Theresa May and the Government have failed to pledge reforms on healthcare regulation in the 2017-19 legislative programme.
Despite promises in the 2017 Conservative manifesto, there was no mention of primary legislation on healthcare regulation in the Queen’s Speech.
This comes despite rumours claiming Jeremy Hunt was considering shaking up regulation by creating one ‘super-watchdog’ regulator at the start of the year.
Healthcare regulation
‘Ministers have again failed to make time to fix a broken system overseeing a million health professionals serving tens of millions of patients,’ BDA chair, Mick Armstrong, said.
‘After making unambiguous commitments to deliver new legislation, the Government has chosen to kick needed reform into the long grass.
‘Healthcare regulation remains grotesquely inefficient and ineffective, and when complaints arise, patients and practitioners can be left in limbo for years.
‘We urgently require a system that can command professional and public confidence.
‘Britain’s health watchdogs have presided over failure, secrecy, and ballooning budgets.
‘Ministers will need to explain why they have failed to act on patient protection, when needed reforms could have commanded cross-party support.’
