'NHS must do more to prioritise patient safety'

More needs to be done to put patient safety and infection control at the forefront of NHS working, according to a cross-party group on patient safety.

Ben Gummer, the parliamentary under-secretary of state for care quality, told the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) at its second meeting this month that greater emphasis on patient safety and staff satisfaction could lead to better care quality and efficiency.

NHS England director of patient safety Mike Durkin stressed the need for greater transparency across the NHS, with the needs of patients and their families at its core. And Philippa Whitford, the SNP health spokesperson in Westminster and a qualified surgeon, highlighted the successful Scottish National Hand Hygiene Campaign.

Patients Association chief executive Katherine Murphy said: 'The APPG for Patient Safety was created to highlight that much more can be done to improve patient safety across the NHS, particularly towards complaints handling and infection control.

'We are hoping through this APPG to help create an NHS with greater openness and transparency.'

Ms Murphy will present a white paper on increasing NHS transparency when the APPG next meets in February.