Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a care home not completing a Continuing Healthcare Checklist. That is because it has agreed to complete the checklist therefore further investigation will not lead to a different outcome.

The complaint

1. Ms X complained on behalf of her now deceased mother, Ms Y. She said the Care Home had failed to complete the Continuing Healthcare Checklist (CHC) despite agreeing to in a previous complaint response to her. Ms X wants confirmation the Care Home will complete the CHC checklist.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. The Ombudsman investigates complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse impact 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 or may decide not to continue with an investigation if we decide further investigation would not lead to a different outcome. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6))

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by the complainant and the Care Provider.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Ms Y was transferred into the nursing care unit of the Care Home shortly before she died. In HC-One’s response to Ms X’s complaint it confirmed Ms Y might be entitled to CHC funding because of the change to her healthcare needs. It said the Care Home had not completed the checklist whilst Ms Y was alive as the staff were focussed on providing direct care to Ms Y. It offered Ms X £500 to acknowledge any inconvenience caused by the delay in processing the CHC checklist.
6. Ms X complained to the Ombudsman in June 2022 as the Care Home had still not completed the CHC checklist. Following our enquiries, the Care Home has agreed to complete the CHC checklist within four weeks of our final decision. As I am satisfied with the proposed action, we will not investigate this complaint further.

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Final decision

7. We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint because we are satisfied with the proposed action of the Care Home.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman