NHS Litigation Authority appoints Dr Mike Durkin as associate non-executive director in bid to improve patient safety

The NHS Litigation Authority (NHSLA) has appointed Dr Mike Durkin, the NHS national director for patient safety at NHS Improvement as an associate non-executive director.

His appointment comes at a time when the NHSLA is looking to help improve patient safety within the NHS.

Ian Dilks, chairman of the NHSLA, said that Durkin’s role as a director was to provide expert knowledge of patient safety.

“Patient safety is an increasing focus for the NHSLA,” said Dilks. “Learning from what goes wrong is the key to improving the quality of care in the NHS. It is also vital to improving the patient experience and reducing the costs of clinical negligence.”

“As an advisor to our Board, Mike will also help foster a closer working relationship between the NHS LA and NHS Improvement, ensuring that the activities of our two organisations are aligned and we can maximise opportunities for collaboration.”

Durkin (pictured) has been the medical director of the South of England Strategic Health Authority and previously held executive medical director positions at Strategic Authority and at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. He is an appointed expert by the International Society for Quality in Healthcare and was on the core team for the Patient Safety Campaign for England.

He also leads the National Patient Safety Programme for England and is chair of the Management Board of the NICE National Clinical Guideline Centre.

“I welcome the opportunity to work with the NHS LA on a shared patient safety agenda,” said Durkin.

“With this role I hope to help persuade and incentivise how the healthcare system provides care to improve quality across the NHS and the patient experience of the process when things go wrong. It’s important for patients, their families and staff as well that the NHS learns not only from what’s gone wrong but also from what goes right, and sitting in both organisations will help to further this aim.

“I look forward to working with colleagues to use reporting and learning to help improve care for patients.”

Mark Dugdale