• The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has published its Learning from deaths report. 
• The report follows the first year of the implementation of national guidance to support improved investigations and better family engagement when patients die.
• The report identifies that good progress is being made by some NHS hospital trusts but failure to fully embrace an open, learning culture may be holding organisations back.
• It also indicates that progress made varies between trusts suggesting that some organisations have found it harder than others to make the changes needed.

The director of policy and strategy at NHS Providers, Miriam Deakin said:

“When a person dies under NHS care it is vital to ensure that opportunities to learn and improve care are not missed.

“It is encouraging to see that trusts’ awareness of new national guidance on learning from deaths is high, and that some – though not all – have made good progress.

When a person dies under NHS care it is vital to ensure that opportunities to learn and improve care are not missed.

Miriam Deakin    

“We welcome this report which offers practical examples of good practice by trusts, together with useful insights on the changes needed to support a better approach.”