Jimmy Savile NHS investigations
Department of Health statement.
Permanent Secretary of the Department of Health Una O’Brien today said:
Today’s reports detail the depraved activities of Jimmy Savile and make for shocking reading.
On behalf of the previous Department of Health and Social Security, and Department of Health, we are deeply sorry that inadequate processes in 1988 enabled Jimmy Savile to occupy a position of authority that he used to abuse his victims at Broadmoor Hospital.
The Department of Health accepts that the procedures in 1988 were wholly inadequate for checking whether Jimmy Savile was a suitable person to be given a managerial role.
The Broadmoor report also makes two recommendations for the Department of Health and for public officials, including senior civil servants.
We agree with the recommendation that the Department of Health should only directly manage an operational service exceptionally. The new NHS system means the Department of Health provides assurance of the system but does not directly manage the NHS.
We agree with the recommendation that the Department of Health and NHS organisations should have policies in place to ensure public officials, including senior civil servants, should not be involved in appointment processes when they have a close personal relationship with an applicant.
We now await Kate Lampard’s final lessons learned report in the autumn.
While much has changed in the intervening years we will leave no stone unturned to make sure such appalling actions can never be repeated; our thoughts today are with the people who suffered and continue to suffer from these terrible crimes.
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