BY E-MAIL ONLY

To: [FOI #9801 email]

6^th May 2009

Our reference: CQC-015

Dear Ms Speers,

I am in receipt of your request for information made under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. In your e-mail of 8^th April 2009, you requested the following information:

“Please may I have information on the NHS Second Stage complaints handling costs incurred by the Healthcare Commission since the inception of its remit to the present day. Also can these costs include a breakdown of each department's costs? I.e. investigation costs, cost of monitoring recommendations, costs of assessing ratings.”

As you may be aware, the Healthcare Commission ceased to exist from 31^st March 2009 and became the Care Quality Commission from 1^st April 2009. From that date, the complaints function ceased to exist. Now, second stage complaints will be handled by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.

I am pleased to provide you with the information that you have requested. Please find attached copies of the Healthcare Commission's Annual Reports for 2005-06; 2006-07; and 2007-08. The Annual Report for 2008-09 has not yet been published. You will find the net cost information for the complaints department within the Management Commentary section of each report.

Unfortunately, I am unable to provide you with a more detailed breakdown of the costs incurred by the complaints department. This is because, after liaising with the Commission's finance department, I have been informed that we do not hold a costs breakdown by reference to analysis of function of the type you suggest (e.g. monitoring recommendations).

Finally, you asked when the Healthcare Commission's Investigation Report into patient safety at West London Mental Health Trust will be published. I regret that I am unable to confirm when this report will be published, as a date has not yet been finalised.

I hope that I have been able to provide you with a full response. However, if you are not satisfied with this response you may request an independent internal review by a senior member of the Information Governance team, who has had no involvement in dealing with your request. We aim to deal with FOI/DPA appeals within 20 days of receipt.

If you wish to appeal against this decision, please contact:

The Information Governance Team

Care Quality Commission

Finsbury Tower

103-105 Bunhill Row

London

EC1Y 8TG

Emails should be clearly marked 'Appeal against FOI/DPA' and sent to: [email address].

Should you remain dissatisfied after this internal review, you will have a right of complaint to the Information Commissioner. Further information is available at:

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Telephone: 01625 545 700

www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk

Yours sincerely,

[name removed]

Information Access Officer

Care Quality Commission

103-105 Bunhill Row

London

EC1Y 8TG

[email address]

Helpline: 03000 616161

Chairman

Barbara Young

Chief Executive

Cynthia Bower

Registered office:

Finsbury Tower

103-105 Bunhill Row

London EC1Y 8TG