Health bosses given ombudsman complaints warning

Health chiefs have been told meeting with people making complaints could prevent problems escalating to the ombudsman. 

NHS bodies are expected to respond to complaints from patients and their families who if they are unhappy at the response can take matters to the ombudsman. 

But Jemma Morgan, of patient watchdog Llais, said a lack of information and the definitive deadline to take complaints forward means many will often advance to the ombudsman when they could have been resolved by Gwent’s Aneurin Bevan University Health Board. 

She told its board meeting Llais has to make clients aware of the ombudsman’s deadline. 

“Because of the time restraint we find we have to escalate more complaints to the ombudsman when perhaps a meeting would have avoided that,” Ms Morgan said. 

Her comments were acknowledged by the board when it met for its May meeting.