Learning from Deaths

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Updated 15 May 2024

Learning from the deaths of people in their care can help NHS providers improve the quality of the care they provide to patients and their families, and identify where they could do more.

A Care Quality Commission (CQC) review in December 2016, 'Learning, candour and accountability: a review of the way trusts review and investigate the deaths of patients in England' found that some providers were not giving learning from deaths sufficient priority and so were missing valuable opportunities to identify and make improvements in the quality of care.

In March 2017, the National Quality Board (NQB) introduced new guidance for NHS providers on how they should learn from the deaths of people in their care. NHS Improvement is now helping trusts to meet the requirements of the new guidance.