§ Mr. BurnsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the guidance which his Department has given strategic health authorities for reviewing long-term care assessments in the light of the Ombudsman's report. [169230]
§ Dr. Ladyman[holding answer 4 May 2004]: No official guidance was issued. A suggested process to assist strategic health authorities was provided, copies of which have been placed in the Library. All strategic health authorities now have systems in place to review past continuing care cases.
§ Mr. BurnsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) pursuant to the answer of 1 March 2004,Official Report, column 703W, on Health Ombudsman's Report (Long-term Care), in which areas of the country the reviews of this issue have (a) been fully completed and (b) not been fully completed; [169231]
(2) when he expects all the cases of people suspected of wrongly paying for their long-term care following the Health Ombudsman's report on the subject will be (a) reviewed and (b) resolved; [169232]
1615W(3) how many of the reviews of long-term care have been completed; whether the deadline of the end of March 2004 was met; and when he expects all the reviews to be completed. [169233]
§ Dr. Ladyman[holding answer 4 May 2004]: All strategic health authority areas have some investigations outstanding. The Department has set no new time-scales for the completion of currently outstanding cases, or any further cases which may arise, but the national health service is expected to complete them all in a thorough and timely manner.