Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to ensure that the scoping process for reviewing complaints about complex cases (a) is improved and (b) involves the complainant.

There are provisions in place in The Local Authority Social Services and National Health Service Complaints (England) Regulations 2009 on how complaints are to be reviewed and complainants involved. Following the receipt of a complaint, the NHS organisation must offer to discuss with the complainant how the complaint will be handled and when the investigation is likely to be completed. During the investigation, the complainant must be kept informed of the progress of the investigation, as far as reasonably practicable.