Select committee: Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee

Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman Scrutiny 2016-17

Closed Opened 10 Oct 2017 Closed 17 Oct 2017

Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗

Inquiry scope (the committee's words)

The Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee held its annual scrutiny session with the Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman Rob Behrens on 12 December 2017. The Committee heard from Mr Behrens about the Ombudsman's work and use of resources in 2016-17 and his strategy for the coming years. Written submissions were taken from the public and interested organisations on: the value for money of the services provided by the PHSO and any other issues arising from their annual report; the quality of the service provided by the PHSO, including the impact of the new service charter introduced in 2016; priorities for the PHSO's future strategy.

Where it stands

The inquiry is closed, opened 10 October 2017.

The committee has published 1 report, most recently 3rd Report - PHSO Annual Scrutiny 2016–17 on 24 April 2018.

The government's response

Published 25 July 2018.

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The government welcomes the Committee's report and agrees the PHSO is not the correct body for historic cases, while the Department of Health and Social Care is still "considering possible approaches" on a mechanism to address them.

On historic cases, the government endorses the recommendation that the Department should develop a "proportionate, time limited, mechanism"; the Department is "considering possible approaches and any implications before determining the next steps".
On local complaint handling, the government "agrees that more can be done" on serious incidents and "aim[s] to be in a position to share details of the revised Strategy with the Committee in the autumn".
On the Public Service Ombudsman Bill, the draft Bill will be brought forward "as and when such Parliamentary time is available"; pre-legislative scrutiny is "a matter for Parliament", and the government will "co-operate fully" if the Committee initiates it. No date is given.
On withdrawing reports, the government points to clause 4(6) and (7) of the draft Bill, which allows the Ombudsman to re-open reports found to be flawed, and "will consider any further findings from any pre-legislative scrutiny".

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error

Reports

3rd Report - PHSO Annual Scrutiny 2016–1724 April 2018

All reports

Evidence

1 oral evidence sessionLatest 12 December 2017

All evidence

Recent activity

6th Special Report - PHSO Annual Scrutiny 2016–17: Government and PHSO Response to the Committee’s Third Report25 July 2018, Report published
3rd Report - PHSO Annual Scrutiny 2016–1724 April 2018, Report published
Letter to the Chair from the Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman, 1 February 20186 February 2018, Correspondence

Reports

1 report

3rd Report - PHSO Annual Scrutiny 2016–17

HC No.: HC 492
Published: 24 Apr 2018
Items: 0
Government response: Government response published 25 July 2018. Read the government's response ↗

Oral evidence sessions

1 session

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Date	Session and witnesses	Source
12 Dec 2017	Oral evidence session No witnesses recorded	View ↗

Correspondence

2 letters

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Published	Direction	Letter
6 Feb 2018	From committee	Letter to the Chair from the Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman, 1 February 2018
23 Jan 2018	From committee	Letter to the Chair from the Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman, 12 January 2018