HC Deb 03 March 1969 vol 779 cc1-3
1. Mr. Lubbock

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will now seek to appoint an Ombudsman for the hospital service.

The Secretary of State for Social Services (Mr. Richard Crossman)

I am considering comments on the Green Paper on Health Service administration and am receiving a range of views on the tentative proposal that there should be independent health commissioners to consider complaints originating from patients.

Mr. Lubbock

Does the right hon. Gentleman recall the recommendation in the Second Report of the Select Committee on the Parliamentary Commissioner that this matter should be reviewed when further progress had been made in discussions about the future structure of the Health Service? Is not now an appropriate moment for a decision to be made?

Mr. Crossman

It would be an appropriate moment for the discussions which are going on, but it would not be wise to take the decision before the discussions are complete. I have still to see a number of organisations, including the B.M.A. I am glad to tell the hon. Member that I have been very pleased by the amount of positive response inside the Health Service to the idea of some form of independent tribunal.

Dr. John Dunwoody

Does not my right hon. Friend agree that there is some concern at the way in which complaints are dealt with at the moment—even though these may not always be justified? The suggestion in the Green Paper that the Parliamentary Commissioner or an independent health commissioner should have a rôle to play is exceedingly valuable. Will he assure the House that that part of the Green Paper will not be abandoned in his new proposals?

Mr. Crossman

On the contrary, I am very much strengthened in my personal conviction on this matter. I am not sure that we should have the Parliamentary Commissioner to do the job, but I am pretty sure that we should have some form of health service commissioner or commissioners.

Mr. Maurice Macmillan

In view of that fact that when such a proposal was put forward on the Health Services and Public Health Bill it was categorically rejected by the Government, would not the right hon. Gentleman give an equally categorical acceptance of the principle today?

Mr. Crossman

I do not think that one moves, in one single step, from a categorical rejection to a categorical acceptance. It is tactful to move by degrees.