§ Dr. WrightTo ask the Secretary of State for Health when she now expects to announce the Government's response to the review of the national health service complaints system.
§ Mr. MaloneShortly.
§ Mrs. BeckettTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the number of complaints about the NHS in each of the last three years.
§ Mr. MaloneThe latest information available about numbers of complaints about the national health service are shown in the tables. The rise can be attributed to the increase of patient awareness and confidence due to the patients charter.
Family Health Services: Number of complaints investigated formally:1991: 2,2051992: 1,9741993: 2,520
Hospital Complaints:1990–91: 37,3501991–92: 51,1301992–93: 58,443Notes:1. Information for 1994 for family health services will be available in the autumn, and will be contained in "Health and Personal Social Services Statistics", copies of which are routinely placed in the Library.2. Information on hospital complaints for 1993–94 will be available shortly.