To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he is satisfied that adequate publicity is being given on hospital wards to the existence of the Hospital Complaints Procedure Act 1985; and what instructions have been issued to health authorities to ensure that this happens.

Directions were issued to health authorities in June 1988 to

"take such steps as are necessary to ensure that any patients at, or visitors to, any hospital for which the authority is responsible,…are fully informed of the arrangements for dealing with complaints made at the hospital and are informed of the identity and location of the designated officer for such hospital."