1 Hospital complaints procedure.
(1)
It shall be the duty of the Secretary of State to give to each F1F2Strategic Health Authority and Health Authority, to each Special Health Authority in England and Wales and to each Health Board in Scotland such directions F3. . . as appear to him necessary for the purpose of securing that, as respects each hospital F3. . . which that F4Strategic Health Authority,F1Health Authority, Special Health Authority or BoardF5manage—
(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.
F6(1A)
It shall also be the duty of the Secretary of State to give to each NHS trust which F7manages a hospital such directions as appear necessary for the purpose of securing that, as respects each hospital F8. . . which that NHS trust F9manages—
(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.
F10(1B)
It shall also be the duty of the Secretary of State to give to each Primary Care Trust F11and Local Health Boardwhich manages a hospital such directions as appear necessary for the purpose of securing that, as respects each hospital which that Primary Care Trust F11or Local Health Board manages—
(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.
(1C)
In this section, “directions” means—
(a)
in relation to England and Wales, directions under section 17 of the M1National Health Service Act 1977,
(b)
in relation to Scotland, directions under section 2(5) of the M2National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978.
(2)
No right of appeal, reference or review conferred under this section shall preclude an investigation F12under the Health Service Commissioners Act 1993 in respect of any matter.
(3)
In this section—
(a)
in its application to England and Wales, expressions which are also used in the said Act of 1977 have the same meanings as in that Act;
(b)
in its application to Scotland, expressions which are also used in the said Act of 1978 have the same meanings as in that Act.