Ms B complained about Aneurin Bevan University Health Board’s (“the Health Board’s”) handling of her complaint, submitted in respect of her late father’s care and treatment. She said that she found herself in a worse position than before she submitted the complaint due to receiving so many incomplete, inconsistent and inaccurate responses from the Health Board.
The Ombudsman found that the Health Board had provided 6 response letters to Ms B which contained inconsistencies and contradictions. He also found that each complaint response following the first, was prompted by Ms B questioning inconsistencies and conflicting information contained in the subsequent responses. He also found that even after receiving 6 responses, Ms B still had unanswered questions.
The Ombudsman sought and gained the Health Board’s agreement to apologise to Ms B and pay her redress of £250 in recognition of the poor complaint handling.