APIL campaigns to ensure patients who are injured through negligence while in the care of the NHS receive the redress they need. We also use the experience of our members to campaign for improvements in patient safety.
In September 2021 the House of Commons Health and Social Care Select Committee launched an inquiry into NHS litigation reform. The call for evidence from the committee included questions about “blame culture”, possible changes to NHS litigation, and how to improve learning.
In written evidence to the committee, APIL called for a more joined-up approach to patient safety, and recommended that the new Patient Safety Commissioner is given a wider remit to include all areas of patient safety, and act a link between patients, regulators, the NHS, and policy-makers. APIL also warned against changes which would result in injured patients being under-compensated. This warning was later repeated by APIL executive committee member Guy Forster during an oral evidence session with the committee.
APIL’s written evidence to the committee
Transcript of the oral evidence provided by APIL executive committee Guy Forster to the committee – 13 January 2022
Health and Social Care Committee report – NHS litigation reform