Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of NHS cases received by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.

The Department has worked closely with the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman on his work to develop the NHS Complaint Standards, which set out how organisations providing services in the National Health Service should approach complaint handling. The Standards place a strong focus on several aspects of complaint handling that are aimed at ensuring complaints are handled and resolved effectively by the NHS, reducing the need for further escalation of complaints. This includes emphasising the importance of early resolution, actively listening and demonstrating a clear understanding of what the main issues are for the complainant and the outcomes they seek, being thorough and fair, and identifying suitable ways to put things right for people.