The Health Service Safety Investigations Body Bill was announced in the Queen's speech in October 2019.

The Bill, if Royal Assent is granted, will establish our organisation as an independent non-departmental public body.

Key dates:

  • Proposed HSSIB Bill announced in the Queen's speech at the State Opening of Parliament on 14 October 2019.
  • HSSIB Bill has first reading in the House of Lords on 15 October 2019.
  • HSSIB Bill has second reading in the House of Lords on 29 October 2019.
  • The general election on 12 December 2019 has affected the progress of the HSSIB Bill. We hope that when parliamentary time allows, we will be established as an independent non-departmental public body.

You can read more about the Bill's progress on the parliament website, as well as understand the process the Bill has to go through to receive royal assent.

Draft Bill

In September 2017, the Government published the Health Service Safety Investigations Bill (HSSIB) in draft. The legislation will allow HSIB to become a fully independent investigations body responsible for finding answers, giving safety recommendations and embedding new practices across the NHS.

Central to this will be a commitment to a no-blame approach, encapsulated by the idea of investigations providing a ‘safe space’ for participants, including patients, families and staff, to share information.

The draft Bill underwent pre-legislative scrutiny by a Joint Committee of the House of Lords and House of Commons from May to July 2018. The Committee published its report in August 2018 and the government published a response to this report in December 2018.

Full information about the draft Bill is available on the Department of Health and Social Care website.

Queen's speech

The HSSIB Bill was one of 26 proposed bills announced in the Queen's speech at the State Opening of Parliament on 14 October 2019.

The Queen announced: "New laws will be taken forward to help implement the National Health Service’s long-term plan in England and to establish an independent body to investigate serious healthcare incidents.”

House of Lords

First reading

The first reading of the HSSIB Bill took place in the House of Lords on 15 October 2019, the day after the Queen's speech.

Keith Conradi, HSIB Chief Investigator, said: “We are delighted that the introduction of the Bill has been announced in the Queen’s Speech. It marks the start of an important change to our organisation.

“This First Reading is the initial step in a process of many readings and debates in the House of Lords and Commons which will, once completed, result in Royal Assent.

“The Bill will enable us to become fully independent and will ensure we can continue having a major impact in the healthcare system as we share the learning we have gained from our investigations to help save lives."

Second reading

The second reading of the HSSIB Bill took place on 29 October 2019. It was introduced by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Department of Health and Social Care.

During the reading, Baroness Blackwood said: "The current investigations branch has firmly established itself within our globally renowned healthcare landscape and is a vital component of a comprehensive plan for safety improvement in healthcare."

The reading was followed by peers statements over the course of almost four hours, with 20 baronesses and lords taking part in debate. A full record of the second reading is available on Hansard. You can watch a video of the full debate on the Parliament Live website.