Hansard

Presiding Officer, as a member of the cross-party selection panel that you established under the Parliament’s standing orders, I am delighted to speak to the motion in my name and invite members of the Parliament to agree to nominate Karen Titchener to His Majesty the King for appointment as the inaugural Patient Safety Commissioner for Scotland. The cross-party selection panel was chaired by you, Presiding Officer, and the other members were Colin Beattie, the member for Midlothian North and Musselburgh; Emma Harper, a member for South Scotland; Gillian Mackay, a member for Central Scotland; and Brian Whittle, a member for South Scotland.

The Patient Safety Commissioner for Scotland is a new independent office-holder that was established under the Patient Safety Commissioner for Scotland Act 2023 and it will be supported by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The commissioner will advocate for systemic improvement in the safety of healthcare in Scotland and will promote the importance of the views of patients and other members of the public in relation to the safety of healthcare. The commissioner will conduct formal investigations into possible safety issues and gather, analyse and report on information from patients and members of the public about safety concerns. It will report its findings to the Scottish Parliament.