Section 187 Independent advocacy services

The Welsh Ministers must arrange, to such extent as they consider necessary to meet all reasonable requirements, for the provision of independent advocacy services.

“Independent advocacy services”are services providing assistance (by way of representation or otherwise) to individuals making or intending to make—

In subsection (2)—

• F7“direct payment service provider means a person who provides services to any person in respect of which direct payments have been made under section 10B(1), or under regulations made under section 10B(6),

• F8“ family health service provider in Wales ” has the same meaning as it has in the Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Act 2019 (see, in particular, section 78 of that Act),

• “health service body” means—

  1. (a)

     in relation to England, a body which, under section 2(1) of the Health Service Commissioners Act 1993 (c. 46), is subject to investigation by the Health Service Commissioner for England,

  2. (b)

     in relation to Wales, a Welsh health service body (within the meaning of F9the Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Act 2019),

• F10“independent palliative care provider” means a person who is an independent palliative care provider (within the meaning given by F11section 64 of the Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Act 2019),

• “independent provider” means—

  1. (a)

     in relation to England, a person who, under section 2B(1) of the Health Service Commissioners Act 1993, is subject to investigation by the Health Service Commissioner for England,

  2. (b)

     in relation to Wales, a person who is an independent provider in Wales (within the meaning of F12the Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Act 2019.

The Welsh Ministers may make such other arrangements as they consider appropriate for the provision of assistance to individuals in connection with complaints relating to the provision of services as part of the health service.

In making arrangements under this section the Welsh Ministers must have regard to the principle that the provision of services under the arrangements should, so far as practicable, be independent of any person who is—

The Welsh Ministers may make payments to any person in pursuance of arrangements under this section.