Politicians and NHS 'failed' to act on key Savile inquiry

The NHS and government have failed to implement a single recommendation from a key Jimmy Savile inquiry – almost 10 years after plans to prevent future sex abuse of patients in hospitals were put forward, The Independent can reveal.

- REBECCA THOMAS

The shocking discovery was uncovered by the panel tasked to chair the public inquiry into Lucy Letby, the nurse who killed several newborn babies in her care. Analysing the progress made by the NHS and government after some of the most high-profile health scandals in the UK, it found across 30 inquiries, dating back to 1967, just 302 out of more than 1,400 key recommendations had been adopted.

The revelation calls into question the point of public inquiries undertaken by successive Conservative and Labour governments at the cost of millions of pounds to the taxpayer – 20 inquiries were published under the Tory government and 10 under Labour.

Alan Collins, a lawyer who represented dozens of victims in claims against Savile’s estate, criticised politicians and public bodies over the failure.

He said: “The thread that runs through the numerous reports, the investigations behind them, and the ongoing failures with lack of implementation is the lack of accountability. We have seen time after time the lack of professional curiosity in the face of glaring wrongdoing yet this cultural vacuum rarely sees those charged with responsibility for safeguarding subject to any consequences.”

Savile inquiry recommendations included:

• All hospitals should develop a policy agreeing to and managing visits by celebrities, VIPs and other official visitors

• All trusts should undertake regular reviews of plans to keep staff and patients safe and the behaviour of management

• All trusts should undertake background checks on their staff and volunteers every three years