Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the Council has failed to help the complainant register with a GP. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.

The complaint

1. The complainant, whom I refer to as Mr X, complains he has not had access to GP care for 25 years and the Council has failed to help him to register with a GP.

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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 an investigation if we decide there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6))

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by Mr X and the Council. This includes emails between Mr X and the Council. I also considered our Assessment Code and comments Mr X made in reply to a draft of this decision.

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My assessment

4. The Council has no responsibility for registering people with GPs and cannot arrange a GP registration. Registration is the responsibility of the NHS and the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).
5. Mr X asked the Council to help him register with a GP. He said he had not been registered with a GP for six years and has had little GP help for 15 years.
6. The Council passed Mr X’s details to the CCG and Mr X has a liaison officer in the CCG to help him find a new GP practice. The Council signposted Mr X to other NHS organisations and to a charity. Mr X says that none of these organisations helped him. The Council arranged for someone from a health partnership to work with Mr X. In 2021 the Council reported to Mr X that the partnership worker was finding it hard to find a GP for him.
7. The Council contacted some GP practices and gave Mr X general advice about registering. The Council told Mr X it has no jurisdiction over GPs and any complaints about registering should be sent to the NHS.
8. I will not investigate this complaint because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council. The Council responded appropriately by explaining it cannot register Mr X with a GP and by arranging support from organisations. Although Mr X says that none of these organisations helped him this does not mean the Council has done anything wrong.
9. Mr X has expressed some criticisms of the CCG. He would need to complain to the CCG if he wants to pursue a complaint about the CCG.

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Final decision

10. We will not investigate this complaint because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman