New safety and transparency measures announced for NHS

The government has published its full response to the Francis Inquiry and announced several changes to NHS services to improve safety and transparency standards.

In order to prevent a repeat of the failings seen at the Mid-Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, the government has accepted a number of key recommendations that aim to improve quality of care.

These include the mandatory publication of staffing levels to ensure all wards are adequately manned, as well as the introduction of a new national safety website and patient safety programme in order to share best practice guidelines and augment skill levels.

Meanwhile, 5,000 patient safety fellows will be trained and appointed by NHS England, efforts will be made to enhance complaints handling and a new criminal offence for wilful neglect will be introduced.

Health secretary Jeremy Hunt said: "Today's measures are a blueprint for restoring trust in the NHS, reinforcing professional pride in NHS frontline staff and above all giving confidence to patients."

The British Medical Association has broadly welcomed the announcements, adding that it is vital that doctors are given a central role in overseeing the implementation of these changes.