Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of complaints that have been made to the Care Quality Commission about social care providers in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Over the last 12 months, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) received 31,904 complaints related to adult social care services. The CQC does not have legal powers to resolve complaints, but it uses the information it receives from complaints to help shape its regulatory activity.

People receiving care have a right to complain to the organisation that provided or paid for the care. By law, all health and social care services must have a procedure for dealing efficiently with complaints. In the first instance, a complaint should be made to the service provider. If the care is funded or arranged by a local council, a complaint can be made to them as well. If someone has made a complaint to the care provider or local council and are unhappy with the response, they can make a complaint to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

My Rt. Hon friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, does not intend to make a statement at this time.