Welcoming Dr Henrietta Hughes as the new patient safety commissioner for England, the interim chief executive of NHS Providers, Saffron Cordery, said:

"Trust leaders will welcome Dr Hughes' appointment to this key new role to help promote high-quality care. She will have an important part to play in ensuring that patients' voices are heard, and in making independent recommendations to improve patient safety. This will complement the role of Freedom to Speak Up Guardians within trusts who encourage staff to speak up about concerns.

"It is through a culture of openness and transparency that continuous improvements can be made to the quality of care that patients receive.

"We hope the scope of the role will be kept under review, as there may be potential to go beyond a focus on medicines and medical devices. This remains an important step forward in patient safety and we look forward to working with Dr Hughes."