Norfolk County Council (25 010 912)
Category : Adult care services > Disabled facilities grants
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 10 Feb 2026
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s role in the maintenance of a faulty bath-lift that caused the complainant to have an accident in June 2023. The complaint is late.
The complaint
- Mr B complains the Council’s equipment supplier failed to maintain a bath-lift which then caused him to have an accident in June 2023 where he sustained a broken leg. Mr B says the Council and the equipment supplier provided misleading information and there has been a lack of accountability. He says the accident led to a loss of his independence which in turn has increased the caring role his wife has. Mr B wants the Council and the other parties involved to pay him compensation.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
- We cannot investigate late complaints unless we decide there are good reasons. Late complaints are when someone takes more than 12 months to complain to us about something a council has done. (Local Government Act 1974, sections 26B and 34D, as amended)
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council response to the complaint.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- Mr B lives at home and his wife who provides him with care. He has equipment provided by the Council’s occupational therapy team to meet his needs. This included a bath-lift provided by a third party.
- Mr B said he reported issues with the bath-lift to the equipment supplier as the bath-lift was out of warranty. He said due to a lack of maintenance the
bath-lift became faulty and this caused an accident in June 2023 where he sustained a broken leg. - His representative complained to the Council, and it provided a response to address this and other issues raised. The Council said the equipment was out of warranty and there was no contract in place to maintain it.
- We will not investigate this complaint because it is late. Mr B did not complain to us until August 2025 which is more than 12 months when he was aware of the matter.
Final decision
- We will not investigate Mr B’s complaint because it is late.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman