NHS Redress Bill (HL) . Committee stage third sitting. Clauses 7 to 11 agreed to, some with amendments. Clause 12 disagreed to. Clauses 13 to 19 agreed to, one with an amendment. Bill as amended to be reported.

NHS Redress Bill (HL) . Committee stage third sitting. Clauses 7 to 11 agreed to, some with amendments. Clause 12 disagreed to. Clauses 13 to 19 agreed to, one with an amendment. Bill as amended to be reported.

NHS Redress Bill (HL). Committee stage. Second sitting (afternoon). Clause 6 as amended agreed to.

NHS Redress Bill (HL). Committee stage. Second sitting (afternoon). Clause 6 as amended agreed to.

NHS Redress Bill (HL). Committee stage.First Sitting (morning). Programme motion agreed to. Clauses 1-5 agreed to.

NHS Redress Bill (HL). Committee stage.First Sitting (morning). Programme motion agreed to. Clauses 1-5 agreed to.

The right hon. Gentleman is correct in saying that there is not a closed mind here, but we shall review the position in due course. The important thing is to get a scheme that works for hospital care and then to see whether the will or consensus is there in...

The right hon. Gentleman is correct in saying that there is not a closed mind here, but we shall review the position in due course. The important thing is to get a scheme that works for hospital care and then to see whether the will or consensus is there in...

I want to explore that with the hon. Gentleman in Committee, but if we want a change of culture in the NHS and if we really want it to respond differently when confronted with a poor patient experience, it must be right that the NHS can make its own response...

I want to explore that with the hon. Gentleman in Committee, but if we want a change of culture in the NHS and if we really want it to respond differently when confronted with a poor patient experience, it must be right that the NHS can make its own response...

It is a great pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Crawley (Laura Moffatt), who was very clinical in her analysis of the problems facing the NHS. It is impossible to set a price on loss. Losing a mother or father, or—God forbid—a son or a daughter, is an absolute...

It is a great pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Crawley (Laura Moffatt), who was very clinical in her analysis of the problems facing the NHS. It is impossible to set a price on loss. Losing a mother or father, or—God forbid—a son or a daughter, is an absolute...

Does the hon. Lady agree that the real issue is perception? If people perceive that the system is too much in the hands of those whom they see as judge and jury, although we and the Minister may know that they are entirely independent, that will defeat the whole object....

Does the hon. Lady agree that the real issue is perception? If people perceive that the system is too much in the hands of those whom they see as judge and jury, although we and the Minister may know that they are entirely independent, that will defeat the whole object....

Does my hon. Friend agree that if independence is instilled in the fact-finding part of this process, people will be less likely to seek financial compensation when what they most seek is an apology and a proper finding of the facts, and that that will save the NHS money, as...

Does my hon. Friend agree that if independence is instilled in the fact-finding part of this process, people will be less likely to seek financial compensation when what they most seek is an apology and a proper finding of the facts, and that that will save the NHS money, as...

In making proposals for the redress scheme, what comparisons did the Secretary of State make with other international schemes, and where does she see this scheme in the new international league table? Could we do rather better than she is suggesting?

In making proposals for the redress scheme, what comparisons did the Secretary of State make with other international schemes, and where does she see this scheme in the new international league table? Could we do rather better than she is suggesting?

The Secretary of State has twice referred to some free legal advice being available. Will she confirm that it is extremely limited in scope? It comes at the end of the procedure, not at the start when it would be most useful. There will not be enough time for a...

The Secretary of State has twice referred to some free legal advice being available. Will she confirm that it is extremely limited in scope? It comes at the end of the procedure, not at the start when it would be most useful. There will not be enough time for a...

My hon. Friend is quite right. I am sure that he, like me, has had constituents coming to him to talk about a relative—a husband or wife perhaps—who had died in hospital, and about the fact that they knew that things had gone wrong. Such events may or may not...

My hon. Friend is quite right. I am sure that he, like me, has had constituents coming to him to talk about a relative—a husband or wife perhaps—who had died in hospital, and about the fact that they knew that things had gone wrong. Such events may or may not...

It is obvious that we all make mistakes in our working lives and at home. Admitting that fact is incredibly important for us. As for the NHS, it is not surprising that with more than £70 billion of taxpayers’ money being spent on that organisation, mistakes happen and people are...

It is obvious that we all make mistakes in our working lives and at home. Admitting that fact is incredibly important for us. As for the NHS, it is not surprising that with more than £70 billion of taxpayers’ money being spent on that organisation, mistakes happen and people are...

I shall deal with that point in a few moments, when I talk about the amendments that have been made to the Bill in another place. There will be important independent elements in the scheme, however, including the right to free independent legal advice before any settlement is accepted. The...

I shall deal with that point in a few moments, when I talk about the amendments that have been made to the Bill in another place. There will be important independent elements in the scheme, however, including the right to free independent legal advice before any settlement is accepted. The...

Does the Secretary of State accept that it is important to patients that there should be an element of independence in the process? If they see that the redress scheme is being run by the NHS Litigation Authority, they might be less convinced that they are getting genuinely independent scrutiny...

Does the Secretary of State accept that it is important to patients that there should be an element of independence in the process? If they see that the redress scheme is being run by the NHS Litigation Authority, they might be less convinced that they are getting genuinely independent scrutiny...

The hon. Gentleman makes an extremely important point. However, our intention is precisely the opposite. It is to encourage a much more open culture in which doctors and other clinicians feel that they can own up to and learn from their mistakes—as is already best practice—rather than finding themselves in...

The hon. Gentleman makes an extremely important point. However, our intention is precisely the opposite. It is to encourage a much more open culture in which doctors and other clinicians feel that they can own up to and learn from their mistakes—as is already best practice—rather than finding themselves in...

Hospitals and other medical institutions will be encouraged to be proactive in this respect, but will there be quotas or targets for those institutions that could count against them if more actions resulted in payments being made? If that is to be the case, hospitals’ chief executives might not encourage...

Hospitals and other medical institutions will be encouraged to be proactive in this respect, but will there be quotas or targets for those institutions that could count against them if more actions resulted in payments being made? If that is to be the case, hospitals’ chief executives might not encourage...

As I said a moment ago, the majority of clinical negligence cases that are settled involve compensation of less of £20,000. In the past couple of years, in slightly more than half of the cases settled for between £10,000 and £20,000, the legal costs exceeded the damages. For cases settled...

As I said a moment ago, the majority of clinical negligence cases that are settled involve compensation of less of £20,000. In the past couple of years, in slightly more than half of the cases settled for between £10,000 and £20,000, the legal costs exceeded the damages. For cases settled...

I understand the point that the Secretary of State makes about the upper limit, but can she tell us what proportion of cases fall within the £20,000 limit?

I understand the point that the Secretary of State makes about the upper limit, but can she tell us what proportion of cases fall within the £20,000 limit?

I entirely accept the hon. Gentleman’s good faith and his support for at least the principle of the Bill. It will not be possible to publish draft orders before the completion of its passage, for the simple reason that there needs to be an extended period of formal and informal...

I entirely accept the hon. Gentleman’s good faith and his support for at least the principle of the Bill. It will not be possible to publish draft orders before the completion of its passage, for the simple reason that there needs to be an extended period of formal and informal...