TY - JOUR
T1 - Health Ombudsmen in Polycentric Regulatory Fields: England, New Zealand, and Australia
AU - Healy, Judith
AU - Walton, Merrilyn
PY - 2016
Y1 - 2016
N2 - Health ombudsmen (health complaints commissioners), an unusual entity internationally,
exist only in England, New Zealand, and the Australian states and territories. Established to
respond to complaints frompatients, the intention is tomake health services and professionals
more accountable to the public.Most cases are handled around the softer base of a regulatory
pyramid, such as advice to complainants and requests to providers for an explanation and/or
apology. Few cases escalate to investigations and prosecutions. Although the legal powers
of some health ombudsmen to redress individual grievances have been strengthened, most
lack the independent power to initiate an inquiry into systemic problems. To produce quality
improvements, health ombudsmen need powers to require compliance from providers and to
initiate inquiries. With the advent of new health sector regulators, health ombudsmen must
negotiate their role and function within expanding networks of governance.
AB - Health ombudsmen (health complaints commissioners), an unusual entity internationally,
exist only in England, New Zealand, and the Australian states and territories. Established to
respond to complaints frompatients, the intention is tomake health services and professionals
more accountable to the public.Most cases are handled around the softer base of a regulatory
pyramid, such as advice to complainants and requests to providers for an explanation and/or
apology. Few cases escalate to investigations and prosecutions. Although the legal powers
of some health ombudsmen to redress individual grievances have been strengthened, most
lack the independent power to initiate an inquiry into systemic problems. To produce quality
improvements, health ombudsmen need powers to require compliance from providers and to
initiate inquiries. With the advent of new health sector regulators, health ombudsmen must
negotiate their role and function within expanding networks of governance.
U2 - 10.1111/1467-8500.12187
DO - 10.1111/1467-8500.12187
M3 - Article
SN - 0313-6647
VL - 75
SP - 492
EP - 505
JO - Australian Journal of Public Administration
JF - Australian Journal of Public Administration
IS - 4
ER -