§ Ms. HarmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make a statement concerning the implementation of HC(88)37 on the implementation of the hospital complaints procedures;
(2) which health authorities have appointed a senior officer to take responsibility for managing the complaint procedures.
§ Mr. FreemanHealth circular (88)37 gave guidance to health authorities on the procedure to be operated in respect of complaints by hospital patients. It also included, as an annex, directions issued by the Secretary of State as required by section 1 of the Hospital Complaints Procedure Act 1985. These directions instructed health authorities to designate "an officer" with responsibility for handling complaints, and the guidance notes suggested that this should be a "senior officer". All regional health authorities have confirmed that they are in compliance with these directions.
§ Ms. HarmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will state for the latest year in which information is available, what was the range of actions taken by family practitioner committees in those cases in which the complaint was upheld.
§ Mr. FreemanThis information is not collected centrally. However, in 1988, 492 practitioners were found in breach of their terms of service and withholdings were directed in 247 cases. In addition, family practitioner committees referred five practitioners to the National Health Service tribunal.
§ Ms. HarmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will state for the latest year in which information is available, what was the range of actions taken by district health authorities and regional health authorities in those cases in which a complaint was upheld.
§ Mr. FreemanThis information is not held centrally. Where a complainant is not satisfied with the response he or she receives from a health authority, the complaint can be referred on to the Health Service Commissioner (the Ombudsman). A list of the remedies brought about as a result of the commissioner's investigations is published each year as part of his annual report. A copy is available in the Library.
§ Ms. HarmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will state, for each district and regional health authority in England, for the latest year in which figures are available(a) how many complaints were received, (b) how many were found to be justified and (c)how many were found to be unjustified.
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§ Mr. FreemanAvailable information for the year ending 31 March 1988 is given in the table. Information at district level, and information on the number of complaints upheld, is not held centrally and could not be obtained except at disproportionate cost.
Total number of written complaints on: Hospital services Community services England 29,956 5,030 Northern 1,346 387 Yorkshire 2,069 247 Trent 2,191 454 East Anglian 885 80 North West Thames 2,565 371 North East Thames 3,739 545 South East Thames 2,997 301 South West Thames 2,115 891 Wessex 1,497 448 Oxford 991 72 South Western 1,592 218 West Midlands 3,375 476 North Western 2,718 364 Special Health Authorities 544 0
§ Ms. HarmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will state, for each district and regional health authority, for the latest year in which figures are available what was(a) the shortest time, (b) the longest time and (c) the median time between the receipt of the complaint and informing the complainant of the outcome.
§ Mr. FreemanThis information is not held centrally and could not be obtained except at disproportionate cost.
§ Ms. HarmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will state, for each family practitioner committee, for the latest year in which figures are available(a) how many complaints were received, (b) how many were found to be justified and (c) how many were found to be unjustified.
§ Mr. FreemanI regret that the information cannot be provided without disproportionate cost. In 1988 there were 1,748 formal investigations of complaints by family practitioner committees in England in which 492
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Suicide1 rates (per 1,000,000 population) England and Wales 1979–88 Year Age group (years) All ages 0–4 5–9 10–14 15–19 20–24 25–29 Males 1979 106 0 0 3 41 94 127 1980 109 0 0 1 40 90 121 1981 114 0 0 2 42 98 147 1982 115 0 0 2 37 95 147 1983 116 0 0 1 40 96 130 1984 118 0 0 1 43 106 138 1985 121 0 0 1 43 120 151 1986 118 0 0 1 42 130 136 1987 116 0 0 3 53 130 135 19882 125 0 0 2 59 156 145 Females 1979 64 0 0 2 18 35 46 1980 66 0 0 1 20 40 38 1981 65 0 0 1 13 28 42 1982 59 0 0 2 11 29 44 1983 58 0 0 3 12 33 32 1984 57 0 0 1 10 22 39 1985 57 0 0 1 11 25 34 1986 49 0 0 1 12 27 42 practitioners were found in breach of their terms of service. Information is not available centrally for each family practitioner committee.
§ Ms. HarmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will state, for each family practitioner committee, for the latest year in which figures are available(a) the shortest, (b) the longest and (c) median time between receiving the complaint and informing the complainant of the outcome.
§ Mr. FreemanThis information is not available centrally.