Following the Department’s arm’s length body (ALB) review, responsibility for managing the contracts the work of the three existing national confidential inquiries was transferred from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) with effect from April 2005.
The costs of the three inquiries for the last four years are:
National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death (NCEPOD)
Annual contract value for 2007-08: £840,769.
Annual budget was £809,472 for the years 2006-07, 2005-06 and 2004-05
Confidential Enquiry into Maternal and Child Health (CEMACH)
The contract is with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists as CEMACH is not a separate legal body.
Annual contract value for 2007-08: £1,384,915.
Annual budget has remained same over the years 2006-07, 2005-06 and 2004-05.
National Confidential Inquiry into Suicides and Homicides (NCISH)
The National Confidential Inquiry into Suicides and Homicides is a national research project, established in April 1996, as part of the work of School of Medicine, Division of Psychiatry within the University of Manchester.
Annual contract value for 2007-08: £868,791.
Annual budget was £839,412 in the years 2006-07, 2005-06 and 2004-05.
The confidential inquiries are separate, independent bodies. The NPSA agrees the bulk of their funding and through quarterly meetings, monitors each of them in terms of their performance and compliance with the terms of the contract. The agency has no role in the day to day running of the confidential inquiries.
The agency recently completed a review of the three confidential inquiries. The aim was to evaluate their impact on clinical practice, quality of care and patient safety. The findings for each are summarised as follows.
National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death
The review found that that the enquiry had a unique product history and had demonstrated significant achievements. The review panel felt that more focus should be given to assessing impact on clinical practice, where necessary in collaboration with other agencies and devolved Administrations. The review panel made a number of recommendations which are being considered by the enquiry and action is under way to address the review report’s recommendations.
National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide
The review panel considered that NCISH provided value for money and was fulfilling its remit in terms of the provision of high quality, internationally renowned research thus improving patient care by providing an evidence base for changes to policy and clinical practice. The inquiry is now in the process of evaluating the implementation of key service recommendations.
Recommendations have also been made to improve governance, influence on policy across all four countries of the United Kingdom and dissemination of output. Action is under way to address the review report’ recommendations and an independent steering group has been set up.
Confidential Enquiry into Maternal and Child Health
The review panel supported the work of CEMACH. The panel felt that the enquiry was adding value in terms of quality but without any cost-benefit analysis, were less able to assess its value in terms of cost.
A number of recommendations were made which included the need to review the functionality of the present organisational and committee structure. The enquiry is taking action to address the recommendations and an action plan is being actively developed.