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WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES BY DEPUTY R.G. LE HÉRISSIER OF ST. SAVIOUR
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 11th MARCH 2008
Question
What degree of lay involvement, if any, will there be in the complaints process which is being established in concert with Guernsey?
Answer
The new Complaints Procedure which incorporates a second level' of appeal was introduced in January 2008. The new Complaints Procedure – which is obviously in the public domain – and has two formal stages of complaints resolution. The first (lower) level of appeal is for local resolution. The second (higher) level of appeal is for an independent review which will be conducted by the Department of Health and Social Services of the Bailiwick of Guernsey.
Of fundamental importance to this new Complaints Procedure is the means by which a complaint can pass through – or not pass through – from the lower to the higher level of appeal. The mechanism by which this happens is a consideration of the case by three people. The first person is the Medical Officer of Health, who for professional matters is formally accountable to the States Assembly itself. The other two people are lay representatives. This triumvirate will decide whether the case should proceed to the independent (higher) stage.
I would like to thank the Deputy for his involvement in the formulation of this new Complaints Procedure. It was he who suggested that two lay people rather than one be involved in this filtering' process. As a result of his wise counsel we adopted his recommendation without hesitation.