Vol. 460 No. 4
53 Ms F. Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that some voluntary hospitals are displaying the charter of rights for hospital patients issued by the Eastern Health Board which gives the erroneous impression that patients attending such hospitals have the right of complaint to the Ombudsman. [1528/96]
(Limerick East): The charter of rights for hospital patients was issued by my Department in 1992 to all acute hospitals. Its provisions with regard to complaints procedures applied to voluntary and health board hospitals. However the charter clearly stipulates that these procedures do not prejudice patients' existing statutory rights, including the right to complain to the Ombudsman. At present the Ombudsman's remit extends only to health board hospitals and I regret if this has created any confusion for patients.
The Deputy will wish to know that the remit of the Ombudsman is currently under review by Government. The question of extending his remit to other agencies, including voluntary hospitals, is being considered in the context of that review.
