HC Deb 27 June 1994 vol 245 cc413-4W
Mr. Jim Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action she is taking to reduce the number of complaints received by hospital trusts.

Dr. Mawhinney

National health service trusts should be seeking constantly to raise the standards of care provided to meet the aspirations of health care purchasers and individual patients. They should give patients every opportunity to make comments and suggestions or put forward complaints on their services. Patients' complaints can and should be used for enhancing the quality of the health services provided.