Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (19 019 435a)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Community hospital services 17-Mar-2021

Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint. We most likely would not find fault with how Durham County Council responded to her safeguarding concerns. Also, we are unlikely to find fault with how her integrated care team supported her in response to those concerns.

NHS Sheffield Clinical Commissioning Group (19 015 370a)

Statement Not upheld Community hospital services 08-Mar-2021

Summary: The Ombudsmen find there was an extensive avoidable delay in the Council assessing two young adults’ needs and producing a support plan for their care at home. This situation caused their mother significant avoidable stress which is an injustice. The Council has agreed to apologise, make a payment to recognise the injustice and to take steps to learn from the case and prevent recurrences.

NHS Sheffield Clinical Commissioning Group (19 015 370b)

Statement Not upheld Community hospital services 08-Mar-2021

Summary: The Ombudsmen find there was an extensive avoidable delay in the Council assessing two young adults’ needs and producing a support plan for their care at home. This situation caused their mother significant avoidable stress which is an injustice. The Council has agreed to apologise, make a payment to recognise the injustice and to take steps to learn from the case and prevent recurrences.

East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust (19 007 535a)

Statement Upheld Community hospital services 23-Feb-2021

Summary: The complainant, Mrs C, says the Council and the Trust failed to provide her late father, Mr J, with sufficient occupational health equipment and physiotherapy to enable him to achieve his potential for rehabilitation. She also said the lack of care planning and therapy had an adverse impact on her mother’s caring role and left her with out-of-pocket expenses. We found the Trust was at fault in the way it decided to reprioritise a referral from a doctor, and this led to a delay in physiotherapy being provided. The Council took too long to provide equipment better suited to Mr J’s needs. The Council and the Trust have agreed to our recommendations and will apologise in writing to Mrs C’s mother, make an acknowledgement payment in recognition of the injustice caused and act to improve the response to referrals and record-keeping.

NHS Barnet Clinical Comissioning Group (19 021 064b)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Community hospital services 15-Feb-2021

Summary: Mr B complains about the care and support provided to his wife’s late cousin, Miss J, while resident in a home partly funded by the Council and the Clinical Commissioning Group. Mr B says Miss J suffered continuous weight loss and was unlawfully strapped to a chair for long periods by the Home during the last six months of her life. Mr B also complained about the decision to discharge Miss J from hospital and a failure to readmit her to hospital. Mr B’s complaint to the Ombudsmen is late and it is unlikely we can add to the previous investigation completed by the Council or achieve the outcome he wants.