Tailfeather

Plaintiffs, a group of indigent residents of the County of Los Angeles who rely on county medical facilities, brought a complaint for injunctive and declaratory relief and a petition for writ of mandate against the Board of Supervisors of the County of Los Angeles and Robert C. Gates, the Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (collectively referred to as the County). Plaintiffs sought a ruling that the County violated its duties under various provisions of the Welfare and Institutions Code by failing to adopt formal written standards governing waiting times for receipt of medical care. The trial court granted the County’s motion for summary judgment, and plaintiffs appealed. Limiting our review to the narrow issue raised by the complaint, we conclude that the statute does not mandate the adoption of formal standards concerning waiting times for medical care and affirm the grant of summary judgment, although we disagree with some of the grounds set forth in the trial court’s order.

Factual and Procedural Background

The Complaint

According to the complaint filed by plaintiffs herein, “[i]t is a common experience for the needy poor to wait many…