18.—(1) The registered person must establish a procedure (“the complaints procedure”) for considering complaints made to the registered person by a service user or a person acting on behalf of the service user.
(2) The registered person must supply a written copy of the complaints procedure to every service user and, upon request, to any person acting on behalf of a service user.
(3) The written copy of the complaints procedure must include —
(a)the address and telephone number of any specified appropriate office of the National Assembly; and
(b)the procedure (if any) which has been notified by the appropriate office of the National Assembly to the registered person for making complaints to the appropriate office of the National Assembly relating to the agency.
(4) The registered person must ensure that every complaint made under the complaints procedure is fully investigated.
(5) The registered person must, within the period of 28 days beginning on the date on which the complaint is made, or such shorter period as may be reasonable in the circumstances, inform the person who made the complaint of the action that is to be taken in response.
(6) The registered person must maintain a record of each complaint, including details of the investigation made, the outcome and any action taken in consequence and the requirements of regulation 17 apply to that record.
(7) The registered person must supply to the appropriate office of the National Assembly annually a statement containing a summary of the complaints made during the preceding twelve months and the action taken in response.
(8) The registered person must ensure that any evidence of misconduct by a nurse is reported promptly and in writing to the Nursing and Midwifery Council(1).
The Nursing and Midwifery Council was established by article 3 of the Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001 (S.I. 2002/253).