§ Mr. Michael Cocksasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will take steps to ensure consistency in the interpretation by hospital management committees and/or regional hospital boards of Circular HM(66)15 in establishment and conduct of inquiries into complaints;
(2) if he is satisfied that existing procedures used by hospital management committees and/or regional hospital boards in conducting inquiries into complaints are sufficiently balanced between the complainant and the hospital authority;
(3) whether he will advise hospital management committees and/or regional hospital boards conducting inquiries into complaints that complainants should be advised at an early stage as to whether the inquiry is one of the two forms described in Circular HM(66)15 or is a hybrid form of inquiry;
(4) if he will require hospital management committees and/or regional hospital boards conducting inquiries to abide by one or other of the forms of inquiry described in Circular HM(66)15.
§ Sir K. JosephMy right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and I have now received and are arranging to publish the report of the Committee on Hospital Complaints Procedure, which has carried out a complete review of the procedures for handling complaints. New guidance will be issued to health authorities after the committee's recommendations have been considered.
§ Mr. Michael Cocksasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) in how many inquiries into complaints conducted by hospital management committees and/or regional hospital boards in the years 1971, 1972 and 1973 to date, respectively, the complainant was legally represented; and in how many of these 426W inquiries hospital or administrative staff were legally represented;
(2) how many inquiries into complaints have been conducted by hospital management committees and/or regional hospital boards in the years 1971, 1972 and 1973 to date, respectively; and in how many of these inquiries the findings were in favour of the complainant;
(3) what is the percentage of complaints relating to hospitals on which inquiries are ordered; and what percentage of these complaints are withdrawn after an inquiry has been ordered but before the inquiry begins.
§ Sir K. JosephThe latest year for which statistics are available centrally is 1971. In that year 9,614 written complaints were received by hospital authorities of which 92 per cent., or 8,818, were investigated by officers only, and 8 per cent.—750—by members. Six were the subject of independent inquiry. Information on the other parts of the hon. Member's Questions is not collected centrally.
§ Mr. Michael Cocksasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the cost to public funds of legal representation afforded to lay complainants in inquiries by hospital management committees and/or regional hospital boards for the years 1971, 1972 and 1973 to date, respectively; and what was the cost to public funds of legal representation afforded to hospital and administrative staff involved in these inquiries.
§ Sir K. JosephThis information is not available centrally.