The National Health Service (Complaints) Regulations 2004

PART IV GENERAL

Publicity

20.—(1) Each NHS body and the Healthcare Commission must ensure that there is effective publicity for its complaints arrangements.

(2) Each NHS body must take all reasonable steps to ensure that the persons listed in paragraph (3) are informed of its arrangements, the name of its complaints manager and the address at which he can be contacted.

(3) The persons referred to in paragraph (2) are—

(a) patients and their carers;

(b) visitors to any hospital or other premises for the management of which the NHS body is responsible;

(c) staff of the NHS body;

(d) independent providers with whom arrangements have been made under section 16CC or section 23 of the 1977 Act;

(e) any body with which it has made an NHS contract; and

(f) its relevant patients' forum.

Monitoring

21.—(1) For the purpose of monitoring the arrangements under these Regulations each NHS body must prepare a report for each quarter of the year for consideration by its Board.

(2) The reports mentioned in paragraph (1) must—

(a) specify the numbers of complaints received;

(b) identify the subject matter of those complaints;

(c) summarise how they were handled including the outcome of the investigations; and

(d) identify any complaints where the recommendations of the Healthcare Commission were not acted upon, giving the reasons why not.

Annual reports

22.  Each NHS body must prepare an annual report on its handling and consideration of complaints and send a copy of that report —

(a) in the case of a Strategic Health Authority or Special Health Authority, to the Healthcare Commission;

(b) in the case of an NHS trust, to its relevant Strategic Health Authority and the Healthcare Commission; and

(c) in the case of a Primary Care Trust, to its relevant Strategic Health Authority and the Healthcare Commission.