3rd Report - PHSO Annual Scrutiny 2016–17

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