Mrs A complained about the lack of care and support her son had received from his Therapist as well as the Health Board’s complaint handling and the lack of response to some of her telephone calls and emails.
From a complaint handling viewpoint, the Ombudsman identified instances of poor communication which were not always compatible with the Putting Things Right Guidance. She also noted issues with record keeping and the documentation of telephone contact with the complainant and her son.
As part of an early resolution the Health Board agreed to apologise for shortcomings in its complaint handling as well as reminding complaint investigators of the importance of documenting telephone contact with complainants. The Health Board also agreed to review Mrs A’s case in order to identify areas of learning and improvement and to share its action plan with the Ombudsman’s office.