Covid-19: Adult Social Care Complaints

Baroness Thornton Excerpts

Monday 5th October 2020 Lords Chamber

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

Baroness Warsi? We will move on to the noble Baroness, Lady Thornton.

[Baroness Thornton (Lab) [V]]

My Lords, given the pattern and themes of complaints emerging during Covid, what will the role of the Health and Social Care Ombudsman be in the forthcoming inquiry into the pandemic? Will the Minister give a guarantee of full involvement of that ombudsman, given the evidence it can bring to the table?

[Lord Bethell (Con)]

My Lords, the nature of any future inquiry has not yet been defined. However, all parties will be taking learnings from Covid and bringing forward their lessons-learned experience. As the major regulator, the CQC will play a leading role in bringing together the data and information from the front line but, as the complainant of last resort, the ombudsman will also play an important role in that process by bringing insight from patients and those who have made complaints.