Vince Cable

Vincent Cable MP has taken up with the Parliamentary Ombudsman the case of a Twickenham woman, Deborah Kerpner, whose complaint against the Royal Surrey County Hospital - regarding a massive, unjustified bill for using the hospital telephone - was upheld by the Health Service (the Health Service Commission) but disregarded by the Hospital.

Vincent Cable said: "This is appallingly arrogant behaviour. The Hospital, first of all, denied there was an issue. And then, when a complaint was upheld by an NHS national body, refused to offer any redress. The amounts of money involved - about £70 - are minimal for the Hospital but substantial for Mrs Kerpner. There is a bigger issue of principle, however: the confidence of the public that, if they have a complaint about the NHS, that it will be dealt with properly and not casually dismissed by some unaccountable bureaucrat."