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'When the Ombudsman gets it wrong'

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The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) is the last resort for unresolved complaints in the health sector. If the PHSO believes that an organisation has got something wrong, they can make recommendations for it to put them right. This can include explanations, apologies or recommendations for the service to learn and improve. However, many PHSO investigations will be based on information provided by the complainant alone which may not include all of the facts. For complex investigations, the PHSO may also instruct independent experts to assist them in their investigations. So, what happens if the PHSO gets it wrong? Can they be challenged?

Thankfully, the PHSO will usually share a draft of their report with the complainant and the organisation involved before it is finalised. Both have the opportunity to voice their opinion or challenge the findings and recommendations of the PHSO before publication. 

There are two options available for challenging a draft PHSO report: 

  1. Judicial Review – where the PHSO’s reasoning was fundamentally flawed - factually or legally
  2. PHSO to review their draft report in the light of further evidence

Additionally, if a complainant has already brought a civil claim against your organisation in relation to the same issue that they are asking the PHSO to investigate, then the PHSO cannot as a matter of law continue with their investigation into that aspect. It may then be possible to prevent the PHSO from publishing any aspects of the report that has already been explored as part of the civil claim. If this argument is not accepted by the PHSO, then a claim for Judicial Review would be required, however this can be costly. 

An alternative option is to provide a written response to the PHSO clearly setting out what findings and recommendations your organisation agrees with and where these are not agreed, provide supporting evidence for the PHSO to consider. You can then ask the PHSO to revise their findings and recommendations. Not only will this help your organisation in ‘getting the story straight’, but the PHSO will appreciate having any relevant information they have missed brought to their attention so to complete a thorough and fair report, after all, it would be inappropriate for the PHSO to report on the basis of the complainant’s evidence alone.

It may be the case that your organisation has obtained statements and expert reports from an earlier internal investigation and/or inquest that are relevant, that the PHSO has not seen. If time allows, you could also seek your own independent expert review of an incident. 

Although the PHSO report is confidential up to the point that it is published, from then on there is a strong likelihood of press interest, whether the report is accepted or not. It will therefore be important to be quick off the mark to draft a press statement ready to go in the event that this is needed to prevent any backlash.

Top tips

  1. Obtain a copy of the draft PHSO report and ask for details with regards to what information they have reviewed in order to complete their draft report
  2. Request copies of any expert reports the PHSO have obtained and the experts CVs. Request confirmation as to what information the experts have reviewed in order to complete their reports
  3. Review the draft PHSO report in detail
  4. If there has been a civil claim in the past that has settled, consider whether the PHSO has been asked to report on the same issue as the claim. If they have, consider whether you wish to challenge this
  5. If any findings or recommendations are not agreed, establish why these are not agreed – do you have evidence to support this? If not, is it worth obtaining your own independent expert report to try and support this view? 
  6. Has the PHSO draft report highlighted any lesson learning? If so, create an action plan in order to address this within a set timeframe, highlighting to the PHSO what lesson learning has already taken place
  7. Write to the PHSO explaining clearly what findings and recommendations are accepted and which are not. Those which are not accepted should have supportive evidence. Provide the PHSO with a copy of the lesson learning action plan so to demonstrate that you are already addressing those PHSO recommendations which are agreed. Request the PHSO reconsider their findings and recommendations in light of your letter and evidence provided
  8. Anticipate press interest and have a media strategy

The most important point is to take action early if you want to challenge a PHSO report. We can provide helpful advice in this regard.

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From NHS bodies to private providers and practitioners to insurance practices, our multi-disciplinary legal expertise covers the full spectrum of healthcare law including, litigation, commercial, regulatory, employment, investigations and inquests, real estate and disciplinary law. As a full-service international law firm, we take a scalable approach to service delivery, providing immediate access to high-quality legal advice across the full spectrum.

We are committed to working in partnership with our clients, fostering philosophies that are mutually beneficial. Our expertise and experience mean that we understand the issues you face and the clear and practical advice that you require, especially as services and systems become more integrated. We can help you manage risk and obtain better value for money enabling you to improve services and outcomes.

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