NHS Ombudsman -The Final Frontier!

posted on 23 October 2009 | posted in Personal Blogs

The Office of Nigel Farage UKIP-MEP says: "there is a plethora of advisory bodies set up simply to waste your time" and the final stage, the Ombudsman "is slow, biased in the Trusts favour and conditional upon no legal action being taken!"
.....................

Mrs. Norma Scott has decided to share her experience of the NHS Complaints Procedure and her attempts at approaching the 'Final Frontier" the Health Service Ombudsman!

(Click here to read the story of Norma's father, John Farrow and why an NHS Complaint was commenced.)

"My complaint regarding the treatment and care of my father John Farrow, was upheld by the Healthcare Commission - Aug 2007.

I tried to get to know who was responsible for overseeing the action
plan drawn up as a result of Healthcare Commission suggestions. It appeared to be the Airedale NHS Hospital Trust who the complaint was about!

I was advised by both ICAS and the Healthcare Commission to take my complaint to the next stage of the NHS Complaints procedure, the Health Service Ombudsman.

After waiting for over a year I was told by the Health Service Ombudsman that my complaint - over not having had an answer as to "Who was responsible for the monitoring of action plans and suggestions made by the Healthcare Commission?" - was outside the remit of the Health Service Ombudsman!

The Health Service Ombudsman apologised that I hadn't been told earlier and suggested that I should have been advised to contact my M.P. Ann Cryer, who should then have taken the complaint to the Parliamentary Ombudsman!

ICAS could only apologise for giving me the wrong information regarding taking my complaint to the next stage of the NHS Complaints procedure - Health Service Ombudsman!

Ann Cryer M.P. had been involved throughout and did not know as much about the NHS Complaints Procedure as I did!

I would point out that at the time of receiving this information, May 2009, the Health Service Ombudsman and the Parliamentary Ombudsman were one and the same, Ann Abraham.

I was told the matter was closed as far as the Health Service Ombudsman was concerned and all documents were now the property of the Department of Health and if I published any of the documents, which are now deemed confidential, I may face legal action!!!

Ann Cryer my M.P. felt she could no longer help and told me that I was the ONLY person to complain about the Airedale NHS Hospital.

I was pleased to be able to prove Ann Cryer M.P. wrong by quoting a letter she had sent to another Constituent. In this letter to another NHS Complainant Ann Cryer M.P. wrote "The case of your mother is all too common, indeed members of my staff have had similar experiences".

My MP could not even remember writing this letter, lucky I have a copy!"

My opinion?
"No justice. M.P.'s = No use. Ministers = Watching their backs".

Norma Scott, daughter of John Farrow, War Veteran who died in Airedale NHS Hospital also says that "the GP expected him to come home. He didn't expect my father to be neglected and develop all the complications which were responsible for his death".

Click here to read about how Norma Scott critises the NHS Complaints Procedure in the Yorkshire Post!

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