Alzheimer's Society response to Health Service Ombudsman's investigations

The themes highlighted in the investigations by Ann Abraham, the Health Service Ombudsman, included:

• poor complaint handling
• failure to obtain the informed consent of patients
• poor nursing care
• lack of liaison between services.

Poor communication and documentation featured in many of the cases. The report covers investigations made from April to September 2003.

Ann Abraham also reported that since the publication of her special report in February of this year her office had received over 3000 complaints about NHS funding for the long term care of elderly and disabled people.

Also the Department of Health recently announced it has extended the deadline by which Strategic Health Authorities must complete investigations into cases where continuing care was wrongly denied between 1996 and 2002.

The deadline for completing investigations that may lead to compensation has been extended until the end of March 2004. Strategic Health Authorities must review their eligibility criteria and reimburse and reassess where appropriate.

The Alzheimer's Society is encouraging anyone affected by this issue to complain to the Health Service Ombudsman.