Role
The Ombudsman examines the administrative actions of a wide range of public bodies. Where complainants have not been dealt with properly and fairly, the Ombudsman suggests appropriate redress and, where appropriate, he recommends improvements in practices and procedures in order to avoid the repetition of mistakes or the recurrence of poor service. In 2013 the Ombudsman assisted over 11,000 people with enquiries and went on to examine over 3,200 complaints.
Health Complaints
In 2013, 17% of all complaints examined by this Office were about the HSE. Approximately 130 complaints were about acute hospitals and long stay care settings. When we consider the high volume of interactions that the public have with acute hospitals over the course of a year, we can see that the annual number of complaints that reach the Ombudsman is relatively low. There are many reasons for this.
It is important to note that the Ombudsman cannot by law examine complaints about clinical judgement, that is, the judgement of a clinician in deciding on a diagnosis or a particular course of treatment. The Ombudsman can however look at a range of other actions that often result in poor care, for example, poor communication, breach of procedure, or poor administrative practices.
Making a complaint
There are many ways to make a complaint about a poor health or social care service. Usually it is best to complain at the source of the problem. Evidence shows that many people have difficulty knowing what to do when they are unhappy with a service and are often anxious about making a complaint. As a result, an on-line resource has been developed to assist members of the public with the process. www.healthcomplaints.ie is an online information portal which provides information on how to make a complaint, the range of bodies that handle health complaints and provides sample letters and case studies to assist with the process. The site and related resources were developed by a group of 17 agencies, chaired by the Ombudsman’s office.
Complaints provide valuable information to service providers about aspects of their service that is poor or indeed unacceptable. Complaints about end of life care are often the most urgent and compelling.
“We have only one chance to get this right”
[Sharon Foley CEO of the Irish Hospice Foundation speaking to the Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children]
If something goes wrong with the care provided at the end of life, nothing can be done to put matters right for the person most affected. The impact on the bereaved can be traumatic and lasting. Complainants are regularly passionate and determined to ensure that the wrong is recognised and lessons are learned to prevent any other person or family experiencing the problem again.
Purpose of these reflections
The purpose of this publication is not to point the finger or lay blame on particular institutions or professions. This is purely a reflective and learning exercise. For that reason the anonymity of settings and of individuals has been preserved.