Mr A complained that the Practice used its Zero Tolerance Policy to remove him from the Practice list because he submitted a formal complaint. Mr A said that the Practice gave him the incorrect contact details to submit his complaint. He described having to make multiple attempts to obtain the correct details to submit his concerns.
The Ombudsman decided that the Practice had documented its reasons for removing Mr A from the Practice list, but it failed to inform him of the reasons in writing at the time. Whilst the Practice acknowledged that it provided Mr A with the incorrect contact details to submit his complaint, it had not acknowledged or addressed the difficulties he had in trying to obtain the correct details. The Ombudsman said that this caused delays and frustration for Mr A. She decided to settle the complaint without an investigation.
The Ombudsman sought and gained the Practice’s agreement to apologise to Mr A for failing to inform him in writing of the reasons he was removed from the Practice list at the time, and for failing to acknowledge or address the difficulties he had in obtaining correct contact details to submit his complaint. The Practice also agreed to ensure that relevant contact details are available in its Complaints Policy, and to confirm with the Health Board the process and responsibility of notifying patients of the reasons for removal from the Practice list.