Written questions

Patients: Safety

2026-07-06 · Department of Health and Social Care · HL1746 · Official question

Baroness Maclean of Redditch

Question

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of compliance in (1) the NHS, and (2) the independent healthcare sector, with the Paterson Inquiry recommendation that consultants write to patients in plain language outlining their condition

Answer

In October 2021, the Professional Record Standards Body (PRSB) updated its guidance on standard outpatient letters to make it clear that it is best practice for most outpatient letters to be written directly to the patient. The NHS Standard Contract state...