Patient rights and complaints

This page highlights some of the current parliamentary material available on patient rights and complaints in health services. This includes select committee reports, briefing papers on current legislation and other subjects produced by the parliamentary research services, and the latest Early Day Motions put down by MPs.

Standard Notes

DateDescription
02.12.2010Access to patient records
This note aims to help Members answer enquiries from constituents about access to health records. It outlines the right that patients have to access their own health records and also provides brief information about access by third parties. This note replaces SN/SP/1661 and SN/SP/1952. It focuses on England although much of the content is also relevant to the rest of the UK.

Research Papers

DateDescription
23.05.2006The NHS Redress Bill [HL], Bill 137 of 2005/06

Select Committee Reports

DateDescription
15.09.2011Complaints and litigation.
Government response. Department of Health report [Commons]
22.06.2011Complaints and litigation.
Health Select Committee report [Commons]
15.10.2009Patient safety.
Government response. Department of Health; Care Quality Commission; Monitor; Health Select Committee report [Commons]
13.10.2009Patient safety.
Government response. Department of Health report [Commons]
18.06.2009Patient safety.
Health Select Committee report [Commons]

Early Day Motions

DateDescription
16.09.2010CONTAMINATED BLOOD
That this House most warmly welcomes the Contaminated Blood (Support for Infected and Bereaved Persons) Bill [Lords] with its provisions for the relief of privation for those afflicted ...
05.01.2010CONTAMINATED BLOOD (SUPPORT FOR AFFECTED AND BEREAVED PERSONS) BILL [LORDS]
That this House most warmly welcomes the Contaminated Blood (Support for Infected and Bereaved Persons) Bill [Lords] with its provisions for the relief of privation for those afflicted ...
15.01.2009VIOXX JUSTICE
That this House deplores the treatment by Merck & Co of hundreds of British citizens whose health was seriously damaged as a result of taking Vioxx, a drug manufactured by the company; ...
09.12.2008COMPLAINTS ABOUT HEALTHCARE AND SOCIAL CARE SERVICES
That this House welcomes the establishment of the Care Quality Commission in April 2009; and requests that the Commission must enforce the principle that healthcare and social care ...
04.12.2008GENERAL MEDICAL COUNCIL COMPLAINTS SYSTEM
That this House believes that the General Medical Council (GMC) complaints mechanism fails to comply with standards of fairness and due process required by Article 6 of the European ...

Glossary

  • Research Papers (RP) - briefings produced by the House of Commons Library on Bills, topical issues and regular statistics
  • Standard Notes (SN) - shorter, topical briefings from the Commons Library
  • Early Day Motions (EDMs) - formal motions submitted by MPs in the House of Commons
  • POST Notes - short briefing notes produced by the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology
  • Lords Library Notes (LLN) - an occasional series of papers compiled by the House of Lords Library