“Fragmented” health and social care system at heart of problems say Ombudsmen

The complexity of local level arrangements are the cause of many of the complaints received about health and social care, according to a new report by the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) and Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO).

The report, published today, analyses the 180 investigations carried out by the ombudsmen’s Joint Working Team (JWT), set up in 2015 to investigate the most complex joint health and social care complaints, during its first year of operation.

Common issues include:

•    Delays in assessments, meaning that people have to wait longer to get the care they need

•    Poor care or failure to provide services altogether

•    Failure to deal with safeguarding issues

•    Lack of appropriate aftercare following discharge from hospital for those sectioned under the Mental Health Act

The JWT comprises investigators from both organisations, who have been trained to deal with complaints about both health and social care provision, rather than specialising in just one of these areas, as they would have done previously. The complaints looked at by the team include those against social services, health trusts, clinical care commissioning groups or care agencies.

The report also emphasised the advantages of adopting an integrated approach to investigating complaints about health and social care.

Dr Jane Martin, Local Government Ombudsman said: “Health and social care services provide vital support for some of the most vulnerable people in the country. For people who rely on these services when things go wrong, the impact can be life-changing. It is therefore essential there is a clear and simple to navigate route to achieving redress when the worst happens.

“The Joint Working Team has made it a less complicated process for people to bring a complaint and easier for the Ombudsmen to investigate issues which involve both health and social care.”

Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman Julie Mellor said: “A fragmented health and social care system means that time and time again these services fail and vulnerable people fall through the cracks. For families who have gone through a confusing local complaints process, we have made it easier for them by setting up a joint team with the Local Government Ombudsman.

“That’s why we welcome the Government’s commitment to creating a single Ombudsman, which will make it easier for people to complain when they have been let down by a public service.”

Earlier this month, the Government published draft legislation to create a new Public Service Ombudsman, which would investigate complaints across many public services. To access the consultation visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/draft-public-service-ombudsman-bill.

A copy of the joint report can be downloaded from the following link: http://www.lgo.org.uk/assets/attach/4021/FR%20-%20Joint%20Working%2019.12.2016.final.pdf