Committee approves appointment of Dr Henrietta Hughes as first Patient Safety Commissioner

MPs have confirmed the appointment of Dr Henrietta Hughes as the first Patient Safety Commissioner following her appearance before the Health and Social Care Committee.

• Report the committee's report
• Inquiry: Pre-appointment hearing for the Government’s preferred candidate for the role of Patient Safety Commissioner

The post of Patient Safety Commissioner was created in 2021 in response to a recommendation of the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review which considered avoidable harm in the health sector. The PSC is expected to act as an independent advocate for patients and to champion safety.

Dr Henrietta Hughes is a practising GP with a background in women’s health. She was the National Guardian for the NHS until 2021.

Chair's comments

Health and Social Care Committee Chair Jeremy Hunt MP said: 

“With her background as National Guardian, Dr Henrietta Hughes is without doubt the right person to take on this important new role in patient safety and we wish her well in her appointment.

However, the lack of definition of the role is a cause for concern. Dr Hughes is keen to act as the point of contact for broader patient safety concerns, beyond medication and medical device errors. It’s an approach that we on the Committee would welcome but for that to succeed the post needs adequate resources. Without back up and in the absence of clear metrics to define what success will look like there is a serious risk that the new Patient Safety Commissioner will fail.

We owe it to patients to ensure that the PSC is launched with the best wind possible and we urge the Department of Health and Social Care to address how best to support the role as a matter of urgency.”