25/07/2024
This FOI request asks for information relating to service improvement recommendations issued by the PHSO (as opposed to personal remedy recommendations). I am interested in the number of such recommendations issued by the PHSO, the breakdown between health and parliamentary complaints, the recommendations made to specific public bodies, the nature of such recommendations and the outcomes. I do not know whether or not the PHSO collects any or all of this information, so I can only request it. Furthermore, I appreciate that considering this request may be somewhat onerous, but I would suggest that there is value in sharing this information in order to understand service improvement recommendations and how public bodies respond to them. I also appreciate that statistical data alone needs to be understood in a wider context and that there may be a number of caveats in seeking to interpret and understand such information, which I would, if possible, be interested in learning about. Could I please kindly request the following information: 1. The number of service improvement recommendations issued by the PHSO to public bodies per year; 2. could you please provide this information for each year that such information has been collected; 3. could you please provide the breakdown between the PHSO's health and parliamentary jurisdictions; 4. could you please provide the number of service improvement recommendations issued to specific public bodies concerned eg government departments and NHS bodies; 5. could you please provide any information concerning the generic types or categories of such service improvement recommendations, eg that a NHS trust devise an action plan (if such data is collected); 6. could you also please provide the number of such recommendations which are accepted or actioned by the relevant public body (if such data is collected).
23/07/2024
I would like a copy of any decisions/complaints logged with the PHSO in relation to NHS Sussex or NHS Sussex ICB whether these have been recorded on the PHSO web site or NOT along with the reference number
22/07/2024
Taking 2019/20 for example you state that the Ombudsman received 5,623 cases but with 0 complaints resolved by meditation, 1,253 decided following primary investigation and 50 resolved with agreement of the complaint at the initial check ,4,320 are not clearly analysed. Can you please explain what happened to the 4,320 cases? Can you explain what is included in the 1,253 cases i.e. all rejected? You then include a second section entitled decided following detailed investigation which numbers 78. This would indicate that you only carry out detailed investigations on 1.4% cases submitted to you in 2019/20. Given the level of work before cases are submitted to the Ombudsman, is it correct that 98.6% of submissions are not subject to detailed investigation? The 78 is broken down into upheld (13), partly upheld (36), not upheld (28) and otherwise resolved (1). This section is confused by the addition of 18 discontinued investigations which would increase the total to 96 cases. The final % analysis is in relation to 96 cases. I note that of 5,623 cases submitted to the Ombudsman financial compensation was limited to 3 cases at little more than a notional amount. Can you please provide information on the cost of the Ombudsman Service since 2019/20.
Did any PHSO staff member at any time report to any other PHSO staff member the fact that I had made allegations of maladministration against Ms Hilsenrath as part of my 2 or 3 November 2020 complaint? On or about 9 November 2020 it was given the reference number ( redacted ) The main reference number, as of 21 June 2022, was ( Redacted ) It was allocated to ( Redacted) (Redacted) on or about 2 July 2021 and she issued her adjudication on 26 July 2022. This question potentially involves Rob Behrens, Rebecca Hilsenrath, ( Redacted ) but I suggest you also check whether anyone else in the Intake Team or in the Ombudsman Assurance Team took this action. If it is the case that one or more individuals did report this fact to another staff member, I would like to know to whom the report was made, when it was made and by what means it was done. I would also like to be provided with copies of any relevant emails, telephone attendance notes, manuscript notes and/or any other material evidencing a relevant communication and, if applicable, any reply that was received. Finally I would like to see any working notes made on the paper files, whether in the form of manuscript notes on other documents or in the form of primary "notes to self" by any of the staff mentioned above, mentioning or referring to Ms Hilsenrath and/or the roles of Director of Strategy and Communications and/or CEO.
11/07/2024
1. What exactly does the PHSO do, and what is it meant to achieve? 2. Is there a body directly responsible for the operation of the PHSO and to whom the PHSO are accountable to? 3. If new conclusive evidence presented itself subsequent to any final decision by the PHSO regarding a complaint, is there any way in which matters could then proceed further, and if so what would that entail? 4. Is there any way an organisation such as an NHS trust can be compelled to answer legitimate questions asked of them, in particular where their actions have not been in the interests of a person in their care? If you cannot answer this, is it possible for you to point me in the right direction to somewhere I could find this out without a requirement for legal assistance?
09/07/2024
I put in a F of I request for the number of dentists,hours worked and number of patients in the Pembrokeshire area back in 2022.This was supplied by the Health Board and i placed the information on a private Facebook site (January 2023)looking to improve access to Doctors/Dentists in the Pembrokeshire area.I Have just been informed by Facebook that my posting contains sensitive information and has been deleted. On looking back at the response to my F of I request i note in the small print there is a statement that this information should not be shared with anyone.Surely this goes against the spirit of the F of I Act which is to encourage information getting into the public domain.I could get all 175 members to send in the same request so we all get the information but this seems a waste of time for us and the Health Board.Could you confirm that placing a non disclosure on a Freedom of Information request is standard and is acceptable to the Ombudsman.
What is the email address of whoever deals with complaints about the National Health Service in Scotland? I cannot use telephones due to being deaf so I need their email address.
08/07/2024
Therefore I am interested to know of the PHSO's actual approach here even maybe despite of the formal law that I am told about currently on its website. Namely about its inability to receive legally valid complaints at the moment because there are no MPs.
05/07/2024
Can you please advise whether there is an appeal process to the outcome? ? Also if you can tell me whether I am at liberty to pursue civil proceedings now that I have, in my view, unsatisfactorily pursued your process?
Please supply the following information for your Agency ONLY, (do not including any data on other agencies or public bodies that may report to you) for the period of 2023: 1. Year of Creation/Launch/Establishment? 2. Your Annual Budget for the financial year of 2022/23? 3. Other Revenue received but not from government? 4. Fiscal Powers: Yes/No 5. Regulatory Powers: Yes/No 6. Do you sponsor other Public Bodies: Yes/No, if yes who? 7. Number of permanent staff? 8. Number of temporary staff (including part timers)? 9. Number of contract staff employed, (self-employed)? Points of clarification: • Question 4: The power to raise revenue from your clients/customer • Question 5: Have the power to regulate your market/sector • Questions 7,8 & 9 that is number employed during the financial year of 2022/23 • Question 7: Permanent and Fixed term employees" (including both full and part time staff) • Question 8: Temporary and contract staff" (contractors and agency temps) • Question 9: Secondments" (non pay-roll staff on secondment from other organisations)
04/07/2024
I am writing to request recorded information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 regarding the PHSO's security practices for complainant data during the initial complaint logging phase. Background: The PHSO's commitment to securing personal and confidential information is prominently featured on your website, where it is stated that Egress Switch is used to protect such data. However, it has come to my attention that this secure system is activated only after the initial logging of complaints, during which sensitive information is processed via standard email. This operational approach could potentially expose complainants to significant risks of data interception, which appears to be at odds with the security assurances advertised on your website. For further details, please refer to the security section of your website: https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https://www.ombudsman.org.uk/about-us/contact-us/using-our-secure-email-service&data=05|02|informationrights@ombudsman.org.uk|10fc45e5164f467b523108dc86565651|7c88cec864114f329333cf6877fd3515|0|0|638532952582707350|Unknown|TWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0=|0|||&sdata=edFSDQMDiMgCEMFa6MlbC6RFexGNM7A+shi9HT6wcUk=&reserved=0. Information Requested: 1. Records of any data breaches or security incidents related to the initial complaint logging phase within the last two years. 2. The most recent risk assessment performed regarding the use of standard email for initial complaint logging. 3. Recorded details of any measures taken by the PHSO this year to enable secure logging of complaints from the initial contact. 4. Up to three records of internal evaluations or communications this year regarding the adoption of secure systems like Egress Switch at the initial point of contact for complainants. This limit is set to ensure the request remains manageable and not burdensome. 5. Details on how and where the PHSO presently informs complainants that their personal and confidential information is not secured by Egress Switch or similar systems until after the initial complaint logging stage. This should include any standard advisories given to complainants or specific sections on your website or in communication materials that address this issue.
02/07/2024
Can you advise how long you hold my complaints, concerns and emails and any other data including your decisions and responses to me before deleting them in terms of years and months? I want all departments and functions to destroy all data received and sent to me not matter what it relates to. CMS ref: C-2112307, C-2110021, C-2103707
How many deaths have accurred and been reported or investigated due to Clozapine side effects. How many deaths has Clozapine caused since it was first put on the market. This is a very old drug and has caused many deaths. How many people have died whilst recieving treatment for clozapine?
All protocol / procedures surrounding his case, our service complaints process,
I would like to enquire whether anyone could kindly help me out here to acquire information on the annual complaints numbers in relation to people being left without proper urgent care in face of sudden deterioration what I mean here is when previously well functioning adult is left unable to work even walk, look after himself and his/her dependants attending to groceries shopping, cooking and usual daily living activities.
01/07/2024
I note that you state the law requires an MP to submit a complaint about a government department on behalf of a constituent, yet clearly you have missed a serious loophole in this bizarre system. What happens if an MP ignores a constituents request to submit a complaint about a government department? What recourse do members of the public have when facing obstinate or obstructive MP's who won't help their constituents? Does this mean a free get out of jail card for the goverment deparment accused of wrong doing? How do members of the public know there have been no behind the scenes private conversations between goverment departments and MP's - not to submit complaints on behalf of constituents? If the PHSO doesn't think this sort of sly underhand conduct happens, then you probably don't live in the real world.
I am a Lecturer in Finance at Queen Mary University London and would like to have access to information you have. I would like to request case information for all cases you have had in the past, as far back as possible. For each, I would like to have the following: 1. A unique identifier for the case. 2. The date of filing. 3. A broad geolocation for the individual filing the case, should that not infringe on their privacy. Any other information you could give me on the individual, such as gender for example, would be useful. 4. The entity the case was filed against. 5. A general description of the type of case. 6. The name of the investigator, or at least some unique identifier. 7. The investigator’s recommendation (in favour of the plaintiff, or of the defendant). 8. The date of the investigator’s report. 9. Whether the case was referred to on ombudsman. 10. The name of the ombudsman if there was one, or at least some unique identifier. 11. The date of the ombudsman decision. 12. The outcome of the case (found in favour of the plaintiff, or of the defendant). 13. The compensation received, if there was one, broken down in categories (compensation for financial loss, for the recognizing the impact of what went wrong, distress or inconvenience, and the interest). 14. Whether the award made by the ombudsman was accepted by the plaintiff.
28/06/2024
I am writing to request recorded information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, some of which is regarding case ref C-2120832. Purpose of Request: The response to this request will be made available to supplement a report I wrote for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC) outlining the findings of my investigation. Please supply the following information that falls inside the remit of the FoIA and outside the remit of Subject Access laws. Part 1: Communications Sent by PHSO - Specific to case ref C-2120832, please kindly provide copies of communications the PHSO sent to other parties, excluding myself. This includes communications sent to the ICO and other PHSO staff. Part 2: Communications Received by PHSO - Specific to case ref C-2120832, please kindly provide copies of communications the PHSO received from all parties, excluding myself. This includes communications received from the ICO and other PHSO staff. Part 3: Rules on Preventing Recurrence of Issues - Please kindly provide the specific document(s) held that outline the circumstances in which PHSO staff can conclude that ICO staff do not need to follow these rules on preventing the recurrence of issues: (a). ICO Service Charter - Relevant Section: "We will use the learning from complaints to improve our services and prevent the same problems happening again." (b). FOIA/EIR Casework Service Guide - Relevant Section: "Staff are required to identify and address any systemic issues that arise from casework and implement measures to prevent the recurrence of such issues." (c). Principles for Remedy - Relevant Section: "Public bodies should have systems in place to identify lessons learned from complaints and to ensure that the same mistakes do not happen again. This includes taking steps to put things right and to prevent similar issues in the future." (d). Principles of Good Complaint Handling - Advocates for learning from complaints to improve services and prevent recurrence. Part 4: Rules on Accountability - Please kindly provide the specific document(s) held that outline the circumstances in which PHSO staff can conclude that ICO staff do not need to follow these rules on accountability: (a). ICO Service Charter - Relevant Section: "We are committed to being accountable for our actions and ensuring that our staff adhere to the highest standards of conduct." (b). ICO Code of Conduct - Relevant Section: "Staff must be held accountable for their actions and must take responsibility for addressing any issues that arise from their conduct. This includes taking corrective actions to prevent similar issues in the future." (c). Principles of Good Complaint Handling - Relevant Section: "Public bodies must take responsibility for their actions, ensuring accountability at all levels of the organisation."
27/06/2024
Since icp was removed as a complaint option for veterans going through the complaints process against veterans uk - 1- how many veterans have came to phso in 2022 . 2023 and 2924 2- the success of each veterans complaint processed by Phso again In 2022 , 2023 and 2024 3- how many complaints were decided in favour of veterans uk again in 2022,2023 ,2024.
I would be grateful if you could refer me to the correct department to make a Freedom of Information Request into how many complaints were made to the PHSO concerning health providers in the year 2022-23 and how many were upheld.