11.05.12
Lansley explains risk register veto
Health secretary Andrew Lansley has faced further criticism for vetoing the publication of the transition risk register, with shadow health secretary Andy Burnham labelling the act a “cover-up of epic proportions”.
The Information Rights Tribunal ordered the publication of the risk register in March.
Lansley published a statement detailing the Cabinet’s decision to veto publication of the risk register, stating that it was an “exceptional circumstance” and that governments need a “safe space” to consider risks effectively.
He said: “If such registers are disclosed at sensitive times in relation to sensitive issues – as would have been the case here – it is highly likely they would have been open to misinterpretation and misuse.”
Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham said: “The NHS belongs to the people of this country, not ministers. If they can’t be open about the risks they are taking with the NHS then they are risks they should not be taking.
“The real reason for the veto is that publication would have shown that the warnings from doctors, nurses, midwives and patients were echoed in private by civil servants.”
The Department of Health has published a document covering some of the risks contained in the register and has set out how these risks have been mitigated. The risks include patient care suffering while NHS managers are distracted by restructuring, and a drop in staff morale.
The document describes the nine areas of concern, and the department will continue to publish updated assessments of the risk register for at least the next three years.
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