Section 180 – Independent advocacy services for complaints about privately arranged or funded palliative care
451.Section 180 amends section 187 of the National Health Service (Wales) Act 2006 (the 2006 Act). Section 187 of the 2006 Act places a duty on the Welsh Ministers to arrange the provision of independent advocacy services (that is, services providing assistance to individuals making or intending to make complaints) in relation to complaints about certain specified health services. The amendments to section 187 of the 2006 Act require independent advocacy services to be arranged, in addition, for (i) complaints made under procedures operated by independent palliative care providers, and (ii) complaints made to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales under the Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Act 2005 (the 2005 Act) in relation to independent palliative care providers. The meaning of the term “independent palliative care provider” is set out in the 2005 Act (as amended by Schedule 3 to this Act).