§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he issues as to the professional qualifications and usual place of work of individuals commissioned by regional health authorities to look into alleged cases of clinical negligence. [19235]
§ Mr. HoramThere is no formal guidance for regional health authorities that deals specifically with the investigation of alleged cases of clinical negligence.
Regional medical officers are responsible for arranging for two independent consultants to conduct the third stage of the current hospital clinical complaints procedure, called independent professional review. Existing guidance is contained in paragraph 27 of annexe B to health circular HC(88)37, copies of which will be placed in the Library. This states that the consultants should be in active practice in the appropriate speciality or specialties. They should be nominated by the joint consultants committee, and at least one should be a doctor working in a comparable hospital in a different region from that which is setting up the independent professional review.
A new national health service complaints system will be introduced from April 1996, in which there will no longer be separate procedures for dealing with clinical complaints.