Mrs A complained about the care and treatment provided to her late father by the Practice. Mrs A further complained about communication difficulties and the conduct and attitude of staff. Mrs A was dissatisfied with the complaint response provided by the Practice.
The Ombudsman was concerned about the Practice’s complaint handling. The Practice had not responded to the first complaint made by Mrs A and its response to her second complaint did not adequately address the matters raised. This caused inconvenience, stress and upset for Mrs A and her family. The Ombudsman decided to settle the complaint without an investigation.
The Practice agreed to, within 4 weeks, provide Mrs A with a written apology for the failure to investigate and provide a formal response to her first complaint, the delay in providing a formal response to her second complaint and the failure to fully address matters within its complaint response. The Practice also agreed to provide Mrs A with a further complaint response addressing all matters contained in her complaints.