Putting patients first in practice

Plans to improve care could focus on condoning shortcomings instead of rewarding best practice, writes David Woods

In Putting Patients First, the government's initial response to the Francis report into care failings in Mid Staffordshire, health secretary Jeremy Hunt (pictured) outlined plans to introduce a regulatory model under an independent chief inspector of hospitals, working for the Care Quality Commission (CQC), plus a statutory duty of candour for healthcare providers. These will be followed by a chief inspector of social care and, potentially, an inspector of primary care.

Mr Hunt also asserted that every student who seeks NHS funding for a nursing degree should first 'serve' up to a year as an HCA, and pledged to introduce nurse revalidation