Select committee: Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee
Conclusion 5
Sixth Report - Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman Scrutiny 2021–22
Published 31 Mar 2023
Paragraph 35
Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman Scrutiny 2021-22 All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
The Committee accepts that some mechanism for prioritising the number of health complaints is needed and notes that there is international precedent for doing so. Nevertheless, we remain concerned with the continued approach of not processing complaints at Levels 1 and 2 on the severity of injustice scale, and the lack of ambition to return to the previous patterns of complaint-handling. We note that in the past 18 months around 1,500 cases have not been taken forward as a result of this approach and that the PHSO has decided to continue with this prioritisation method until the end of the business year 2022–23
From: Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, Sixth Report - Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman Scrutiny 2021–22 (HC 745), paragraph 35, 31 March 2023
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 16 June 2023 (deadline 31 May 2023).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The Government states it is "supportive of the Ombudsman" and responds to two recommendations, one on the Complaint Standards and one on legislative reform, where it is "not convinced that fundamental reform is a priority at the current time".
- On the Complaint Standards, the Government is "supportive" and pleased that departments including the Cabinet Office have come forward as early adopters.
- It says it is right that the Cabinet Office should work with other departments to encourage adoption, but only on the condition that the Standards "are shown to be working in practice". It gives no date, and does not address the end-2023 sign-up target.
- On legislative reform, it considers its system "effective in the context in which it operates" and is not convinced that legislation is "the answer to many of the identified issues". It sets out no legislative timetable.
- It is "content to keep this under review" and to look at specific reform proposals "on a case by case basis".