Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council handled Mrs Y’s discharge from hospital at this time. A coroner’s inquest is ongoing, covering the matters Mr X complained to us about. We could not meaningfully investigate the complaint until that process has completed.

The complaint

1. Mr X complained about how the Council handled his grandmother’s (Mrs Y’s) discharge from hospital. His concerns included:
• avoidable delays and failure to complete key actions or follow the Care Act;
• inaccurate communication about funding and failure to provide documents to Mrs Y’s family;
• failure to complete a Continuing Healthcare checklist; and
• failure to properly consider Mr X’s complaint.
2. Mr X said this caused delay in Mrs Y’s discharge, confusion and distress. He said he also went to significant inconvenience in chasing basic information, challenging inaccurate statements and attending repeated meetings that produced no progress.
3. Mr X wanted the Council to acknowledge fault and amend its records. He wanted it to review its processes and provide staff guidance and training. He also wanted the Council to provide information and pay a remedy for his distress and inconvenience.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

4. We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse effect on the person making the complaint, which we call ‘injustice’. We provide a free service, but must use public money carefully. We do not start an investigation if we decide the tests set out in our Assessment Code are not met. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

5. I considered information provided by the complainant.
6. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

7. Mr X’s complaint concerns the Council’s involvement in assessing Mrs Y’s needs and finances in the lead up to her discharge from hospital. Mrs Y died shortly after her discharge.
8. Mr X has told us a coroner’s inquest is ongoing and that its scope specifically includes discharge planning. While the inquest is ongoing, it would not be appropriate for us to also investigate a complaint about the matter. We could not come to sound conclusions at this time, and the outcome of the inquest would be relevant to any findings we could come to.
9. It is open to Mr X to complain to us again after the inquest has completed. We can then consider whether there is anything that further investigation by us could achieve.

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Final decision

10. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint at this time because a coroner’s inquest is currently ongoing, covering the matters Mr X complains to us about.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman