{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/health-service-commissioners-act-1993/section-3",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/health-service-commissioners-act-1993/section-3.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1993/46",
  "legislation_title": "Health Service Commissioners Act 1993",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/health-service-commissioners-act-1993",
  "path": "section/3",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "3",
  "heading": "General remit of Commissioner.",
  "text": "(1) On a complaint duly made to the Commissioner by or on behalf of a person that he has sustained injustice or hardship in consequence of—\n(a) a failure in a service provided by a health service body,\n(b) a failure of such a body to provide a service which it was a function of the body to provide, or\n(c) maladministration connected with any other action taken by or on behalf of such a body,\nthe Commissioner may, subject to the provisions of this Act, investigate the alleged failure or other action.\n(1YA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(1ZA) Any failure or maladministration mentioned in subsection (1) may arise from action of—\n(a) the health service body,\n(b) a person employed by that body,\n(c) a person acting on behalf of that body, or\n(d) a person to whom that body has delegated any functions.\n(1A) Where a family health service provider has undertaken to provide any family health services and a complaint is duly made to the Commissioner by or on behalf of a person that he has sustained injustice or hardship in consequence of—\n(a) action taken by the family health service provider in connection with the services,\n(b) action taken in connection with the services by a person employed by the family health service provider in respect of the services,\n(c) action taken in connection with the services by a person acting on behalf of the family health service provider in respect of the services, or\n(d) action taken in connection with the services by a person to whom the family health service provider has delegated any functions in respect of the services,\nthe Commissioner may, subject to the provisions of this Act, investigate the alleged action.\n(1B) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(1C) Where an independent provider has made an arrangement with a health service body or a family health service provider to provide a service (of whatever kind) , or has undertaken to provide direct payment services, and a complaint is duly made to the Commissioner by or on behalf of a person that he has sustained injustice or hardship in consequence of—\n(a) a failure in the service provided by the independent provider,\n(b) a failure of the independent provider to provide the service, or\n(c) maladministration connected with any other action taken in relation to the service,\nthe Commissioner may, subject to the provisions of this Act, investigate the alleged failure or other action.\n(1D) Any failure or maladministration mentioned in subsection (1C) may arise from action of—\n(a) the independent provider,\n(b) a person employed by the provider,\n(c) a person acting on behalf of the provider, or\n(d) a person to whom the provider has delegated any functions.\n(1E) Where a complaint is duly made to the Commissioner by or on behalf of a person that the person has sustained injustice or hardship in consequence of maladministration by any person or body in the exercise of any function under section 113 of the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003 (complaints about health care), the Commissioner may, subject to the provisions of this Act, investigate the alleged maladministration.\n(2) In determining whether to initiate, continue or discontinue an investigation under this Act, the Commissioner shall act in accordance with his own discretion.\n(3) Any question whether a complaint is duly made to the Commissioner shall be determined by him.\n(4) Nothing in this Act authorises or requires the Commissioner to question the merits of a decision taken without maladministration by a health service body in the exercise of a discretion vested in that body.\n(5) Nothing in this Act authorises or requires the Commissioner to question the merits of a decision taken without maladministration by—\n(a) a family health service provider,\n(b) a person employed by a family health service provider,\n(c) a person acting on behalf of a family health service provider, or\n(d) a person to whom a family health service provider has delegated any functions.\n(6) Nothing in this Act authorises or requires the Commissioner to question the merits of a decision taken without maladministration by—\n(a) an independent provider,\n(b) a person employed by an independent provider,\n(c) a person acting on behalf of an independent provider, or\n(d) a person to whom an independent provider has delegated any functions.\n(7) Subsections (4) to (6) do not apply to the merits of a decision to the extent that it was taken in consequence of the exercise of clinical judgment.",
  "extent": "E+W+S",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 3(1) substituted (1.4.2006) by Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Act 2005 (c. 10), s. 40, Sch. 6 para. 35(2) (with s. 38); S.I. 2005/2800, art. 5(1)(3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "S. 3(1YA) repealed (1.4.2006) by Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Act 2005 (c. 10), s. 40, Sch. 6 para. 35(3), Sch. 7 (with s. 38); S.I. 2005/2800, art. 5(1)(3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "S. 3(1ZA) inserted (1.4.1998 with effect as mentioned in art. 3(3) of S.I. 1998/631) by 1997 c. 46, s. 41(10), Sch. 2 Pt. I para. 68(5); S.I. 1998/631, art. 2(1)(b), Sch. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "S. 3(1A)-(1D) inserted (1.4.1996 with effect as mentioned in art. 2(2) of S.I. 1996/970) by 1996 c. 5, s. 2(2); S.I. 1996/970, art. 2(1)(2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in s. 3(1A) substituted (1.4.2006) by Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Act 2005 (c. 10), s. 40, Sch. 6 para. 35(2) (with s. 38); S.I. 2005/2800, art. 5(1)(3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "S. 3(1B) repealed (1.10.1999 for E. and S. and 1.4.2000 for W.) by 1999 c. 8, s. 65, Sch. 4 para. 85(3), Sch. 5; S.I. 1999/2540, art. 2, Sch. 1; S.I. 1999/90, art. 2(b), Sch. 2; S.I. 2000/1041, art. 2(d), Sch."
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "Words in s. 3(1C) inserted (19.1.2010) by Health Act 2009 (c. 21), ss. 12(4), 40(1); S.I. 2010/30, art. 2(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F8",
      "text": "Words in s. 3(1C) substituted (1.4.2006) by Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Act 2005 (c. 10), s. 40, Sch. 6 para. 35(2) (with s. 38); S.I. 2005/2800, art. 5(1)(3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F9",
      "text": "S. 3(1E) inserted (1.6.2004) by Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003 (c. 43), ss. 118, 199(1)(4); S.I. 2004/759, art. 8"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F10",
      "text": "Words in s. 3(1E) substituted (1.4.2006) by Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Act 2005 (c. 10), s. 40, Sch. 6 para. 35(2) (with s. 38); S.I. 2005/2800, art. 5(1)(3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F11",
      "text": "Words in s. 3(2) substituted (1.4.2006) by Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Act 2005 (c. 10), s. 40, Sch. 6 para. 35(2) (with s. 38); S.I. 2005/2800, art. 5(1)(3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F12",
      "text": "Words in s. 3(3) substituted (1.4.2006) by Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Act 2005 (c. 10), s. 40, Sch. 6 para. 35(2) (with s. 38); S.I. 2005/2800, art. 5(1)(3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F13",
      "text": "Words in s. 3(4) substituted (1.4.2006) by Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Act 2005 (c. 10), s. 40, Sch. 6 para. 35(2) (with s. 38); S.I. 2005/2800, art. 5(1)(3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F14",
      "text": "S. 3(5)(6) inserted (1.4.1996) by 1996 c. 5, s. 2(3); S.I. 1996/970, art. 2(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F15",
      "text": "Words in s. 3(5) substituted (1.4.2006) by Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Act 2005 (c. 10), s. 40, Sch. 6 para. 35(2) (with s. 38); S.I. 2005/2800, art. 5(1)(3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F16",
      "text": "Words in s. 3(6) substituted (1.4.2006) by Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Act 2005 (c. 10), s. 40, Sch. 6 para. 35(2) (with s. 38); S.I. 2005/2800, art. 5(1)(3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F17",
      "text": "S. 3(7) inserted (1.4.1996) by 1996 c. 5, s. 6(2); S.I. 1996/970, art. 2(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F18",
      "text": "Word in s. 3 heading substituted (1.4.2006) by Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Act 2005 (c. 10), s. 40, Sch. 6 para. 34 (with s. 38); S.I. 2005/2800, art. 5(1)(3)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [
    {
      "type": "inserted",
      "affecting": "ukpga/2006/44",
      "affecting_title": "NHS Redress Act 2006"
    }
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1993/46/section/3",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:34:38.799510+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}