§ Rev. Martin SmythTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment has been carried out of the quality of clinical care in Northern Ireland hospitals; and if he will publish the results.
§ Mr. HanleyClinical care is constantly being assessed by clinicians. Arising from the NHS reforms additional funds have been made available to boards to assist in the process of audit and the Department has centrally funded various medical audit projects. A regional audit advisory committee and area audit advisory committees in each board are all required to produce annual reports which are presented to the Minister. There are no plans to publish these.
In addition Northern Ireland has been an active participant in national studies such as the confidential inquiry into maternal deaths and the confidential inquiry into perioperative deaths. These inquiries are conducted in a formal way and are published widely.
Northern Ireland is also participating fully in the confidential inquiry into stillbirths and deaths in infancy. It is a rolling programme and will be published annually.