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Earlier on, you mentioned communication. There is an interesting line that you might already have had to walk, or that you might have to walk in the future, between individual cases that people believe indicate wider patient safety issues but the investigative body believes do not, and stories of multiple cases that patient groups have talked about happening over and over in different places. How do you see your office, and you as the commissioner, communicating to people—who have often been traumatised as a result of their treatment—where the line is between individual cases that involve an individual failing and individual cases that might have wider implications for patient safety?

Do the witnesses agree with Baroness Cumberlege’s view that giving a patient safety commissioner responsibility for handling individual cases would make the commissioner less effective in addressing wider systemic issues of patient safety? If not, why not?

That is really useful; thank you.

Because of the groups that you are associated with, you have all had similar but varied experiences. Some common themes are coming out. I hope that we have enough time for this question, convener, because I would like to hear each person’s views. If the patient safety commissioner does not take on individual cases and complaints, how could they effectively listen to and promote the voices of patients, or of wider campaigns such as yours?

We discussed the duplication of effort across the UK with the Patient Safety Commissioner for England. What working arrangements will need to be put in place to ensure that there is no such duplication and that individual issues in different jurisdictions can be tackled, while enabling information to be shared where there might be a UK-wide issue?

Do the witnesses agree with Baroness Cumberlege’s view that giving a patient safety commissioner responsibility for handling individual cases would make the commissioner less effective in addressing wider systemic issues of patient safety? If not, why not?

These have obviously been traumatic experiences for you all. What support would you like to see sit alongside a patient safety commissioner to support groups or individuals who raise such cases? As you said, sometimes not hearing back or not getting a resolution to a case can further compound the trauma resulting from a mistake or whatever else has happened that has got that person to the patient safety commissioner. Do any of you have any reflections from your experiences or the campaigns that you are part of?

I think that my questions will probably mostly be to Alison Cave. How can the new patient safety commissioner add value to the existing monitoring systems around medicines and medical devices?

Baroness Cumberlege, how would you respond to those who argue that a patient safety commissioner should have a role in dealing with individual cases and complaints?

How can public expectations of the patient safety commissioner’s role in promoting the voice of patients be suitably managed without their taking on those individual cases and complaints?

Do I have time for one more question, convener?