Select committee: Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee
Conclusion 11
Third Report - Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman Scrutiny 2022–23
Published 4 Mar 2024
Paragraph 63
Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman Scrutiny 2022-23 All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
We welcome the PHSO’s continual collaboration with ombudsmen in other countries and across the UK, along with its collaboration with other organisations. In its response to this report the PHSO should outline the lessons it has learnt and best practices it has adopted because of its collaboration with other ombudsmen.
From: Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, Third Report - Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman Scrutiny 2022–23 (HC 198), paragraph 63, 4 March 2024
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 23 May 2024 (deadline 14 May 2024).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The Government states it "remains supportive of the PHSO" but is "not convinced that fundamental reform is a priority at the current time" and would "stop short of mandating" the Complaint Standards.
- On mediation, the Government says NHS England "agrees that mediation can support the resolution of a complaint" and "will work with DHSC and NHS Resolution to encourage the medical profession to engage in mediation".
- On legislative reform of the PHSO, the Government is "not convinced that fundamental reform is a priority at the current time" but is "content to keep this under review" and to look at specific proposals "on a case by case basis".
- It notes that it recently introduced legislation to remove the MP filter for victims of crime and says it "will be important to review the impact of this in the year ahead".
- On the Complaint Standards, it "remains supportive" and says the Cabinet Office should play a role, "assuming that the Standards are shown to be working in practice", but it would "stop short of mandating their use" and prefers to "strongly encourage" take up.