Committee seeks public views on new legislation to speed up NHS compensation process

Proposed new legislation making it easier and quicker for NHS patients to claim compensation when their treatment has gone wrong is to go out to public consultation. An Assembly Committee was established to consider the general principles of the Assembly Government’s proposed NHS Redress (Wales) Measure 2007 and has now issued a call for evidence seeking views from all interested parties. The proposed measure is aimed at simplifying how patients can seek redress from the NHS, making it much quick to settle lower value clinical claims without recourse to the courts. It is the first Government proposed Measure to be scrutinised by the Assembly under powers introduced by the Government of Wales Act. As part of its pre-legislative scrutiny process, the Committee will consider the general principles of the proposed measure and report to the Assembly. Jonathan Morgan AM, Chair of the Committee, said: “This is one of the first tests of the Assembly’s new powers, so it is very important that we as a Committee scrutinise the proposed legislation very carefully. Therefore, we need to hear the views of as many individuals and organisations as possible. I urge anyone with an interest in this issue to visit our website and make their views known.” The Committee would welcome views from interested parties on the following questions:

1. Why is a redress scheme required?
2. Does the proposed measure achieve the policy objective?
3. What are the views of stakeholders who will have to work with a redress system?
4. What will be the practicalities of making the system work and does the proposed measure make provision for these?
5. is it appropriate that so much be done by regulations, i.e. the details of any scheme or schemes will be decided by Welsh Ministers?
6. Would it be better for the assembly to seek the power from Westminster to introduce a ‘no-fault scheme’?

Further information on the proposed measure and the legislative process, and how to respond to the consultation, can be found at http://www.assemblywales.org/bus-home/buslegislation.htm The deadline for submitting evidence is September 14. The Committee welcomes evidence in both English and Welsh. In the next Assembly term, the Committee will invite interested parties to the Assembly to give oral evidence.