Mrs X complained that Swansea Bay University Health Board had failed to respond to her mother’s, Mrs Y’s, complaint.
The Ombudsman found that, while the Health Board provided Mrs Y with some updates within the expected timeframe, on other occasions Mrs Y had to chase the Health Board for an update regarding her complaint, and it had failed to provide her with a response. The Ombudsman said that this caused uncertainty and frustration for Mrs Y. She decided to settle the complaint without an investigation.
The Ombudsman sought and gained the Health Board’s agreement to, within 3 weeks, write to Mrs Y with an apology and explanation for the delay and lack of regular updates, issue its complaint response, and offer to pay Mrs Y £50 in recognition of the delay and lack of regular updates.