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Dept of Health

Answer

Mr. Pound: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps have been taken to implement the recommendations of the Kennedy Report, with particular reference to the professional development of paediatric cardiac nurses; [199607] (2) what assessment has been made of the impact of the disbanding of national courses for multiprofessional groups on paediatric cardiac education. [199608] Ms Rosie Winterton: [holding answers 29 November 2004]: "Learning from Bristol: the Department of Health's Response to the Report of the Public Inquiry into children's heart surgery at the Bristol Royal Infirmary 1984-1995",--Cm 5363--was published on 17 January 2002. In it, we accepted the broad principles on which the Kennedy Report was based and agreed with most of the 198 recommendations. Since then, much progress has been made on the key themes of the response: patient empowerment; strengthening professional regulation and inspection; improving children's services; ensuring safety of care; improving management and leadership; and improving information, decision making and performance monitoring. Examples of the actions taken to date include major reforms to the healthcare regulatory bodies and the creation of the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence to oversee them; a review of the national health service complaints procedure and publication of guidance on whistle-blowing; the launch of the "Informed Patient" project, designed to make quality information available to patients; the establishment of the Commission for Health Improvement--now the Healthcare Commission--and National Patient Safety Agency; the launch of the National Institute of Clinical Excellence interventional procedures programme; and the publication of the national service framework (NSF) for children, young people and maternity services in September 2004. The standards for children's hospital services were published in April 2003, ahead of the rest of the NSF. In regard to continuing development, all healthcare professionals have a duty to maintain their knowledge and keep their skills up to date. Since April 2002, over £80 million has been invested in the development of an infrastructure for continuing professional development in the NHS. We are not aware of any specific impact from the disbandment of national courses for multi-professional groups on paediatric cardiac education.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

428 c1684-6W;428 c1682-4W; 199607;199608

Session

2004-05

Subjects

Children Health services Nurses Standards Training Paediatrics Cardiovascular system

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk