News from Public Services Ombudsman for Wales

Date of article: 16/08/2017

Daily News of: 18/08/2017

Country: United Kingdom - Wales

Author:

Article language: en

Eight Per Cent Rise In Welsh NHS Complaints, New Ombudsman Figures Reveal

Complaints made to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales about Welsh NHS bodies

have increased by 8% over the past year, according to new figures.

The Ombudsman, Nick Bennett, said the continued trend was concerning and called on the

Assembly to push forward with new Ombudsman legislation that will help drive up standards

of public service delivery.

The Ombudsman’s 2016/17 annual report and accounts showed that in total the

Ombudsman received 2,056 new complaints about public services in Wales and a further

236 code of conduct complaints against local government councillors. The total number of

enquiries and complaints has increased by 75% over the past six years.

Despite the challenge of increasing workloads the number of complainants who received a

positive

outcome from their complaint, either through resolution of the complaint by the body

agreeing actions to put things right or a complaint upheld with actions agreed, increased by

16 per cent.

Complaints received about health now make up 38% of the Ombudsm

an’s caseload, and the

Ombudsman has assigned Improvement Officers to five of Wales’ Health Boards –

Abertawe Bro Morgannwg, Aneurin Bevan, Betsi Cadwaladr, Cwm Taf and Hywel Dda.

In June, his office held a seminar for staff in the health sector to discus

s how to share learning and best practice in complaint handling.