§ Mr. Ray Powellasked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will ensure that in any review of the Health Service in Wales provision will be made, in the matter of medical complaints procedure, to extend the ombudsman's powers of investigation to cases of clinical judgment.
§ Mr. Wyn RobertsWe have no plans to extend the jurisdiction of the Health Service Commissioner into the field of clinical judgment. A new procedure for handling complaints which relate to the exercise of clinical judgment by hospital doctors and dentists in England has been agreed between the joint consultants committee and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services. We are considering how best to adapt this procedure to the Welsh situation.