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

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.

We have appointed Opinion Research Services (ORS) to carry out our second Public Awareness Survey.

ORS will be contacting around 600 members of the public throughout March and April 2024 to ask questions about their awareness of NIPSO and their attitudes to complaining about public services.

The information we obtain from the survey will help us decide how to improve our service going forward.

We will publish the survey's findings later in the year.  In the meantime, if you would like to know more about the survey please get in touch with us at communications@nipso.org.uk

The report from the first survey, carried out in 2021, is available here.

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

Read our full investigation report here.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.