Complaints about the provision of health servicesE+W

7.—(1) This regulation applies to a complaint which is—

(a)made to [F1[F2an integrated care board] or [F3NHS England]] in accordance with these Regulations on or after [F41st April 2013];

(b)about the services provided by a provider under arrangements with the [F5[F6integrated care board] or [F7NHS England]]; and

(c)not specified in regulation 8(1).

[F8(1A) This regulation also applies to a complaint which is—

(a)made to [F2an integrated care board] or [F3NHS England] in accordance with these Regulations on or after 1st April 2019;

(b)subject to paragraph (1B), about the services provided by—

(i)an independent sub-contractor on behalf of an independent provider pursuant to arrangements between that provider and the [F9integrated care board] or [F10NHS England];

(ii)an integrated care provider under an integrated care provider contract with the [F11integrated care board] or [F10NHS England]; or

(iii)an integrated care sub-contractor on behalf of an integrated care provider in so far as those services are provided in performance of an integrated care provider contract with the [F12integrated care board] or [F10NHS England]; and

(c)not specified in regulation 8(1).

(1B) paragraphs (ii) and (iii) of sub-paragraph (b) of paragraph (1A) do not apply to a complaint about adult social care services.]

(2) In this regulation [F13, except in paragraph (1A)], “provider” means an NHS body, primary care provider or independent provider.

(3) Where [F14[F2an integrated care board] or [F3NHS England]] receives a complaint to which this regulation applies—

(a)the [F15[F16integrated care board] or [F17NHS England]] must ask the complainant whether the complainant consents to details of the complaint being sent to the provider [F18or other responsible body to which the complaint relates]; and

(b)if the complainant so consents, the [F19[F20integrated care board] or [F21NHS England]] must as soon as reasonably practicable send details of the complaint to the provider [F18or other responsible body to which the complaint relates].

(4) If the [F22[F2integrated care board] or [F3NHS England]] considers that it is appropriate for [F23the integrated care board] [F24 or [F25NHS England]] to deal with the complaint—

(a)it must so notify the complainant and the provider [F18or other responsible body to which the complaint relates]; and

(b)it must continue to handle the complaint in accordance with these Regulations.

(5) If the [F26[F2integrated care board] or [F3NHS England]] considers that it is more appropriate for the complaint to be dealt with by the provider [F18or other responsible body to which the complaint relates], and the complainant consents—

(a)the [F27[F28integrated care board] or [F29NHS England]] must so notify the complainant and the provider [F18or other responsible body to which the complaint relates];

(b)when the provider [F18or other responsible body to which the complaint relates] receives the notification given to it under sub-paragraph (a)—

(i)the provider [F18or other responsible body to which the complaint relates] must handle the complaint in accordance with these Regulations; and

(ii)the complainant is deemed to have made the complaint to the provider [F18or other responsible body to which the complaint relates] under these Regulations.

[F30(6) For the purposes of paragraphs (3) to (5), a complaint relates to a responsible body if it relates to the provision of services by that body as referred to in paragraph (1A)(b).]

Textual Amendments

Commencement Information

I1Reg. 7 in force at 1.4.2009, see reg. 1(2)