Queen's speech 2017 - Health and care
Health and social care is not an area of focus this year, but the following commitments were mentioned, either in the speech or the accompanying press release:
The Government is to publish a consultation on social care reform; The consultation will set out options to improve the social care system and to put it on a more secure financial footing, supporting people, families and communities to prepare for old age, and address issues related to the quality of care and variation in practice.
The Government will reform mental health legislation and ensure that mental health is prioritised in the National Health Service in England
The Government will introduce a draft Patient Safety Bill. The draft Bill will set out a framework to help improve patient safety in the NHS and instil greater public confidence in the provision of healthcare services in England.
The Bill will bring forward proposals to:
establish the Health Service Safety Investigation Body in statute, providing it with clear powers to conduct independent and impartial investigations into patient safety risks in the NHS in England; create a prohibition on the disclosure of information held in connection with an investigation conducted by the Health Service Safety Investigation Body, enabling participants to be as candid as possible. This prohibition will not apply where there is an ongoing risk to the safety of patients or evidence of criminal activity, in which case the Investigation Body can inform the relevant regulator or the police.
