01/08/2025
I am submitting a Freedom of Information request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to better understand the types of NHS England-related complaints that the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman considers within scope for investigation. Please provide the following: 1. Classification and Scope A detailed breakdown of how the PHSO currently classifies complaint categories relating to NHS services in England, particularly in relation to the following areas: Clinical and Administrative Complaints • Delays in diagnosis, treatment, referrals, or discharge • Failure to follow clinical guidelines or pathways • Inaccurate or incomplete medical records • Poor coordination between care providers or settings Communication and Staff Conduct • Failure to provide clear, timely, or accurate information • Unprofessional behaviour or tone used by NHS staff • Inadequate explanation of risks, procedures, or consent • Lack of translation or reasonable communication support Complaint Management Failures • Delays or non-responses to formal complaints • Breaches of NHS Complaint Standards • Investigations that omit relevant evidence or do not address key concerns Financial and Access Barriers • Refusal of NHS-funded treatment or reimbursements • Administrative blocks to accessing care or GP registration • Mishandling of charges, exemptions, or eligibility processes Mental Health and Vulnerable Patient Concerns • Poor management of psychiatric crises or safeguarding issues • Inappropriate use of restraint or detention • Failure to provide reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010 2. Internal Criteria and Guidance Any written guidelines, policy documents, decision frameworks, or internal training materials used by case assessors to determine eligibility, prioritisation, and scope of investigation for complaints involving NHS England services. 3. Statistical Information For the past three calendar years (2022–2025), please provide: • The total number of complaints received involving NHS England • The number accepted for formal investigation • Categorisation of accepted complaints by type (if available) • Outcome summaries (e.g. upheld, partially upheld, not upheld)
Whether the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman received any complaints, referrals, or casework concerning Northwick Park Hospital and its handling of COVID-19 policies, incidents, or procedures between April and August 2021. This includes complaints involving: • Mask enforcement • Visiting restrictions • Staff conduct in relation to COVID-19 measures I am requesting: • The full text of each complaint or referral (with redacted personal information) • And the date on which each was received
I would be grateful if you could confirm whether your Service Charter and 3 Step Process as published on your website is current and provide the names of the persons responsible for ensuring adherence. Could you also point me to the correct web page that provides data results showing the unconcluded cases still waiting for the provisional reviews report that are more than 27 + months old.
31/07/2025
I would be grateful if you could consider the following narrower or alternative request: 1. Are any anonymised summaries or decision statements relating to these four cases available for publication or already published (e.g. on your public decisions database)? If so, please could you direct me to them or provide copies. 2. If not, are you able to provide a general thematic summary of the four cases – for example, the broad nature of the complaints (e.g. SEND provision, complaints handling, maladministration of funding, etc), and the categories of failings identified? 3. Were any of these cases considered to have wider or systemic learning, and if so, are any learning summaries or lessons-learned reports available?
29/07/2025
For each financial year between 2019/20 and 2024/25 1). How many complaints were made against HMRC to the Parliamentary & Health Services Ombudsman (PHSO). 1a) In the same financial years , how many complaints against HMRC were upheld and how many partly upheld by PHSO. 2). For 1 above, for each financial year, how many complaints concerned the exercise of discretion by HMRC 3). For each financial year, how many caseworkers were employed by PHSO 3a) For each financial year, how many caseworkers employed by PHSO were former employees of HMRC, employed elsewhere within HMRC, prior to joining PHSO?
24/07/2025
"Could you please therefore explain the legal basis for anonymisation of final Reports. If the Commissioner claims a discretionary power to impose a policy of anonymisation then please explain the legal basis for such discretionary power and produce to me by way of Freedom of Information copies of all documentation on record held by the Commissioner and his Office relating to the making and formulation of the policy currently in force here."
18/07/2025
The Department for Education’s latest annual accounts .. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/687794132bad77c3dae4dc67/DfE_consolidated_annual_report_and_accounts_2024_to_2025__web-optimised_version_.pdf … show on page 290 there were 4 detailed investigations reported on by Ombudsman. Three were upheld in full, and one partially. For each of these four, please could I have: 1. The date of the complaint 2. The name of the complaint (if possible and if anonymity wasn’t requested/granted) 3. A copy of the complaint/or a any detailed summary you may have 4. A full copy of the ombudsman’s findings 5. Details of the the outcome/recommendations
15/07/2025
The number of complaints that the Ombudsman has received in each month in the 36 month period from July 2022 to June 2025 inclusive.
1. A list of all decisions issued by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) between 1 January 2019 and 31 March 2024 involving complaints against HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS). For each case, please include: o The complaint reference number; o The date of decision or publication; o The decision outcome (e.g., upheld, partly upheld, not upheld, closed after initial enquiries); and o A short summary of the issue(s) investigated (e.g., “delay in processing a Help With Fees application,” “failure to communicate hearing date,” etc.). 2. Please also confirm: o Whether any such decisions were previously published but have since been removed from the PHSO’s “Our Decisions” portal or other public-facing database; o If so, the number of decisions removed and the reasons or internal policy grounds for removal; o Whether archived versions of such decisions remain accessible or can be provided on request.
14/07/2025
Page 47 of your Annual report and accounts 2023 to 2024 refers to “other actions to put things right”. Could you please provide the breakdown or more detail for this category for the years 2019-2024?
This is a request under FOIA for details of instances in which The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (including, where applicable, any agencies, bodies, or units for which it is ultimately responsible for supplier payments) has failed to pay its suppliers on time, thereby causing liabilities for late payment compensation and/or interest on late payments to be incurred for the public purse. With the above points in mind, we request under FOIA that you provide, (preferably in Microsoft Excel or an equivalent machine-readable format) the following information in respect of suppliers which were not paid in within 30 days for the period starting 1 April 2023 to the date of this request: 1. Supplier Name 2. Invoice Date 3. Gross Invoice Value 4. Payment Date 5. Late Payment Compensation or Interest Paid (if any)
Please provide the policies from which staff work from at PHSO on complaints ( as in how they may be submitted) and when receiving a complaint (the expectations of staff when receiving a complaint).
10/07/2025
I am writing in regards to the email pasted to you. I contacted the hospital at Durham and have heard nothing of the enquiry. I have also asked for the disclosure of the staff and I was ignored. I am writing to you as I believe the hospital not only are withholding the information they have also withheld the inquiry process. This happened on the 9th of may at the outpatients appointment for my grandson (Redacted) I have yet to know the disciplinary outcome of the incident and I have the right to the names of the staff via the 2000 freedom to information act.
1. All PHSO internal policy or guidance on: o Handling complaints involving Articles 2, 3, 6, 8, 13, and 14 of the Human Rights Act 1998; o Handling referrals containing statutory safeguarding disclosures; o Accepting complaints from individuals who request reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010; o Triage and escalation criteria when complaints are addressed to the Chief Executive; 2. The date my complaint submitted on 5 May 2025 was formally: o Logged, assigned, or rejected; o Or otherwise categorised or referred internally; 3. Whether the 8 June 2025 escalation to (redacted) and others was: o Registered as a continuation or new complaint; o Marked as involving safeguarding or public interest disclosure; 4. Any internal legal advice, policy guidance, or decision-making documents confirming that PHSO must accept public interest disclosures or safeguarding referrals regardless of format, in line with: o R v Home Secretary ex p Doody [1994] 1 AC 531 o R (Anufrijeva) v Southwark LBC [2003] EWCA Civ 1406 o R (Balajigari) v SSHD [2019] EWCA Civ 673 o R (Jeyeanthan) v SSHD [2000] EWCA Civ 44; o Or equivalent public law principles and administrative fairness obligations.
However, by far the majority of NHS cases are 'closed after initial enquiries'. How many of the cases fall into this category as listed on page 45, or which headings would fall under this category if that is easier to address please?
Could I please check whether or not you split up service improvement recommendations between health and parliamentary complaints? A year ago you provided this information (for previous years) - broken down between health and parliamentary complaints and that response is available on your website here: https://phso.houseonthehill.com/supisacs.dll?Z3=AD957F0FC436F51005516BB88EC70274
08/07/2025
I should be grateful for the following information: 1. Who has overall charge of PHSOs in-house legal department. Please provide an email address ; 2. To whom should a formal complaint be made concerning an in-house solicitor/lawyer. Please provide an email address ; 3. Who has overall responsibility for the proper functioning of post-assessment/non-investigatory matters ; 4. Please provide such documentation as necessary to support your answers.
07/07/2025
Please would you provide statistics to demonstrate how many cases in the last 12 months and 3 years, have been upheld, and how many have been closed without action.
04/07/2025
Dear Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, Please provide complaint info (complaints made, rejected, partially upheld, upheld) for CAFCASS over the past 15 years.
I am writing to submit a formal Freedom of Information Act 2000 request regarding complaints received by your office concerning the Home Office and its handling of serious immigration-related matters. I would be grateful if you could provide the following information via email: 1. Complaints About Home Office Investigations • The number of complaints received from individuals stating that the Home Office failed to investigate concerns they reported (e.g. immigration fraud, criminal activity, marriage abuse, overstayers, etc.). • A breakdown by year, for the last full 5 years (or if possible, for the last 10 years ). 2. Marriage Fraud / Marriage Abuse Complaints • The number of people who have filed complaints or reports concerning marriage fraud (i.e. where a partner allegedly used them for a visa/passport). • How many victims specifically raised concerns that they were being used for immigration purposes, and/or that their partner became abusive, threatening, or dangerous. • The number of complaints made regarding the Home Office’s failure to act or properly investigate these marriage abuse cases. 3. Immigration Crime Reporting Portal • The number of complaints received regarding the Home Office Immigration Crime Reporting Tool (online portal). • Specific complaints stating that: • The portal does not work or has technical issues. • Individuals did not receive confirmation or follow-up updates after reporting concerns through the tool. • Reports made through the portal were ignored or unresolved. 4. General Home Office Complaint Handling Failures • How many individuals submitted complaints about the Home Office Complaints Department not responding to their concerns (e.g. complaints sent to complaints@homeoffice.gov.uk or similar channels). • How many complainants reported no acknowledgment or follow-up after submitting formal complaints. 5. Maladministration and Impact on Victims • The number of complaints that mention maladministration by the Home Office in immigration cases. • Data or case outcomes showing how these failures have negatively affected people’s lives, such as: • Loss of housing, income, legal status • Mental or physical health deterioration • Risk to personal safety • If available, summaries or anonymised outcome reports relating to those complaints. 6. Systemic Issues • Any statistics or internal assessments indicating that the Home Office systematically fails to take immigration fraud, marriage abuse, or domestic safety concerns seriously, particularly when reported by victims. • Any investigation findings, published reports, or internal reviews relating to these issues. Systemic Issue Recognition • Has the Ombudsman identified or reported systemic failings by the Home Office in dealing with: • Victims of immigration-related abuse • Marriage fraud complaints • Improper use of GDPR to justify non-engagement • Failure to act on safeguarding or criminal reports • If so, please provide access to or a copy of any relevant reports, recommendations, or decisions made. I also refer to the 2014 report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman titled: “Home Office failures put a family in danger” (A 2014, report into a complaint by Mrs A and her family about the Home Office) This report exposed serious failings by the Home Office, including inadequate safeguarding measures, poor communication, and delays in responding to critical concerns — all of which left a family at risk. I am requesting information to understand how many similar complaints have been made since that case, whether these types of failures are still occurring, and if any patterns of systemic failure have been identified by your office in the years that followed. 7. Complaints About the Home Office Failing to Follow Its Own Policies • How many complaints have you received from individuals stating that the Home Office failed to follow its own published policies, procedures, or internal guidelines? • Where possible, please provide: • A breakdown by year (from 2014 to present) • The nature of the policies alleged to have been breached (e.g. safeguarding, victim protection, immigration enforcement) • The outcome of those complaints, including any findings by your office that confirmed policy breaches or maladministration. Could you please send the response and any documents to me by email.