Revised Serious Incident Framework

Further to my previous post in regard to when an independent investigation might be appropriate I have received an answer as below from the DoH

 

Dear Mr X,

Thank you for your correspondence of 4 August about the Serious Incident Framework. I have been asked to reply.

I note your concerns about updating the Serious Incident Framework to reflect Recommendation 115 of Robert Francis’ report on the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust public inquiry.Recommendation 115 states that ‘Arms-length independent investigation of a complaint should be initiated by the provider trust where any one of the following applies:
- A complaint amounts to an allegation of a serious untoward incident;

- subject matter involving clinically related issues is not capable of resolution without an expert clinical opinion;

- complaint raises substantive issues of professional misconduct or the performance of senior managers; or

- a complaint involves issues about the nature and extent of the services commissioned.’

The Serious Incident Framework, which was published by NHS England in March 2013, makes clear that the level of investigation required following a serious incident will vary according to the severity of the incident, and that the need for an independent investigation must be determined in conjunction with the relevant commissioner.

As you correctly point out, the current Framework is a working draft. However, a revised draft is currently being developed by NHS England in partnership with providers, commissioners, regulators, and other experts. The final version of the Framework will be published in the autumn.

This review has been undertaken in order to ensure that the Framework is fit for purpose as an authoritative reference document that describes a nationally consistent set of principles that can be applied to the management of serious incidents within different healthcare settings, and is relevant to all NHS-funded care in the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors.
 

Once approved, the revised draft will replace both the National Framework for Reporting and Learning from Serious Incidents Requiring Investigation, which was issued by the National Patient Safety Agency in March 2010, and the current version of the Framework.

I hope this reply is helpful.