Responding to the publication of the Government’s update on its response to the Paterson inquiry, David Hare, Chief Executive of the Independent Healthcare Providers Network (IHPN), said:

“We welcome the Government’s update on their response to the Bishop of Norwich’s important inquiry into the case of Ian Paterson. Paterson’s criminal actions and the failures that allowed them to persist were a whole system failure requiring whole system solutions and it is welcome to see the government describe the progress that has been made across the healthcare system to prevent a repeat of those failures.

“A key part of this work is ensuring patients have access to all the information they need to make fully informed decisions about their treatment. And as the Government has recognised, the independent sector has already taken a number of important steps in this area. This includes IHPN’s work to refresh our “Medical Practitioners Assurance Framework” – used by the CQC in assessing how well-led an independent service is and now a requirement for all independent providers under the NHS’ 2022/23 Standard Contract – which now sets out clear expectations around patient consent and shared decision-making. In addition, we have worked in partnership with the Patients Association to develop a suite of resources on how private healthcare works and what patients should expect in terms of safety and quality.

“This work is also reflected in the Care Quality Commission’s independent assessment of the sector which shows that 88% of all independent sector hospitals are currently rated as either good or outstanding, which compares favourably to the wider healthcare system in England.

“The independent healthcare sector is fully committed to continuing to work with the Department of Health and Social Care and all parts of the healthcare system to build on progress made in recent years and to continue to do everything possible to prevent a repeat of Paterson’s appalling actions.