§ Lord Clement-Jonesasked Her Majesty's Government:
What activity the Department of Health is currently engaged in to review its exposure to medical negligence claims and its processes and procedures for dealing with them. [HL3460]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Baroness Hayman)On 29 April 1998 my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Health wrote to a number of organisations representing professional, legal, National Health Service and patient interests seeking their views on what can be done to reduce the number of incidents which give rise 159WA to claims, how to manage patient expectation and how to improve the handling of claims which do arise. Officials are in the process of studying replies in order to identify suggestions which might be taken forward in the future.