Overview

This bill amends the National Health Service Redress Act 2006 to improve efficiency and reduce costs in resolving patient complaints. It does this by introducing time limits for claims processing, setting a maximum compensation amount, and clarifying the scope of the redress scheme.

Description

The key changes introduced by the bill are:

• Compensation Limits: A maximum amount for financial compensation will be set for claims under the scheme. This aims to control costs.
• Time Limits: Strict time limits will be introduced for various stages of the claims process, including when claims can be made, offers are decided upon, and offers must be accepted. This is designed to speed up claim resolution.
• Scheme Scope: The bill clarifies the scope of the redress scheme by repealing sections 1(6) and 1(7) of the 2006 Act, potentially widening or narrowing the types of claims that can be made. The exact effect on the scheme's scope depends on the repealed sections' content.
• Commencement Date: The bill sets a commencement date of April 1st, 2012 for sections 1 to 16 of the 2006 Act.

Government Spending

The bill states that any expenditure incurred by ministers or government departments in implementing the Act will be paid from Parliament. It also indicates that any increase in sums payable under other Acts due to this bill will also be covered by Parliament. No specific figures are provided in the bill text.

Groups Affected

The groups potentially affected by this bill include:

• Patients: May experience both positive (faster claim resolution) and negative (lower compensation limits or narrower scheme scope) impacts.
• NHS Trusts: Will experience changes in their claims handling procedures and potentially lower compensation payouts.
• Government: Will incur costs associated with implementing the bill, but potentially will achieve savings in the long run due to reduced compensation payments and improved efficiency.

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