matters, is not fair to them nor to those accused. That is why police don't investigate air or train crashes - because there are independent, expert qualified professionals to do this.
The much delayed Thirwell Inquiry, looking into the Countess of Chester Hospital, is believed to recommend that the police get involved much earlier when things go wrong in health care settings. But with due respect to the police they do not have the expertise, competence or manpower to actually investigate what really happens.
This matters to me because there have been a miscarriages of justice in the Health Care sector where the police got involved when it was a breakdown in the system. We can see this at the moment with the case of Lucy Letby, a neonatal nurse, who was found guilty of murdering many young babies. The police got involved when a proper independent medical investigation, that looked at the whole hospital setting, was not carried out. To put this type of investigation onto the police, who are not experienced in medical matters, is not fair to them nor to those accused. That is why police don't investigate air or train crashes - because there are independent, expert qualified professionals to do this.
