The Hospital Complaints Procedure Act 1985
109(1)The [1985 c. 42] Hospital Complaints Procedure Act 1985 shall be amended as follows.
(2)In section 1 (hospital complaints procedure)—
(a)in subsection (1)—
(i)for “health authority” substitute “Health Authority and Special Health Authority”, and
(ii)for “authority or Board is” substitute “Health Authority, Special Health Authority or Board are”, and
(b)after that subsection insert—
“(1A)It shall also be the duty of the Secretary of State to give to each NHS trust which is responsible for the management of a hospital such directions as appear necessary for the purpose of securing that, as respects each hospital for the management of which that NHS trust is responsible—
(a)such arrangements are made for dealing with complaints made by or on behalf of persons who are or have been patients at that hospital; and
(b)such steps are taken for publicising the arrangements so made,
as (in each case) are specified or described in the directions.”
(3)Omit section 1A (NHS trust hospitals).