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Wednesday 25 September

We will be closed to the public on Wednesday 25 September.

Our online complaints form will still be available if you wish to make a complaint.

  • Corporate news

Patient Partnership Week - Contributing to Better, Safer Care

Patient Partnership Week (2nd – 6th September) is an initiative created by the Patients Association to improve healthcare through better patient engagement. 

There is a focus during the week on shared decision making in healthcare.  Shared decision means involving patients and their families in decisions about their clinical care. 

Not only do health professional codes of conduct state that patients should be told of any risks with recommended treatment, it is also a legal requirement. 

Shared decision making enhances both quality of care and fosters more compassionate, effective healthcare. It is also vital for patient safety, because by listening to and working with patients a service is more likely to understand and meet their needs and be responsive when safety problems arise.

At the Public Services Ombudsman for Northern Ireland we receive complaints from patients (predominantly in a hospital setting) that they would have liked greater involvement in their care.  While our investigations may find that health care staff treated patients appropriately, we also find occasions in which staff have not involved and listened to patients and their families.  

You can read more about these cases here.

  • Corporate news

Bank Holiday Monday

We will be closed to the public on Monday 26 August.  If you wish to make a complaint about a provider of a public service you can still do so via our online complaint form.

Our office will be open again on Tuesday 27 August, between the hours of 10.00am and 12 noon.

Friday 9 August

Our office will be closed to the public on Friday 9 August.  Our phone lines and online complaint form will be operational as normal.

We will be open again between the hours of 10.00am and noon on Monday 12 August.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Quarterly Bulletin - July 2024

We produce a Quarterly Bulletin to give readers a short update on our most recent work.

The July Bulletin highlights two reports into complaints about health trusts, and one into a complaint about a government department. It also contains information about our work to help public bodies support users experiencing vulnerability.

  • Corporate news

Free learning resources to help organisations support people who are experiencing vulnerability

Anyone can experience vulnerability at some point in their life. People experiencing vulnerability may mean they struggle to access and navigate public services, which in turn can lead to disadvantages. While some people may not see themselves as vulnerable, being mindful of this helps public service providers ensure that everyone's unique and individual needs are identified and met. 

With others, we have created a set of resources to help public service providers support people experiencing vulnerability.

The toolkit contains a Powerpoint presentation, a Workbook, Facilitator's Notes, and videos with contributions from organisations discussing their work in this area.

Access the resources here: www.nipso.org.uk/resources/vulnerability

 

  • Corporate news

Trust failed to explain reasons for not carrying out Serious Adverse Incident investigation

A woman whose father died in Causeway Hospital complained that staff should have monitored him more closely.

Read our full investigation report here.

  • Media statements

Easter Holidays

Please note, our Office is closed to the public on Good Friday, Easter Monday, and Easter Tuesday.

Our phone lines are open on Good Friday, but will be closed on Easter Monday and Easter Tuesday.

Our online Complaints Form is available throughout the Easter break.

  • Corporate news

Quarterly Bulletin - March 2024

Our Quarterly Bulletin highlights some of our most recent investigation reports and provides other updates on our work.

  • Corporate news

Good records management

Public bodies should be transparent.  They should record the criteria for decision making and give reasons for their decisions.

This was the message given by Ombudsman Margaret Kelly and Deputy Ombudsman Sean Martin at a recent talk given to an event held in the Public Records Office Northern Ireland.

While people don't generally complain about poor record keeping, explained Ms Kelly, a significant proportion of those cases going to the Ombudsman's Further Investigation stage uncover issues with record keeping.  This often can be an indicator of other underlying problems.

Stressing how good records protect everyone, both urged members of staff working in public bodies to record their rationale when making key decisions.  This not only helps others within the public body but can act as a 'shield' if those decisions are questioned at some point in the future.

  • Corporate news

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